They are my favorite fruit of all time, despite seeing some questionable strawberry worm videos on Tik Tok. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I advise you NOT to look it up. Save your souls. Seriously, just don’t do it.

Since I can’t unsee the video, I just try to put it out of my mind and focus on all the wonderful memories of dipping strawberry in condensed milk, chocolate fudge, and whip cream. Not in that combination, of course.   

But summertime brings in all kinds of strawberry goodness – refreshing smoothies, delicious pies, tasty lemonades and more!

And what better way to enjoy them, then to go strawberry picking for your own fresh berries? Some people call it labor, but I call it fun! (Remember that time I went apple picking? You can read about the fun here!)

This past weekend, I took a spontaneous trip down to Carlsbad. I had not planned on driving that far, but I really wanted to pick some strawberries! A few other closer farms were either closed or needed a reservation.

I ended up at Carlsbad Strawberry Company, a strawberry field in between Orange County and San Diego. This strawberry field has been around for 4 generations since the 1950s! Upon driving up to the fields from the freeway, you can’t help but to notice the long stretches of green strawberry plants and scattered families and friends picking the fruit.

Parking was a breeze. There was a big dirt lot with plenty of space and parking spots.  We parked, walked over to the information booth, paid for our entrance and strawberry buckets, and entered the field!

I was told the best strawberries were towards the end, so we walked all the way to the back of the fields where there were less people. Indeed, the strawberries looked bigger and redder than the ones near the entrance! Since July is the end of the season, a lot of the strawberries were already ripe to the point that a light touch broke the flesh of the fruit. Unfortunately, some of the most beautiful and red strawberries were already soft and spilling their juices. Still, there were plenty of strawberries to choose from, and I quickly filled up my bucket.

It was a fun adventure to pass time and enjoy my favorite fruit. I couldn’t wait to go home and enjoy these fresh berries with my family. Would I do it again? Absolutely, but I would go earlier in the season to have a better selection!

Quick tips and facts before you go strawberry picking

When is strawberry season?

The strawberry season varies depending on the location and weather, but usually it can run from February to July. The prime time to pick them would be April to June. Strawberries grow best with warm days and cooler nights, so California makes a perfect environment for them to grow! In fact, California produces about 75% of all the strawberry crops in the country!

According to Carlsbad Strawberry Company, they are open for 13 more days. Be sure to visit before the end of the season! They’re open daily from 9 AM to 6 PM.

How do you pick your strawberries?

Look for strawberries that are a bright deep red with green leaves. They should feel firm. If they’re mushy, they’re too ripe. They’ll be sweet and might be great for making jams, but they’ll get smashed in your bucket and won’t be good to eat. If they’re white, splotchy, light red, leave them be. They are not yet ripe, and once you pick them, they stop ripening. When picking the fruit, make sure to pick it close to the fruit, and don’t pull of the whole stem since it will damage the plant.

How should you store your strawberries?

Keep them unwashed until you are ready to eat them! They need to be eaten or frozen within a few days (~3 days) to keep their flavor and texture. Since I went at the end of the season, the staff at Carlsbad Strawberry Company recommended I eat mine the same day of picking! I had them the next day though, and they were still okay.

What should I wear for strawberry picking?

Anything comfortable! Clothes and close-toed shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty are best, since it is both dusty and muddy. Some strawberries may burst and stain your clothes if you accidentally brush by them or drop them (speaking from experience). Also, bring sunscreen and a hat for sun protection, as you’ll be under the sun the whole time. Oh, and bring a mask. Both masks and social distance are in effect at the farm.

What is the price?

The current entrance price is $5 for admission, or $10 for admission and a bucket that will hold 2 lbs of strawberries.

Are there other strawberry picking locations?

Yes! There are quite a handful of locations. Some other local Southern California farms that allow strawberry picking include Tanaka Farms in Orange County, Kenny’s Strawberry Farm in Temecula, and South Coast Farms in San Juan Capistrano. Of course, there are many other farms, but these were the ones that I looked into at the time.

Tanaka Farms requires advance reservations and only releases several dates at a time depending on weather and availability. Their price is $8 per person for a 1.25 lb basket with a 30 minute timeframe to pick.

Kenny’s Farm is closed for the season and will reopen in spring 2021. There is no admission price to enjoy the strawberry fields. If you pick strawberries, they sell $15 buckets that hold up for 4 lbs.

