Strawberry is a little fruit with a delicious taste to have it our tongue as raw or salad and in various forms. In most countries, June is the month for getting great strawberries. June is the month of Strawberry season in California. During June, the gardens of California can be witnessed with red strawberries.
Strawberry season is the perfect time to buy strawberries because you can find them at a low cost during this time. These berries are great for some delicious fruit salads, smoothies, or even pancakes.
The weather conditions that strawberry fruits looking for are warm days and cool nights. Warm days and cool nights are suitable high climates for the strawberry fruit. That’s why strawberry is growing abundant in California.
Strawberry Season in California
How to have the best strawberry?
While getting strawberries, it is a must to keep in mind that the size will not determine the sweetness of the fruit. The period that how long the strawberry holds in the plant decides the taste. That’s why the strawberry season in California starts in June every year.
People of California can have strawberries throughout the year. But here the thing is, which is the best season for a strawberry? Early spring to spring-fall is the best time in California to see the gardens blooming with strawberries everywhere, and people start enjoying its ultimate taste.
Strawberries are the ideal crop that will grow in abundance in the land of California. California is investing about 1.7 billion pounds of strawberry in cultivation every year. They ship the cultivated strawberry to over 50 states every year. In California, approximately 400 families cultivate strawberries every year.
California, home to 83% of strawberry cultivation in the U.S., experiences slight inflation in market prices due to droughts. Southern California’s strawberry season spans from February to June, with 10 million baskets shipped. The peak season is from April to June, with growth in specific varieties observed throughout the year.
California’s southern region experiences a unique strawberry season from January to November, with June being the prime season. This season offers a diverse range of strawberries in the market, making it a popular destination.
When harvesting strawberries, it is crucial to stop ripening while picking from the flowers.
Why Strawberry plants grow best in California
California’s ideal climate and diverse soils in Mendocino County make strawberries unique to the region. With annual production exceeding 2 million pounds, large companies like Dole and Berryessa Farms are investing in the growing strawberry industry, recognizing its sweet taste and the unique characteristics of California strawberries.
Varieties of California Strawberry
Strawberries are one of the most popular fruits in the world, but did you know there are different types of strawberries? While many people might be familiar with just one variety of strawberries from their local grocery store, others may not be as familiar with California’s wide selection. This article will give you a rundown of the different types of California strawberries and what each type is best for.
Quinault Strawberry – The Quinault Strawberry, a popular variety of red-fleshed strawberries, has gained popularity since the early 1980s due to its dark green fruit.
Sequoia Strawberry – The Sequoia Strawberry, a native strawberry cultivar of the Fragaria ananassa plant, is considered the oldest edible strawberry cultivar globally, derived from wild strawberries native to the Sequoia region.
Albion Strawberry – California strawberries, originally known as Albion, are a medium-sized, deep-red variety with origins in England. Known as one of the oldest strawberries, they are a favorite among strawberry enthusiasts.
Seascape Strawberry– The Seascape Strawberry is a recessive color variant of the wild strawberry. It is a white-fleshed, slightly sweet fruit with round berries in shades of pink, red, or white depending on their ripening process. The Seascape Strawberry is only found in California.
Alpine Strawberry – The Alpine strawberry, a rare and costly variety of strawberries, was discovered in an avocado grove near Lompoc, CA.
Tristar Strawberry – Tristar, a popular type of strawberry, is known for its low-calorie content, low glycemic index, and sweet, cream-colored flesh, despite its less strong flavor compared to other berries. This type of strawberry is ideal for use in pies, smoothies, and desserts.
San Andreas Strawberry – The Arctic Apple, a fruit native to the Arctic region, has been used to create the San Andreas Strawberry, a unique variety of strawberries that typically measures 3 inches in length and 4 inches in width.
Most Popular California Strawberry Farms
California is the world’s leading producer of strawberries, with nearly half of all commercial strawberry production in the United States. Strawberry farms are some of the most visited farms in California.
Swanton Berry Farm: Swanton Berry Farm is located in Swanton, California, and has been growing strawberries since 1906. They are considered to be one of the most popular strawberry farms and receive many visitors each year who come to pick their strawberry crop. The farm also offers a wide variety of products that include jams, jellies, syrups, wines, and other locally grown items.
The Carlsbad Strawberry Farm: The Carlsbad Strawberry Company is one of the most popular strawberry farms in California because they offer a single-origin organic strawberry that is naturally delicious and is available as fresh, frozen, or preserves. They are also known for their hard-working employees and their heartwarming story of overcoming adversity to become successful.
Tanaka Farms: Fresh strawberries produced by Tanaka Farms taste best! They are quite well known for their strawberry grown on a “polar-bearing field.” The plants grow differently from those traditional strawberries, which produce seeds. They produce instead flowers and the fruit they bear, which is sweet rather than tart and hard. Tanaka Farms prides itself on the quality of its berries, being able to ship them all around the world before they even reach consumers.
Forneris Far: Forneris Farms is a strawberry farm, located in California. It is one of the most popular farms because of its unique and delicious strawberries. Strawberries, grown to two inches long, are renowned for their delicious taste and are considered some of the world’s tastiest fruits. Forneris Farms has been operating for over 45 years and they have an excellent history of working with both children and adults to provide a safe, educational experience for everyone who visits their farm.
Strawberries Facts & FAQ
Can you give us tips for finding the best strawberries?
Do organic strawberries on average have higher nutritional values?
These strawberries comply with the organic guidelines and can be produced without herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers. This means that these organic strawberries have higher nutritional values than either conventional or wild strawberries and grow in the Strawberry season.
How much money do strawberry pickers make?
Strawberry pickers typically start out earning $9-11 per hour and can make anywhere between $18-22 per hour.
Do strawberries sometimes have tiny bugs?
Strawberry plants are often grown in temperate climates where they are sprayed with pesticides, making them a potential source of the tiny bugs that cause fruit flies. In watermelons, these bugs can be found living inside the fruit.
How should I wash strawberries?
1. Cleanse your hands for a minimum of 20 seconds using warm soap and water. This can stop the transmission of diseases, such as flu and colds during the season of peak activity.
2. Keep your fruits and vegetables cleaner than ever with a few tap water rinses. Washing vegetables and fruits using soap detergent, commercial or even commercial wash won’t remove dirt and is not recommended.
3. It is important to scrub produce before cutting or peeling to remove dirt and bacteria that might be on the surface. Scrub firm rinds with a clean produce brush.
4. Make sure any fresh produce you are about to prepare or eat is completely clean by cutting out any bruised and damaged areas. Throw away anything that looks rotten.
5. To reduce the risk of foodborne illness, wash raw produce with a paper towel after washing it. The wet paper towel has the perfect surface to remove dirt and bacteria.
6. Be sure to read the packaging and understand what the product is before you choose to eat it. Make sure that unpackaged produce has not come in contact with unclean surfaces or utensils, or worse, vegetables contaminated by fecal matter. This can help keep cross-contamination out.
7. Clean your counters and cutting boards following the preparation of every dish of food.
