STRAWBERRIES
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EXPLORE OUR FIELDS
Cannamore Orchard is well known in the community for fresh and flavourful strawberries. In season (mid-June to mid-July), you can pick your own strawberries. Come by yourself to relax and enjoy the outdoors or bring the entire family along for the experience! Call ahead for picking conditions or to reserve a basket of berries in advance. Children are welcome to help out in the picking. Our orchard store is open for gifts, honey, maple syrup, apple butter and pies during strawberry season. Dogs are not allowed on the property..
ABOUT STRAWBERRIES
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Strawberries are not only good to eat, they are also "good for us". They are an especially tasty source of vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
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In fact, one cup of fresh strawberries provides about 88 milligrams of ascorbic acid, which more than meets the recommended daily dietary allowance of 45 milligrams for the average adult.
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Vitamin C is well retained when strawberries are handled carefully. Capping, injuring, cutting, or juicing will reduce the vitamin content.
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Strawberries are low in calories: 1 cup of unsweetened strawberries has only 55 calories. If you are on a reducing diet, use strawberries to add flavour, food value, and pleasure to meals. You can even eat some as a between-meal snack.
DID YOU KNOW?
Strawberry Season 2023 has begun!
Our farm store will open again in August for Apples.
PICKING TIPS
Strawberries look better and keep longer when they are picked and handled correctly. Because they are a very tender fruit, they will bruise and discolour any time they are squeezed. Handle them gently, at all times, whether you are picking them, placing them in the container, or handling the filled containers. The surest way to pick fruit with a minimum of bruising is as follows:
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Grasp the stem just above the berry between the forefinger and the thumbnail and pull with a slight twisting motion.
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With the stem broken about one-half inch from the berry, allow it to roll into the palm of your hand.
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Repeat these operations using both hands until each holds 3 or 4 berries.
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Carefully place – don’t throw – the fruit into your containers. Repeat the picking process with both hands.
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Don’t overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.
STORING STRAWBERRIES
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Berries to be used immediately may be picked any time, but if you plan to hold the fruit for a few days, try to pick in the early morning or on cool, cloudy days. Berries picked during the heat of the day become soft, are easily bruised, and will not keep well.
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Avoid placing the picked berries in the sun any longer than necessary. It is better to put them in the shade of a tree or shed than in the car trunk or on the car seat.
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Cool them as soon as possible after picking. Strawberries may be kept fresh in the refrigerator for 3 or more days, depending upon the initial quality of the berry. After a few days in storage, however, the fruit loses its bright colour and fresh flavour and tends to shrivel.
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When you get them home, sort but do not clean them until just before you use them.
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Store the berries uncovered in the refrigerator in a shallow container.
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When ready to use, wash them quickly in cold water. Do not let them soak. Drain them well before you hull them. It’s best to use your strawberries within three days.
REMEMBER!
Whether you pick strawberries from your own garden or at our orchard, here are some tips to keep in mind...
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Be careful that your feet and knees do not damage plants or fruit along the row.
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Please only picked from assigned rows or rows marked with a flag.
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If you use your own container, remember that heaping strawberries more then 12cm deep will bruise the lower berries.
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Only pick berries that are fully red.
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Part the leaves with your hands to look for hidden berries ready for harvest.
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The row clean: remove from the plants berries showing rot, sunburn, insect injury, or other defects and place them in between the rows.