Strawberry picking!!

This weekend was something I was really looking forward to. As much as a little kid looks forward to going to the funfair.. as much as a shopaholic looks forward to going to the mall..or maybe more?

We were going strawberry picking!!!!

I have never gone strawberry picking before and was really really excited. I've already professed my intense love for strawberries in a previous post and I wasn't exaggerating!! In anticipation, I googled strawberry picking and looked at the pictures of the rows of little plants hiding the gorgeous red fruit underneath their leaves- so so exciting!!! 

I have picked fruit myself when I was little- back in Africa, but never strawberries. I had picked 'Zambarau'- a small, intensely purple fruit that tastes sweet but then leaves a bitter aftertaste- from the tree outside school. I had picked bananas from the banana trees outside our home, Loquats (a sweet, orange coloured- plum like fruit) from the tree in our garden, guavas from another tree in our garden and even a mango!! I say 'A' mango because it was the lone mango that our mango tree bore before it had to be chopped off! :-(

Before I actually googled strawberry picking, I had visions of tall trees bearing the fruit, but no..the little plants are so tiny and make the strawberries so readily available for us to pick!!

Anyway, on Friday evening we got into the car and drove to the farm where there were hundreds of rows of strawberry plants. After choosing the biggest basket available, we made our way to the biggest rows of plants and began picking. The fruits had such a beautiful, fragrant aroma, that after being given the go ahead from the owners of the farm, we were so glad to be able to taste the intensely sweet and flavoursome strawberries just as we were picking them!!...I have never tasted strawberries so sweet and fresh before!!! Soon it was a pick one strawberry for the basket and pick another for me to eat situation!!!

Finally, when we had heaped up our basket of strawberries, we had to make our way back. I was so filled up, I looked at the basket and thought that there's no way we would be able to eat any more!!!

With my fingers stained red with strawberry juice, I sat in the car on the ride back home, clutching the loaded basket of berries with a big grin on my face.

I know I said I couldn't possibly eat any more- but seeing them there..all red and juicy and smelling gorgeous..I had to pick one and eat it...

and another..

and another..

until we reached home :-)

I WAS planning on making something with these strawberries...muffins perhaps?? cheesecake?? A strawberry crumble?

It's too late now, the basket is practically empty.

This calls for another trip to the farm I think!!!

Apparently the season's almost out folks, if you can..go strawberry picking before that!!! its totally worth it :-)

-S