A taste of British summer time {The Ordinary Moments}

As the sun shone so brightly and with the threat of the weather turning we took the opportunity to take ourselves on a little adventure. To Woore Fruit Farm in Cheshire. We had been recommended this little farm by one of Lil G’s nursery teachers as there are fruit trees at a height more suitable for little people. How cute is that? Lil G had been excited all day and secretly we were too. For Mr H and I this was our first time picking strawberries. Can you believe that? And so we had a little adventure as Our Little Family.

I loved the idea of having fun, picking our own fruit, eating healthier and an opportunity to save money with the added benefit of supporting a local farm. It was the sweetest little working farm with the owners serving on the tills and their black and white spotted dogs sitting patiently waiting for leftover ice cream and strawberries! And let’s not forget the home-grown cider for the adults! Rather cheeky and very tasty.

As we hadn’t picked strawberries before and being the type of person who doesn’t like to fail or look stupid, I was keen to pick up some top tips. So, like any geek I did my homework (on Google of course) and asked the owners their thoughts too. Thank the lord that I did! It isn’t as simple as picking away you know.

We had so much fun, making our way through the barns, holding hands, skipping along singing ‘hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work we go’. We had such a fun time. A little unplanned adventure, on a beautiful sunny Saturday. A perfect start to our weekend. Seeking out the brightest of red berries, and maybe even eating a few along the way! Although Lil G wasn’t as much of a fan of the taste test.

I absolutely loved watching Lil G wandering through the barns, picking out his strawberries. Inspecting them as he dropped them into our little basket. Such a great lesson to a little one, understanding where their food has come from. It has actually inspired me to make a little ‘Grow Your Own’ spot for Lil G to experiment with. Strawberry picking is now on the list of annual days out for Our Little Family. It has become one of the much-loved Ordinary Moments.

Here are a few pictures from our little adventure…

Just in case like us you are new to the magic of strawberry picking, here are my Top Tips…

General Tips

1. Call ahead before you leave to make sure there are plenty to pick, weather conditions affect the crops and on warm days most farms have been cleaned out by early afternoon
2. Take your own container in the event the farmers don’t supply them
3. One cup of strawberries contains only 50 calories (tick)
4. Pick-Your-Own strawberries are much healthier than shop bought (tick tick)
5. Do not over pick. Strawberries quickly mould when left at room temperature and last only two days in the fridge
6. Freeze them by washing, hull and pop in a freezer bag

Picking Tips

1. Pinch the stem just above the berry and twist to remove
2. Pick only the firm, red berries. Strawberries do not continue to ripen after picking! Who knew
3. Carefully place your berries, do not throw them into your basket to prevent bruising
4. To find the larger berries part the leaves to look for those hiding! (top tip)
5. Don’t wash the berries until you want to use them. This prevents spoiling

We picked ourselves one beautiful box of strawberries. Honestly I have never tasted such a sweeter tasting berry. They were delicious. So often I buy them from supermarkets and find them to be under ripe and rather tart. Strawberry picking is the way forward! We made ourselves a rather delicious Eton Mess! Yum. Next time I’m thinking of making a jam!

What would you make with your pickings?

KA x