Strawberry Picking Haul (Katie Wells)
Strawberry, or erdbeere season is upon us here in Germany. For the first time in many years my spouse and I decided to pick our own. As soon as we walked out into the green fields speckled red, the scent of sugary sweet strawberries permeated from the soil, and I was flooded with memories of summertime growing up in North Carolina.
There are many farms in the KMC area and throughout Germany where you can enjoy this individual or family-fun activity. We chose Erdbeerland Funck in Kaiserslautern, a farm just outside of K-town’s main city center. The roads were marked clearly with signs to the strawberry fields and parking was free. You can bring your own basket for the strawberries or purchase different sizes from the farm. The first step upon arrival is to have your empty basket weighed at one of the stands where a cashier will give you a ticket to hold onto until you are finished. The farm is very welcoming, and the cashier told us to feel free to sample the strawberries as we picked. This was a perfect way to hydrate as we gathered berries, and the sun warmed our backs.
I was surprised at how abundantly the fields were producing. We decided to have a competition to see who could find the oddest strawberry. My husband won with a strawberry that looked like one of those reading pillows, also referred to as a “husband pillow” that you find in college dorm rooms.
Winner of the ‘Oddest’ Strawberry Competition (Katie Wells)
As we walked through different sections of the fields, we noticed the strawberries all had different tastes. The ones that felt warm to the touch, directly in sunlight, were sweet, tart and juicy. The strawberries hidden under the shade of the leaves and cooler to the touch were more sugary. The ones with smaller plants seemed a bit watered down. I found interesting and wondered what other elements might affect the taste of the berries. If I were to make a wine or jam, I’d probably try to pick more berries in the direct sun for the hint of tartness. However, for a cake, I might try to gather the ones in the shade for their sweetness.
Strawberry Plants (Katie Wells)
After we filled our basket, we took it back to the stand to be weighed. Ours weighed in at 2.7kg and cost approximately 10 Euros. This was more than enough to snack on throughout the week and to make a few goodies with. The stand also had strawberry wine, prosecco and an alcohol-free seco.
If you pick a surplus of strawberries, you can easily freeze them for later use. My grandmother who grew up on a farm used to coat hers with sugar to help preserve their color and texture. She would use them throughout the year to make delicious strawberry rhubarb pies or simply serve in a bowl with fresh whipped cream.
To freeze the strawberries:
Prepare them by washing and drying.
Hull the berries by removing the green tops.
Slice the berries into halves or quarters.
For each quart (4 cups) of strawberries gently toss them in ½ cup of sugar until they are fully coated. Let them sit to soak in the sugar for 15- 30 minutes. You can use more or. Less sugar depending on how sweet you want them to be.
Transfer the strawberries into resealable bags or airtight containers and freeze, leaving a little bit of space at the top in case the extra liquid expands.
Note: These are best if used within 6-8 months.
A Couple in a Strawberry Field (Katie Wells)
Strawberry picking was a fun way to get outside and spend some quality time together. We loved that we were getting our fruit directly from the source. Strawberries are in season from the end of April until the end of September. The fields are open for self-picking seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Throughout the spring and summer other fresh produce grown on the farm such as white asparagus, raspberries, and blueberries will also be available to purchase at the stands. For more information and to find a map of strawberry picking locations you can visit, erdbeerlandfunk.de.
