Caught Red-Handed

Sliced on top of cereal. Mixed into salads. Dusted with sugar for dessert. I could eat strawberries morning, noon, and night.



Just Picked and Just Bursting with Flavor


I love to eat strawberries that look clean enough straight out of the container. I love to eat strawberries that are covered in dirt right off of the vine.

The Ripeness Guide

Although this will be the third post this week about strawberries (mentioned here and here), I just can't resist sharing our first strawberry picking experience.

Where we went:
Lavigne Strawberry Farm in Sanford, ME

Old Sign, New Season

This fairly flat farm has wonderful directions set up from the highway, ample parking, a friendly staff, and 12 acres of strawberries.

Good Directions

Strawberry Field, Line for Weighing

Things we learned:

1). The early bird gets the worm (prime picking is at 6am, not 11am)

2). Timing is everything (we got last picks in the morning field and missed the rotation to the afternoon field)

3). Berry season is short but sweet (only about a 2 week window around here)

4). Check to see if you need to bring your own containers...and then find your own row!

5). Pick one, eat two...good for filling up my stomach, not so good for filling up my basket

6). Strawberry picking in theory is alot more fun (my lower back is still screaming)

7). Bring enough cash (although it was much more reasonably priced than we had anticipated)

8). Don't abandon the strawberries in the suffocatingly hot car to spend two hours at the nail salon

9). Drag Brother #3 along next time so he can pick like a maniac while I park myself in the shade and eat every berry in a three foot radius

10). Freeze the strawberries on a cookie sheet first so that they don't all stick together in the bag

At least we had the foresight to strawberry pick before we got our manicures and pedicures!

Playful Purple French Manicure (No Thumbs Today) 

Strawberry Fields Forever

Last night, while the Beatles crooned from the Bose and we sampled native strawberries from yesterday's trip to the farmer's market, we made up our minds to go strawberry picking. After calling several "strawberry hot lines" both north and south of home base, we learned that prime picking season is just around the corner - and that we live in an area with dozens of pick-your-own farms.


Succulent Strawberries

I love berries. Blackberries and I have a slightly dysfunctional on-off-again thing going...Raspberries and I engage in a heady summer fling every year...Blueberries and I have been best friends for years (and can't risk taking that next step)...But Strawberries and I? We're the real deal. This love affair doesn't fizzle even in the heart of winter, when a quart from who-knows-where goes up to $5.99. I can get around the having seeds and molding fast thing, and in turn I'm forgiven for my occasional lust for variety.

Imagine all of the wonderful recipes that call for strawberries.* Strawberry shortcake. Strawberry smoothies. Strawberry ice cream. Strawberry granola. Strawberry lemonade. Strawberry sorbet. Strawberry pie. Strawberry crumb bars. Strawberry salad. Strawberry muffins.

Strawberries and chocolate. A match made in heaven, some would say. I'm a little jealous of this "perfect pair" - but I can share.

Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries

That's not to say I'm not above sending the green monster of envy right back...with a slice of Annie's strawberry cheesecake - which perks up a plain old strawberry cheesecake with an almond crust, a layer of dark chocolate ganache, and a pile of mixed berries on top. I think I'd briefly drop all of my dessert hang-ups if this cake could just magically appear on our cake stand tomorrow.

Have I mentioned we haven't actually gone strawberry picking yet? Clearly I've gotten a little carried away. Look for a picture-heavy post of our adventures in the field (and our red-stained fingers) soon!

*Special thanks to my new friend N for the 100 ways to use strawberries link!