U-Pick Strawberries
Strawberry Season
We offer 5 + acres of prime U-Pick Strawberries! Picking your own Strawberries at Gieringer's is a great way to spend a summer day with family and friends! Strawberry season begins in early to mid-May depending on weather.
Our Strawberries are grown using a unique method called Plasticulture. This helps us produce berries that are ready earlier in the season and are larger in size.
One cup of strawberries pack a punch nutritionally! You get your full amount of Vitamin C for the day and 12 percent of your fiber. With only 46 calories and no fat, these are a sweet treat you can feel good about!
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Admission & Hours
Info on 2022 Strawberry season: 2022 Strawberry season is officially over!
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U-Pick Strawberries $3.99 lb
Picking containers are provided at the picking area $.50 each (due to food safety we can not allow outside containers in the farm.)
A field access pass is required to enter our picking areas. An all day Field Access Pass is $3 plus tax a person (children under 24 months are free).
This pass will allow you to enjoy tractor pulled wagon rides to our picking fields, use of our children’s play area and the chance to sit in our shaded area and relax while enjoying the farm fresh air in our 1800s homestead area. For more information please visit our Admission & Hours page.
Farm Market
If you are interested in purchasing pre-picked Strawberries in season check out our new Farm Market. We will have Pre-picked fruit when available. Local Jams, Jellies, and so much more. Donuts, slushies, & NEW for 2022 ICE CREAM!!!
open during u-pick this week as a soft opening.
How to Pick Berries
Choose your Strawberries carefully. Leave the stem attached to the berry. Your Strawberries should be a bright red color. The redder, the better! Berries that are orange or slightly green are not ripe. Avoid picking fruits that are bruised, damaged or moldy. Strawberries do not ripen after being removed from the plant. The size of a strawberry does not affect how sweet the fruit will taste.
Pick by pinching the stem of the berry between your thumb and forefinger. This will prevent damage to both the fruit and the plant. Leaving the caps on will help your strawberries last longer.
Storing Your Berries
After selecting your Strawberries, be sure to keep them cool or at room temperature for the ride home. Putting your strawberries in a hot car for an extended amount of time will have a negative affect on the flavor and longevity of the Strawberry.
Take them home and gently wash your Strawberries in cool water to remove any dirt. After rinsing them, arrange the berries in a shallow container to dry. Once dried, cover them loosely and keep at 35 degrees for best results.
Do not remove the caps until you are ready to use them.
Strawberries make a wonderful snack, dessert, or compliment to any meal.
If you plan on saving Strawberries for the rest of the year, make sure you pick enough to freeze while they are in season. This will provide you with the best flavor.
Freezing Strawberries
To freeze your Strawberries you will want to first wash them. Then remove the top and core from the berry. A good trick to removing the tops is by using a sturdy straw. (The bendable kind do not work well!) Poke the straw through the bottom of the berry aiming it toward the center of the top. Press through until the core and the top easily pops free from the rest of the strawberry.
After you have washed your strawberries and removed the tops, place them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. A single layer spread across the cookie sheet works best. Place the cookie sheet in the freezer until the strawberries are completely frozen (typically about 1 hour). By doing this you prevent the berries from sticking together. Once your berries are frozen, gently transfer the berries into a freezer tight bag. Remember, frozen strawberries will be slightly softer after thawing when compared to fresh fruit.
Strawberry Facts
- Unlike other fruits, Strawberries do not continue to ripen after being picked.
- Strawberries are a perennial plant that will remain productive for about 5 years.
- Strawberries wear their seeds on the outside, with the average berry containing approximately 200 seeds.
- Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen in the spring.
- Strawberries are members of the rose family.
- There's a museum in Belgium that is dedicated entirely to Strawberries.
- Strawberries can also be pickled.
- 70% of a Strawberry's roots are located in the top 3 inches of soil.
- The flavor of a Strawberry is influenced by weather, the variety and stage of ripeness when harvested.
- Strawberries are grown in every state in the United States and every province in Canada.
- Strawberries are delicate and require gentle handling to prevent bruising.