Anticipating the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and more that will add sweetness to your summer
By Mya Blanchard and Matt Ingersoll
listings@hippopress.com
Nothing signals the start of summer quite like fresh berries, and the time to pick is right around the corner. Despite a recent unseasonably cold snap that threatened this year’s crops, most area farms remain hopeful for a decent harvest.
According to the National Weather Service, the temperature dropped 40 degrees in the Manchester area on May 18, from a high of 68 to a record low of 28 degrees. Concord also tied its record low that night of 25 degrees, set back in 1983, data shows.
Recent conditions had the potential to devastate entire crops at places like Rossview Farm in Concord, which is gearing up for pick-your-own strawberries very soon. Owner Don Ross was able to save a majority of them thanks to his irrigation pumping system — but not without lots of work and countless hours of extra invested time.
“In 31 years of growing strawberries, it’s only the second time that I can think of turning the irrigation pump on for frost protection while it’s still light out the night before,” Ross said.
Ross said that, while the ice that forms from freezing water on a strawberry plant does act as somewhat of an insulator, it can’t be relied upon alone.
“You have to continue to add water,” he said. “As water becomes ice, it has to give off heat and has to go somewhere. … So that’s the science behind it. You’ve got to keep watering until it gets warm enough in the morning that the frost is no longer a threat.”
Sunnycrest Farm in Londonderry, which has been growing berries for the past 50 years, opens for pick-your-own strawberries on June 15. Farm manager Samanatha Fay said unusually cold temperatures far out into the spring had the potential to put this year’s crop at risk.
“We were [at] the end of our bloom so we thought we were safe, but a lot of damage set in because the temperatures dropped and they stayed for so long,” Fay said. “A lot of buds died off, unfortunately.”
Circumstances were similar at Kimball Fruit Farm, located on the Hollis town line bordering Pepperell, Mass., where some of the early blooms also took a hit. Despite the early damage, this year’s crop still seems promising.
The crops at Brookdale Fruit Farm in Hollis, meanwhile, also seem to be doing OK, according to fifth-generation owner Chip Hardy. They’ll also start out with pick-your-own strawberries, followed by blueberries, raspberries and blackberries as the summer draws on.
“The weather has not had an adverse effect on these crops.” Hardy said. “They all look very good.”
Due to warmer weather earlier in the season, raspberries and blueberries are even expected earlier than usual this year, Hardy said.
“It’s really convenient for the folks to come pick strawberries because by the end of June [to] early July, we’ll have strawberries and raspberries ripe at the same time, and usually by the first of July our first blueberries will be ripe too,” he said.
But the weather has had the opposite effect on crops for farms farther north. Strawberry crops could be delayed at Apple Hill Farm in Concord, due to the erratic weather patterns that area of the state has experienced, according to co-owner Diane Souther.
“Because of the spring that we’ve had, they may be a little later in June before we’re really picking solid, so I’ll say after the 25th of June,” she said.
At Rossview Farm, Ross aims to be open for strawberry picking around the second week of June, while blueberries tend to be ready shortly after the calendar turns over to July. He said that, unlike strawberries, his blueberries don’t always need irrigation to the same extent.
“The blueberries are actually [from] a bush, and strawberries are [from] a plant,” he said. “Blueberries, the way they hang, are facing the ground and so they almost have a built-in frost protection system, whereas strawberry blossoms face upright, [to] the sun.”
In Contoocook, Gould Hill Farm is perhaps best-known for its many varieties of pick-your-own apples, but will offer a small selection of other fruits and vegetables, including blueberries. Owner Tim Bassett said that if all goes well blueberries should be ready to go around July 16 to July 18, and would run into early August.
“We had a little bit of frost damage, but right now things look OK, and we’re hopeful it will be a good crop,” Bassett said.
When are they ready?
Sources: agriculture.nh.gov and extension.unh.edu
Strawberries: early to mid-June
Blueberries: early to mid-July
Raspberries: early to mid-July
Cherries: early to mid-July
Blackberries: mid to late July or early August
Varieties and when to pick
Different fruits, and their varieties, thrive in different temperatures. Strawberries are the first of the berries to bloom, usually coming in around the second week of June, the ideal time for pick-your-own being the end of the month, said David Wadleigh, owner of Kimball Fruit Farm.
