person strawberry picking at a Kawartha Lakes pick-your-own strawberry farm

Ultimate guide to strawberry picking in the Kawartha Lakes

Looking for a fun thing to do that all ages will enjoy? Get in the car and go strawberry picking at a Kawartha Lakes farm.

Want to jump ahead? Use these links

When is strawberry picking season in the Kawarthas?

Advantages to picking your own strawberries.

Where to go strawberry picking in the Kawarthas.

What to wear strawberry picking.

How to know if a strawberry is ripe.

How to pick a strawberry.

How to pick so it’s easy on your back.

How many strawberries should you pick?

How to store strawberries.

Simple strawberry recipes.

When is u-pick strawberry season in the Kawarthas?

Generally speaking strawberries are ripe for the picking in the Kawarthas Lakes from mid-June to mid-July.

What are the advantages to picking your own strawberries?

Taste: fresh-picked local strawberries are more flavourful than the ones you buy at the grocery store.
Well-being: picking your own strawberries is a great way to get outside and enjoy the fresh air.
Bonding time: a wonderful activity for bringing family and friends together.
Education: opportunity to see a working farm and remind everyone in your group where strawberries actually come from.
Gratifying: you’ll gain a sense of satisfaction knowing you’ve harvested your own strawberries.

Where to go strawberry picking in the Kawarthas

Okay, so you’ve decided to pick your own strawberries.

Now you’re wondering, “Where is there strawberry picking near me?”

No worries.

There are u-pick strawberry farms located in various areas of the Kawartha Lakes so you won’t have far to drive to get to one.

Here are 6 options to choose from. Call ahead to confirm details such as: are the strawberries ripe, what days and times they are open, prices, etc.

Brouwer’s Strawberries
859 Opmar Road, RR 1, Oakwood, ON
705-374-4227

Holliday’s Farm Fresh Vegetables
1641 Glenarm Road, Woodville, ON
705-374-4182

Shadow Valley Farm U-Pick Strawberries
390 Northline Road, Fenelon Falls, ON
705-879-2376

McLean Berry Farm
2191 16 Line, Lakefield, ON
705-657-2134

Buckhorn Berry Farm
3055 Berrie Rd, Lakefield, ON
705-657-8888

The Berry Patch
1910 Peterborough County Rd 10, Cavan, ON
705-944-5358

What to wear for your Kawartha Lakes strawberry picking outing

Remember, when you go to a Kawartha Lakes pick your own strawberries place you’re going to be in a farmer’s field, more than likely on a sunny day, for an hour or so. Dress appropriately.

Here is our advice:

Don’t wear sandals: Wear closed-toed footwear like running shoes.
Sun protection: Wear a hat, light-coloured shirt and don’t forget to put on sunscreen.
Bring a water bottle: On a hot day picking in the strawberry fields you can build up a thirst.

How to know if a strawberry is ripe for picking

It’s very easy to tell if a strawberry is ready to be picked. Just check the tip of the strawberry. It it’s completely red, it’s ripe. Always leave strawberries that have a green or white tip on the vine.

DID YOU KNOW? Strawberries stop ripening the moment they are picked.

The proper method for picking strawberries

Hold the stem of the strawberry, at about 1 inch above the berry, between your thumbnail and index finger while cradling the fruit in your palm.
Twist and pull. This will break the stem leaving you with the strawberry including the cap and a portion of the stem in your hand. TIP: Strawberries will keep longer if they have the cap and stem on them.
Gently place the strawberry into your basket.
Repeat this picking process keeping in mind not to pile your strawberries any higher than 5 inches in your basket. If you do, the weight of the strawberries can cause bruising damage to the ones on the bottom of the pile.

To see a demonstration of how to properly pick a strawberry, watch this short video.

DID YOU KNOW: It takes between 10-15 minutes to pick your own quart of strawberries.

How to pick strawberries so it’s easy on your back

Strawberries grow on a plant that’s low to the ground. As a result you don’t want to be in the same position the whole time while you’re picking or the next day you could have a soar back.

To prevent this from happening alternate between a squatting position and standing up with your legs spread apart (a little further than shoulder-width) with a slight bend at the knees and lean over to pick. This short video demonstrates both strawberry picking positions.

Of course, if you prefer, you can also kneel or sit on the ground.

How many strawberries should you pick?

If left on the counter strawberries will begin to go moldy.

If you pop them in the fridge, according to OntarioBerries.com, fresh strawberries will only keep for 2 to 3 days. In other words, once they’re picked strawberries have a short life span.

That’s why you should figure out how many you need before you head out to a u pick strawberry farm.

For example, if you’re planning to bake a pie, crumble or some tarts you will need 1 to 1.5 quarts of strawberries.

How to store your locally picked Kawartha Lakes strawberries

Unless you’re planning to eat all of your strawberries the day you picked them, you are going to need to store them.

You can store strawberries in the fridge but keep in mind they will only keep for 2 to 3 days. After that they will start losing their flavour and will start molding and going rotten.

Follow these steps to store fresh-picked strawberries in the fridge:

Don’t wash the strawberries. Doing so will cause them to spoil and go mushy. Only wash your strawberries prior to eating them or preparing them for a recipe.
Take a shallow pan.
Line the pan with paper towel to absorb any excess moisture.
Lay the strawberries in the pan in a single layer and pop them into the fridge.

You can store strawberries in the freezer so you can eat them later. They will keep in your freezer for up to one year.

Follow these instructions to freeze your Kawartha Lakes pick-your-own strawberries:

Rinse off the strawberries.
Pick off the caps and stems.
Pat the strawberries dry with a paper towel.
Place the strawberries on a pan in a single layer. Put the pan in your freezer.
When the strawberries are frozen solid put them in a freezer-safe bag or container and put them back in the freezer.

Simple ways and recipes for enjoying strawberries

When you think of easy recipes for fresh strawberries, strawberry shortcake is probably the first thing that comes to mind for most people. But there are so many ways to enjoy your fresh-picked Kawartha Lakes strawberries that don’t involve a ton of prep time.

Here are a few suggestions for different times of the day:

Breakfast time

On toast: Spread low fat cream cheese on whole grain toast and top with sliced strawberries.
Pancakes: Add 1/2 cup chopped strawberries to your pancake or waffle batter.
A smoothie: Blend 1/2 cup of strawberries, 1/2 of a banana, 1 cup of yogurt and 1 cup milk.

Lunchtime

In a wrap: Combine roasted turkey, fresh baby spinach, sliced strawberries and chopped green onions and roll in a wrap.
On a salad: Add sliced strawberries to any type of mixed green salad.

Dinnertime

On pizza: Here are 5 mouthwatering pizza recipes that include strawberries as one of the toppings.

Snacktime

Salsa: Mix chopped cucumber, sliced green onion, chopped cilantro, chopped yellow pepper, diced strawberries with 2 to 3 tbsp of rice wine vinegar. Serve with grilled fish or chicken or whole grain tortilla chips.

And if you’ve got a little more time and are feeling adventurous check out this link for some unique recipes for your Kawartha Lakes fresh-picked strawberries.