Local Strawberry Season Has Arrived

Those delightfully sweet, beloved berries are just ripe for the picking, so be sure not to miss them at their abundant peak right here in New England.

Strawberry season in Connecticut begins in early June and continues through early- or mid-July at some area farms, depending on the number of strawberry varieties that have been planted, and according to Connecticut Agriculture Commissioner Steven Reviczky, this year’s crop has good size, juiciness and flavor, thanks to the cooperation of Mother Nature.

At Scantic Valley Farms in Somers, owner Nancy Barrett’s strawberries are mouth-wateringly juicy; so much so that a customer even came back to tell her face-to-face.

“She may have been a California grower, and their strawberries are typically pulpy and dry. She couldn’t believe all the juice streaming down her daughter’s chin when she bit into our strawberries,” said Barrett. “That flavor is our main goal.”

The majority of growers here in Connecticut produce strawberries with “taste and sweetness in mind, not durability,” Jordan DeGrandpri, an employee at the farm, said. The pulpiness and dryness of strawberries grown in Florida and California are for a specific reason - so they’re less perishable during the wholesale shipping process. Unfortunately, this affects their flavor, which is why pick-your-own strawberry farms are so popular in New England.

Is there a method to the strawberry-picking madness? DeGrandpri said, “Just get the real red ones.” Regarding size, “It all depends on the variety. Sometimes it’s the smallest; sometimes it’s the purplish ones. But never pick the orangey or pink ones,” she said. She also recommended leaving the leafy green tops on the berries, as the fruit is believed to last longer this way.

Regarding perishability, one to two days in the fridge may be all you’ll get, so many people opt to flash freeze their berries or just bag them and throw them in the freezer. Either way, if you’ve picked a lot, eat them quick or preserve them. The variety of recipes on the web is endless, for both fresh and frozen strawberries. Check out the Food Network online, or consider the e-cookbook entitled 100 Easy Strawberry Recipes.

The Connecticut Department of Agriculture has published two brochures to help consumers locate Connecticut Grown strawberries and other crops. Connecticut Farmers’ Markets 2011 and 2011 Connecticut Pick-Your-Own Farms are available in print at the department’s office, located at 165 Capitol Ave. in Hartford, and at the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension Centers and USDA Farm Service Agency offices throughout the state. Both brochures can be downloaded from the Publications page of the Department of Agriculture’s website, www.CTGrown.gov, which also contains many other listings and information pertaining to Connecticut agriculture.

To make choosing a pick-your-own farm easier, here’s a list of some pick-your-own strawberry farms in Tolland and Hartford counties: 

• Dondero Orchards, LLC - Rhubarb, apples, peaches, plums, blueberries, black raspberries and strawberries, pears, flowers, pumpkins, tomatoes and lettuce. 529 Woodland St., South Glastonbury, CT 06073. Phone: (860) 659-0294. Alternate phone: (860) 633-2375. Email: DonderoOrchards@cox.net.
• Dzen Brothers Farm - Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, pumpkins and Christmas trees. Barber Hill Road, South Windsor, CT 06074. Phone: (860) 644-4575. Fax: (860) 872-3677. Located on the East Windsor/South Windsor line on Barber Hill Road. They also offer fresh picked. Farm stand offers produce, plants and soft serve ice cream.
• Easy Pickin's Orchard - PYO Apples, peaches, plums, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, vegetables, flowers and pumpkins. Wagon rides. 46 Bailey Rd., Enfield, CT 06082. Phone: (860) 763-FARM/763-3276. Email: farmerb@easypickinsorchard.com. Open: Monday - Thursday 9:00-12:00 Friday, Saturday and Sunday 9:00 - 5:00 Labor Day & Columbus Day 9:00 - 5:00.
• Gigi's Native Produce - Strawberries. 48 Shaker Rd. (Route 220), Enfield, CT 06082. Phone: (860) 881-8297. Ready picked or PYO strawberries (June). Open 8 am to 7 pm, 7 days a week. Also a roadside stand featuring homemade Rebecca's Pies, herbs and native ready picked fruits and vegetables (July - September).
• Gilson Farm Greenhouses - Strawberries and blueberries. 57 Wapping Rd., Windsorville, CT 06016. Phone: (860) 623-0409. PYO. Strawberries: June.  Blueberries: July - August.  Blueberries netting covered. Call for picking conditions.
• Pleasant Valley Harvest - Uses natural growing practices, strawberries. 185 Pleasant Valley Rd., Mansfield, CT 06250. Phone: 860-966-4708. Email: lombardassociates@charter.net. And for a map to our farm, click here. Crops are usually available in June. Open: June yo November We use natural practices, but are not yet certified Organic. Payment: Cash, Check.
• Rose's Berry Farm at Wickham Hill - Strawberries, pumpkins and Christmas trees. 1200 Hebron Ave. (Route 94), Glastonbury, CT 06033. Phone: (860) 633-7467 Fax: (860) 657-3062. Email: rosesblues@cox.net. PYO and pre-picked strawberries (June). Stand features flowers, native fruits and produce, cider, mums, farm-made pies and baked goods (June - October). Call for seasonal hours.
• Pell Farms - Pumpkins, strawberries, prepicked produce, restrooms, picnic area, face painting, pony rides, petting zoo, farm animals, birthday parties, school tours. 21 Schneider Road, Somers, CT 06071. Phone: 860-749-3582. Fax: 860-749-6619. Email: Pellfarms@gmail.com.
• Pesce's Farm - Strawberries. 66 Hebron Rd., Bolton, CT 06043. Phone: (860) 643-5712. PYO strawberries - Pre-picked available. Wholesale and retail sales.
• Pumpkin Paul's Farm - Pumpkins, strawberries, sugar snap peas. Merrow Road (Route 195), Tolland/Coventry Line, Storrs, CT 06268. Phone: (860) 429-6962. Email: pumpkinpaul@sbcglobal.net. U-Pick and ready-picked strawberries - early June thru early July. Top quality pumpkins, U-Pick or from the pile, late September thru October 31. Information line at (860) 429-8449.  
• Scantic Valley Farm - Pumpkins, winter squash, strawberries, Fresh eggs, snacks and refreshment stand, restrooms, picnic area. 327 Ninth District Rd., Somers, CT 06071. Phone: 860-749-3286. Email: Scanticvalley@cox.net. Open: Strawberries from mid-June to mid-July. Call for hours.