Traditionally, Connecticut farmers are ramping up their strawberry season preparation the beginning of June to open a week or two into the month. This year, Mother Nature has helped to break tradition. Due to the very warm weather Connecticut has experienced this spring, the strawberries are already ripe for the picking. To many, the sweet treats symbolize the unofficial start of summer.
“In my 40 plus years of strawberry harvesting, I cannot recall being open in May. To call this unusual is an understatement,” said Terry Jones, 5th generation farmer of Jones Family Farms. “The fact that we had people picking here May 29th really proves how adventurous the weather has been for us this year. The season is about two or three weeks ahead of our usual start time and that means we’re going to be open full days starting Wednesday June 2nd.”
“Nothing beats a native berry,” said Scott Miller, Executive Chef of Max’s Oyster Bar in West Hartford, who put CT Grown strawberries on the menu this week for the first time this year. “They are so much sweeter, juicier, and more flavorful than anything shipped in from elsewhere. Local fruits are picked at their peak, when sugar content and flavor are at their highest levels. That’s why they taste so good.”
According to the CT Department of Agriculture: “Approximately 220 acres in Connecticut are dedicated to strawberries producing some 2.6 million pounds of fruit annually. The season lasts but a few weeks, however, so residents and visitors are encouraged to enjoy them while they are here.”
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