“They’ll start to come out when it’s warm, but once it gets too hot they’re all done,” Wadleigh said. “They last until about the Fourth of July [or] really when it gets so hot the plants just don’t produce fruit anymore.”
It’s around this time, Fay says, that blueberries and cherries usually make an appearance, with July being the prime time for harvesting. Fay said it can be hard to lock down a specific time that’s too far in advance of when berries will be ready to harvest, as many fruits have multiple varieties that bloom at different times of the season.
“One strand … will produce earlier in the season for you, where another one comes in later just because of the different temperature qualities and how it could survive better,” Fay said.
When it comes to growing these fruits, planting different varieties is key to getting the most out of the season. At Brookdale Fruit Farm, about 10 different varieties of strawberries are grown and harvested, from a mix of early maturing ones such as Wendy and Galletta, to mid-season varieties like Dickens and Honeoye and late season varieties like Rutgers Scarlet.
At Kimball Fruit Farm, about 4,000 strawberry plants were planted — 1,000 each of four different varieties.
“You get so many varieties like that so you have a crop throughout the whole season,” Wadleigh said. “If we planted [only] one variety, we would only have strawberries for like a week because each variety is only out for a short amount of time.”
The same is true for other berries as well. Because blueberries usually last five to six weeks, five to seven varieties will need to be planted in order for the crop to last the whole season, Wadleigh said.
Raspberries, which usually arrive toward the end of June in the middle of strawberry season, tend to have a longer season than some of the other berries, so only about four varieties are needed to extend the season by multiple weeks, Wadleigh said. As for blackberries, on the other hand, only one type is grown at Kimball Fruit Farm.
“You basically keep picking them until it gets too cold and then they don’t produce for you anymore,” Wadleigh said.
While their ripening times vary, there otherwise isn’t a distinguishable difference between these varieties.
“When people come to pick, they don’t typically ask for a certain variety of strawberry,” Souther said.” They just want some that [are] red and sweet and juicy.”
Growing conditions
In addition to temperature, precipitation levels are crucial to the health and growth of crops.
“You need consistent rain,” Fay said.
Not having sufficient rain can hinder the growth and longevity of a berry’s season, as was the case last year with the raspberries at Kimball Fruit Farm.
“We had a pretty severe drought and kind of the blackberries too toward the end of the year, so it kind of shortened the raspberry season a little bit,” Wadleigh said. “We also had less raspberries out there to pick because the plant wasn’t getting one of the things that it needed.”
There is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and rain is no exception.
“Berries are also really prone to mold and mildew, [which] travel by spores, and spores use heat and water as vectors to get into plants,” Wadleigh said. “So when it’s the middle of summer and the plants are all wet, it’s like a big sign saying, ‘Mold and mildew welcome here.’ So you do need water for the berries, but too much rain can also be detrimental to your crop as well.”
Too much rain can also cause root rot, inflicting harm on the plant itself, as Fay points out. As with most things, a healthy balance is best and creates the ideal conditions for the berry season.
“It’s always a nice even keel between moisture and sunshine because you need the sun to ripen the fruit and make the flowers bloom,” Fay said.
Assuming that there isn’t damage or disease that has harmed the plant, these berry plants — and trees, in the case of cherries — are perennials, meaning they will come back every year until the end of their lifespan.
“We have some raspberry plants at the farm that we had when I was younger when I started working here in high school,” said Wadleigh, who’s been working at Kimball Fruit Farm for 19 years. “Some of the cherry trees are at least 60 [years old] if not more.”
Strawberry plants may need to be replaced more often, roughly every three to five years, depending on the weather conditions they have experienced, according to Wadleigh.
There are several important measures to be taken, Fay said, to protect these plants from the elements.
“The first year of growth you want to pick off any of the fruit or the flowers that first come, because instead of them focusing on growing any fruit the first year, you want them to really focus on the roots’ support system,” she said.
It’s also important to shield the plants from cold temperatures. This can be done by covering them with hay or straw, or even covering them with water.
