Strawberries are the most popular fruit we grow, and they are available as we pick only.
We currently grow two varieties (see details below) of June-bearing strawberries. What is a June-bearing strawberry you may ask? It is a strawberry that produces one heavy crop of strawberries throughout the year, and that crop is produced during a 2-3 week period in June. This is in contrast to “everbearing” strawberries, which produce smaller crops throughout the growing season. The climate in Minnesota is most ideal for the June-bearing varieties, so that is what we choose to grow.
Annapolis – This is one of the earliest varieties grown in the Upper Midwest. It is medium to large in size with firm, orange-red berries. It has a robust, full flavor that makes it great for both fresh eating and baking/jam making.
Flavorfest– New for us in 2019, Flavorfest quickly became a customer favorite. This fairly new cultivar was released in 2012. It is a late mid-season berry that produces large, bright red, distinctively plump strawberries with an excellent flavor. Great for fresh eating and baking/jam making. These are also great for chocolate dipped strawberries!
Storage and picking tips:
- Choose bright red (or deep-orange in the case of Annapolis) berries that are firm and have fresh, green caps attached.
- Ripe strawberries should have that sweet strawberry smell. If you can’t smell them, they probably aren’t ripe yet! Unlike other fruits, strawberries do NOT continue to ripen once they are picked from the plant.
Fun Facts about Strawberries…
- Eight strawberries contain more Vitamin C than a medium-size orange.
- Strawberries are an excellent source of Vitamin C, folate, potassium, and fiber, which has recently gotten them the title of a “nutritional superfood.”
- California produces approximately 80% of America’s strawberries… but we think Minnesota strawberries are the best!
- Strawberry juice combined with honey can reduce redness and pain from a sunburn. Simply rub the mixture gently into the skin before rinsing off with warm water and lemon juice.
- Native Americans introduced the Colonists to strawberries, showing them how to bake the berries into cornbread. From there the Colonists created their own versions… what we now know as strawberry shortcake!
- Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside of their skin… and lots of them. Each berry contains around 200 seeds!
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