We went strawberry picking for the first time this past weekend. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but just never took the time to do it with the kids. I’ve always thought it would be cool to pick your own strawberries rather than buy them at a store! I mean – yes – it’s easier to buy them at a store, but it’s FUN to go as a family and take the time to hunt, find and pick!
Pick Your Own Strawberries
Growing up my mother would always tell me about my great grandfather and grandmother’s farm in Michigan. They actually lived and worked on a strawberry farm. My mom used to always joke with me that my love for strawberries was in my blood! I always loved thinking that because it’s incredible to know that my family used to have a farm and that their livelihood depended on the crop of them. It’s always made strawberry picking seem to me like something so much more special.
Our anniversary was on Sunday (June 30th), so we were looking for some activities to do as a family. Since I’ve always wanted to go pick your own strawberries, I suggested this activity immediately because the weather was perfect – not too hot, not too cold. It was also a great day to head out with the kids because there really wasn’t anything going on for us – no swimming, no football, no plans. It just felt good!
As soon as we got down to the strawberry farm, it was massive! There were rows and rows and rows of strawberries. There’s a method to strawberry picking, you don’t want to just go in and start grabbing. You really want to take your time and make sure that you don’t ruin any of the strawberries as you start to pick your own strawberries. I knew that my husband and I would get it, but I just wanted to make sure my kiddos got it, too!
Tips for when you Pick Your Own Strawberries
- Have a plan in place for when you go. There were literally rows of them. We decided to hone in on a couple of them rather than try and go crazy spreading out. It’s a family activity and is super fun, so stay together.
- Make sure you lift the greenery on the strawberry plants as you start going through the rows. When you lift up the greens, do it gently. You will see underneath bunches of strawberries. It’s super cool to see all of the little red bunches together.
- As you see the bunches, take the time to look at the berries before you pull them off. Make sure they’re not bruised or squishy or pulled apart. You want to make sure that the berries actually look like you want them to look.
- If you’re heading out to pick your own strawberries towards the end of the crop, you might see that many of them have been damaged by the sun. You will notice this immediately. Make sure you keep these berries on the vine and don’t pull. You really need to make sure you examine before you grab and go.
- Once you’ve found your strawberries that you want, gently pull them off the vine. Don’t pull too hard. I really needed to make sure this was clear for Victoria. She would’ve just grabbed super hard and gone! You need to pull gently.
- This is also a big deal – don’t throw them into the basket. Place the strawberries gently into the basket, too. I know it’s a ton of “gentle” talk, but I promise – if you’re going to take the time to go strawberry picking and pay for the berries, you want them to be the best that they can be (right?). So truly take the time to make sure you’re placing them down.
We truly had the time of our life! We spent over an hour walking around and making sure we got as many strawberries as we wanted. We didn’t want to pay $50 for a bunch of berries, so we were mindful of how many we picked. We ended up paying $18 for a pretty full basket of strawberries. I feel like I’ve heard that strawberry picking can be so expensive, it can be – so make sure you find out how much they are per pound.
I’m telling you – if you’re looking for an activity to do with your family, this is a great one! There’s probably a dozen times I’ve wanted to do this, but just never went through with it. I’m SO glad we did this time around. Victoria, William and Henry (Alex and Ben stayed home) loved it and can’t wait to go again next year. I loved seeing how excited they got from a simple hour or strawberry picking. I guess they have it in their blood, too!
Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake
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