“The water almost acts like a blanket on top of them and it actually prevents the flowers from being damaged by the cold,” Wadleigh said. “We [have] had to do that … and it actually saved most of the early berries. … If the yellow center [of the strawberry blossoms] turns black you know that it was damaged by the cold.”
After harvest
After you’ve picked your berries, they are best kept in the refrigerator, as keeping them cool slows down the breakdown of the fruit, according to Fay. Just as the plants are prone to mold and mildew, the berries themselves are as well, Wadleigh said — for this reason, it’s also important to keep them dry.
“I always recommend, because mold and mildew use water as a vector, [not to] wash them until you’re about to eat them,” he said.
Once harvested, there are numerous ways to enjoy them.
“Strawberry shortcake is always a standby favorite,” Souther said.
She also notes that if you plan to make smoothies or frappes you can freeze the berries to throw in the blender later. Other popular recipes are pies, as Souther pointed out, and jams, custards and other desserts, according to Fay.
Berries can also be cooked down and mixed into drinks, like, for example, adding a blueberry syrup to lemonade, Wadleigh said.
While often made into or paired with desserts, berries can be included in savory meals too.
“A lot of people cook the berries down and make a sauce that they use in a savory dish,” Wadleigh said. “I’ve heard of … people cooking them down and [putting] it with different cuts of meat.”
Berry festivals
Check out these events happening in the Granite State that center around local strawberries and blueberries when in season. Do you know of one that we missed? Tell us about it at food@hippopress.com.
Join J&F Farms (124 Chester, Road, Derry) for its annual strawberry fest on Saturday, June 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Festivities will include hayrides, food trucks, a petting farm and live music, in addition to food trucks and, of course, strawberries. Visit jandffarmsnh.com.
Applecrest Farm Orchards (133 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls) will hold its 16th annual strawberry festival on Saturday, June 17, and Sunday, June 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy pick-your-own strawberries, tractor rides and berry-inspired snacks while listening to live music. See applecrest.com.
A local tradition for more than 75 years, the Hollis Strawberry Festival returns on Sunday, June 25, from 2 to 4 p.m. on the town common (2 Monument Square, Hollis). The festival is put on by the Hollis Woman’s Club and features fresh, local strawberries and homemade biscuits, with or without hand-whipped cream and homemade ice cream, available for sale. There will also be children’s games, face-painting, craft vendors and a live performance from the Hollis Town Band. Visit holliswomansclub.org.
Celebrate the start of blueberry season at Applecrest Farm Orchards (133 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls) with a blueberry festival on Saturday, July 22, and Sunday, July 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit applecrest.com.
Where to pick your own berries
Here are some farms that plan to offer fresh berries for pick-your-own throughout this upcoming season. Know of any we missed? Tell us about it at food@hippopress.com.
• Apple Hill Farm 580 Mountain Road, Concord, 224-8862, applehillfarmnh.com What: Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries When: Projected opening date is around mid to late June, according to Apple Hill Farm co-owner Diane Souther, starting with pick-your-own strawberries.
• Applecrest Farm Orchards 133 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, 926-3721, applecrest.com What: Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries When: The farm stand is open daily, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; pick-your-own strawberries will likely be around mid-June, followed by blueberries in early July and raspberries in mid-August, according to applecrest.com.
• Berry Good Farm 234 Parker Road, Goffstown, 497-8138, find them on Facebook What: Blueberries When: pick-your-own blueberries will likely start around mid-July.
• Berrybogg Farm 650 Province Road, Strafford, 664-2100, berryboggfarm.com What: Blueberries When: Pick-your-own blueberries will likely start sometime shortly after the Fourth of July, according to the latest message from the farm’s picking hotline.
• Blueberry Bay Farm 38 Depot Road, Stratham, 580-1612, blueberrybayfarm.com What: Blueberries When: Pick-your-own blueberries expected to start on or around June 26, with peak picking season around the third week of July.
• Brookdale Fruit Farm 41 Broad St., Hollis, 465-2240, brookdalefruitfarm.com What: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries When: Pick-your-own strawberries are expected to be available around mid-to-late June, followed by blueberries and raspberries by early July and blackberries later into the summer.
