Originally published June 12, 2009 It’s that time of year to get your buckets ready and go pick your own fruit and/or vegetables. There’s nothing tastier than a fresh picked strawberry. In fact, I have to say, it’s almost like eating a different fruit— ones that are fresh picked versus the standard fare in the supermarket. The biggest secret of all, at least in my area around Portland, strawberry picking at a U-Pick saves you considerable money.

I urge you to find what is available in your region and have a go at it. I took 2 of my boys last weekend and returned with over 13 pounds of strawberries! There are lots of varieties, Hood being one of my favorite. We snacked on them first, then I made a pie, and, last, I put the rest in the freezer for future enjoyment. Or you could make small batch strawberry jam – just enough for a couple of jars and easy enough to do in an hour. Here’s a link for finding u-pick strawberries in your local area.