Local Strawberries?

[MB fka MB]

It's been a horrible season. I scored some at the Union Square farmers market a couple of weeks ago. Steep at $3.50 (nearer to Formaggio prices). Whole Foods even had some local berries this weekend, but they didn't *smell* like local, fresh berries.

Does anyone have recent experience to make a recommendation?

[photogeek]

I was at Old Nourse Farm on Saturday and picked 3qt. of nice strawberries; the rain had caused them to lose 50% of the crop according to the people I spoke to.

The currents, OTOH, were absolutely amazing.

[BJK]

Wilson Farms in Lexington is selling their own strawberries for $2.95/pint and $4.95/quart IIRC, and they are deep red, sweet and juicy. We polished off a pint one night and went back the next day for more.

:)
BK

[Aromatherapy]

Strawberries (and sweet cherries) at Union Sq. market today. Quality decent not amazing--which I pretty much expected given the weather.

Pat's Towing was working the Citizens' lot around noon.

[MichaelB]

I had some of those local berries at Russo's right at the beginning of the season and they were very good, though not great. The ones at the Dick's Market Garden stand at the Brookline Farmer's market last week smelled *amazing* even from a few feet away (and at the end of the day were on a $3/quart "Brookline special"), but I was on a mission for cheese and meat and didn't get any. Which I now regret! But they're generally a reliable stand, and they're at Central Square, Copley, Newton as well. In past years I've been less impressed with berries from Kimball Farms, who also do a lot of markets -- they look great, but the taste is a little anemic. I like that Verrill Farm rec -- if they still have them, they generally have very high standards.

[BarefootandPregnant]

Russo's in Watertown had local strawberries by the quart yesterday-the smell was fabulous. I think the price was c.$5, but I could be mistaken. Given that the heir can eat his weight in berries in a single evening, and I can't eat them at all, we opted for the cheaper nerf flavored option.

[Gary Soup]

I love the "nerf" reference. Now I have a name for the big Caifornia strawberries we get out here: "Nerf Balls."

Thanks

[Kat]

I picked about 4 lbs. on Monday at Tougas Farm in Northboro. They were small, looked gorgeously red, but they were really tart. Check out their website and you can tell if they are currently still picking.

[cheryl_h]

We picked about 20 lbs of strawberries a couple of weeks ago, Verrill Farms in Concord. They were absolutely delicious.

[gansu girl]

We picked 11 lbs. ourselves at Verrill and they were just fantastic. Went last weekend and bought more (can't remember price, not cheap) and they were almost as good (nothing can beat an immediately picked berry). I bought some from the Belmont farmers' market last Thurs. (can't remember which vendor) and they are quite good.

[emilyr]

my cronies and i picked SIXTEEN quarts of gorgeous berries at russell orchards in ipswich 2 weekends ago. $2.50 per quart. not sure how the fields are looking now...best to call ahead and ask.

[4chowpups]

For future reference(and I plan to hit Russell Farm for raspberries), do you have to provide containers? TIA

[iheartveggies]

FYI, according to their website, the strawberry picking season has now ended at Russell Farm.

[KitchenAid]

I got some at Ward's Berry Farm in Sharon two weeks ago. They were phenomenal but $5.00 a quart. That said, the quart was overflowing.

[Scruffy The Cat]

I picked some at Land Sake in Weston a week and a half ago, but when I went yesterday they said their season was done. The weather's been awful for them.

[esqdork]

The farmers' market at Copley had some last week, they were very tasty, if on the tart side. They were also pricey ($5 for a quart-I think).

[JudyHP]

Just saw some beautiful ones at the harvard square farmers market today - they were really nice - about $3/pint; $5/quart. There were also some really nice raspberries there.