Tips for Strawberry Season

May ushered in strawberry season with a vengeance in South Carolina. From Myrtle Beach to Greenville, these juicy, little, red berries will be available in abundance and at bargain prices. My daughter loves to visit the berry farms in our area to gather fresh strawberries that we then take home and make up our famous southern strawberry shortcake. But before we even make it home you can count on my daughter eating up over half the berries straight from the container, guess it's a good thing we always buy extra.There's nothing that says summer like a freshly picked strawberry straight from the field. The juicy plumpness and fruity fragrance is close to culinary heaven. My family and I have eaten tons of strawberries standing in the fields or while picking the ones to be taken home.If you're taking your kids and family on a strawberry picking adventure at one of the local fields in your area, remember to use these tips to keep those plump, juicy berries fresh and delicious until you get them home.

First of all you must wait until the berries are dry, which means if it's recently rained then it's probably not the perfect time to schedule a trip to the farm. Wait until the weathers good and the berries are dry. Wet berries tend to deteriorate more rapidly than they do when there dry. Also remember to leave the leafy green tops attached when picking the berries. This is accomplished by picking berries form the stem instead of at the berry itself. An intact leafy end helps the berry stay fresh longer. When placing in your container of choice, remember to stack the berries shallow as stacking them to deep will crush the fruits on bottom. Pick only berries that are of a deep red color, the more intense the color, the more intense the flavor will be. Berries do not get sweeter after their picked. When you're done with picking and have paid for your delicious sweet treat, remember to keep them cool on the way home. Berries left shut up in a hot car will lose their freshness and flavor in a matter of minutes. Freshly picked strawberries are not only a wonderfully delicious treat for your family, there also very healthy and picking them can be loads of fun for the entire family. For these and other interesting ideas for picking and using fresh strawberries visit www.bhg.com.