South Coast Farms in San Juan Capistrano is still currently open as well until further notice. Their hours are Monday – Saturday 9 AM – 3 PM. They don’t have pricing information on the website, but it looks like their entrance fee is $5 per car, and each 1 lb bucket is $4.

Have you been strawberry picking in a California strawberry field? Have you been to any other location? Let me know in the comments!

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If you live in Los Angeles, you’re probably wondering – are there even farms or apple orchards out here? Yes! They aren’t exactly in the city, but if you drive a little ways out, you’ll find plenty. Oak Glen in Yucaipa, California, is one town filled to the brim with farms and activities for couples and the whole family. It’s the apple capitol of California, just shy of 100 miles east of Los Angeles, nestled near the San Bernardino Mountains. It’s also over 100 years old, rustic but lively, and very welcoming to all the people who come through the farms. It’ll feel as if you left California completely, without all the travel time.

To celebrate fall this year, I went to Oak Glen to apple-pick, press cider, and munch on apple cider donuts! The apple picking season is generally between September and November, but of course, each year will vary due to weather and how many people visit.

WillowBrook Apple Farm

The two main farms that most people are familiar with are Riley’s Farm and Willowbrook Apple Farm, likely because they are the first farms you’ll encounter when you drive into Oak Glen. If you plan to go to one of these, look to park on the side of the road. The further in you get, the more crowded it gets, so if you find a parking spot, take it and walk a little! I also suggest showing up when the doors open so that you can get your choice of apples and parking. *Note that Riley’s Farm is not open on Sundays.

This year, I went to Willowbrook Apple Farm. This orchard was planted in 1910, but it officially opened its doors to the public as an Apple Farm in 2004. It now belongs to the Driscoll family, who you may bump into walking around the farm still. This farm only has one type of apple: the winesap apple. It has a wrinkly top (explained to us as stretch marks for the apple), but it is crisp and sweet with a tangy finish. For you bakers, it holds its crisp well!

Once you’re in on the farm, you’re free to pick from whatever tree you want! They give you fruit pickers too to reach the apples way up on top. At Willowbrook, you pay by the bag: currently $9 for a small bag and $15 for the larger bag. Apple-picking is actually pretty hard when you’re late to the game and all the apples left are at the top of the tree. You have to wiggle your clunky picker through the branches and somehow find a way to grab and twist off the apples. It was a workout for me!

Besides apples, the farm currently has raspberries to pick as well. There is a also a mini pumpkin patch, cute animals like Star and Comet, their mini-donkey and mini-horse, barbecue food truck on site, a small shop of their homemade jams and sauces, and a cider press. That’s right, you can make your own cider!

We decided to fork over the $12 and make our own cider for fun. The farm provided the apples, and we picked a basket full of apples and used their press machines to make our own sweet ciders!

For the record, if you’re like me and wondering what the difference between apple cider and apple juice is – let me share what I learned! Apple cider is made by pressing fresh apples, while apple juice is cider that has been filtered and pasteurized so that you can keep it on the shelf for months. The more you know.

Snow-Line Orchard & Winery

After finishing at Willowbrook, we decided to drive more inland to stop at Snow-Line Orchard and Winery for their famous mini apple cider donuts! Snow Line Orchards has a more park-like feel to it – with grass and lots of tall trees and cute picnic tables to gather around for snacks. They also have thousands of apples all over the floor, which is exactly what I think of when I think of an apple orchard.

If you walk past the picnic tables, you’ll find a pretty big country store filled with apples, trinkets, food, a wine tasting room, and their delicious donuts! The line for the donuts and beverages can be pretty long, but it moves rather quickly. The cider donuts are made with Snow Line Orchard’s own apple cider and served hot and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. I was craving a apple cider slush, so we ordered one to go along with the donuts. They also have coffee, which I imagine would complement the donuts pretty well too. The slush was SO refreshing and sweet – perfect for a hot day of picking we just had. And the cider donuts? Pure bliss! Crispy on the outside, fluffy and warm on the inside.

I also wanted to visit Los Rios Rancho and Oak Tree Village. Los Rios Rancho is actually Southern California’s largest historic apple ranch! And Oak Tree Village is 14 acres of activities and family fun including train rides, pony rides, their famous mile high apple pies, pig races, and endless shops and crafts. Unfortunately, we only had enough time to drive by it, and it looked like it was bustling. I’ll definitely have to make a stop next time.

Have you been to Oak Glen or anywhere similar? What’d you think? I always love discovering places like these, and I’d love to hear of any places you know!

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