Helpful Tips!
STRAWBERRY
AFTER CARE
How to Pick
-
Pinch & twist, leaving the caps on.
-
Grasp the stem just above the berry between the forefinger and the thumbnail and pull with a slight twisting motion. Leaving the caps on will help your berries stay fresher for longer. Remove caps only when you are ready to use the berries
-
Pick thoroughly, making sure you are getting all the berries that are ripe.
Pick Ripe Berries
-
Select firm, fully red, ripe berries
-
Strawberries DO NOT ripen after they are picked. Most varieties will reach their peak flavor when they are completely red.
-
Look carefully for berries under the leaves and along both edges of the row
-
Store the berries in the coolest part of your home (refrigerator, basement, garage floor, etc.)
-
Do not remove hulls before washing
-
Do not rinse off berries until you're ready to use them
-
Grade your berries -- use ripest ones first
Freezing Strawberries
-
Wash, hull, and slice into large, shallow pan. Sweeten -- ¾ cup sugar to 4 cups prepared berries. Stir and let stand in pan until sugar dissolves (just a few minutes), then put into freezer containers leaving ½ inch head space for expansion. Put into freezer immediately. Berries can also be crushed, then sweetened and frozen.
Using Frozen Strawberries
-
Thaw only until berries can be broken apart. Serve while fruit still has ice crystals for fresh-like flavor!
Picking Tips
RASPBERRY
AFTER CARE
Freezing Raspberries
-
Rinse the berries in a bowl of cold water. Gently stir them with your fingers to remove any dirt or bugs. Scoop the berries out of the water, and let the water drain off. Sprinkle with sugar. Then pour the berries into freezer bags or containers leaving some room for expansion. Put into freezer immediately. Berries can also be crushed, sweetened, and frozen.
Pick Ripe Berries
-
Select firm, fully red, ripe berries
-
Raspberries DO NOT ripen after they are picked.
-
Look carefully for berries under the leaves and along both edges of the row
-
The bushes do have thorns, so be careful when grabbing the bush to look for berries.
Using Frozen Raspberries
-
Thaw only until berries can be broken apart. Serve while fruit still has ice crystals for fresh-like flavor!
How to Pick
-
A fully ripe raspberry will gently fall into your hand when you pull on it slightly, without effort
-
When picked, raspberry fruit detaches from the receptacle, so the fruit will have a "cupped" shape cavity at its center
-
If you need to tug at the berry, it is not ready to be picked!
-
Pick thoroughly, making sure you are getting all the berries that are ripe.
-
Store the berries in the coolest part of your home (refrigerator, basement, garage floor, etc.)
-
Do not rinse off berries until you're ready to use them
-
Pour them into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft, or rotting berries
-
Grade your berries -- use ripest ones first