If you know me, you know that I absolutely LOVE strawberries. Strawberry picking, strawberry eating, strawberry baking – you name it. I can’t get enough of those bright beautiful red berries filled with a juicy sweetness, perfectly bite-sized and ready for snacking.
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!