• Butternut Farm 195 Meaderboro Road, Farmington, 335-4705, butternutfarm.net What: Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries When: Strawberry picking is projected to run from about June 15 through July 10, followed by raspberries from about July 1 to July 25 and blueberries from about July 15 to Aug. 31, according to Butternut Farm owner Giff Burnap.
• Carter Hill Orchard 73 Carter Hill Road, Concord, 225-2625, carterhillapples.com What: Blueberries When: Pick-your-own blueberries will likely start sometime in July, according to carterhillapples.com.
• Devriendt Farm Products 178 S. Mast St., Goffstown, 497-2793, devriendtfarm.com What: Strawberries When: Pick-your-own strawberries expected around the second or third week of June.
• Elwood Orchards 54 Elwood Road, Londonderry, 434-6017, elwoodorchards.com What: Cherries When: Pick-your-own cherries are expected to be available around July 4
• Gould Hill Farm 656 Gould Hill Farm, Contoocook, 746-3811, gouldhillfarm.com What: Blueberries When: Pick-your-own blueberries will likely start around July 16 to July 18, according to owner Tim Bassett, and is expected to run into early August.
• Grandpa’s Farm 143 Clough Hill Road, Loudon, 783-5690, grandpasfarmnh.com What: Blueberries When: Daily, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; the projected opening date is around July 10, according to grandpasfarmnh.com.
• Grounding Stone Farm 289 Maple St., Contoocook, 746-1064, groundingstonefarm.com What: Blueberries When: Projected opening date is around July 10, according to groundingstonefarm.com.
• Hackleboro Orchards 61 Orchard Road, Canterbury, 783-4248, hackleboroorchard.com What: Blueberries When: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; pick-your-own blueberries are expected between mid-June and late August, according to hackleboroorchard.com.
• J&F Farms 108 Chester Road, Derry, 437-0535, jandffarmsnh.com What: Strawberries When: The farm will likely have pick-your-own strawberries around the second or third week of June.
• Kimball Fruit Farm Route 122, on the Hollis and Pepperell, Mass., border, 978-433-9751, kimball.farm What: Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries Expected hours: Pick-your-own strawberries are projected for the latter half of June. The farm stand is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Lavoie’s Farm 172 Nartoff Road, Hollis, 882-0072, lavoiesfarm.com What: Strawberries and blueberries When: Farm hours are daily, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• McKenzie’s Farm 71 Northeast Pond Road, Milton, 652-9400, mckenziesfarm.com What: Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries When: Strawberries are expected to be ready by the middle of June, followed by raspberries around July 4 and blueberries also in early July.
• Norland Berries 164 N. Barnstead Road, Center Barnstead, 776-2021, norlandberries.com What: Blueberries When: Berries will likely be available by early to mid-July.
• Rossview Farm 85 District 5 Road, Concord, 228-4872, rossviewfarm.com What: Strawberries and blueberries When: Strawberries are expected to be ready for pick-your-own by the second week of June, followed by blueberries around the Fourth of July, according to Rossview Farm owner Don Ross.
• Saltbox Farm 321 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham, 436-7978, find them on Facebook
What: Blueberries When: Blueberries are expected by early to mid-July.
• Smith Farm Stand 15 Smith Farm Road, Gilford, 524-7673, smithfarmstand.com What: Raspberries and blueberries When: The farm features three raspberry beds and one blueberry field, according to smithfarmstand.com. Raspberries are expected to be ready for picking around the second week of July, followed by blueberries in mid-July.
• Spring Ledge Farm 37 Main St., New London, 526-6253, springledgefarm.com What: Strawberries When: Pick-your-own strawberries expected later toward the end of June.
• Sunnycrest Farm 59 High Range Road, Londonderry, 432-7753, sunnycrestfarmnh.com What: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and cherries When: 7 a.m. to noon, daily for pick-your-own strawberries, with an expected opening date of June 15, according to farm manager Samantha Fay. Beginning in late June or early July are cherries, followed by blueberries and raspberries by the start of July.
• Trombly Gardens 150 N. River Road, Milford, 673-0647, tromblygardens.net What: Strawberries and blueberries When: Pick-your-own strawberries are expected later in June, followed by blueberries in early July.
Recipes
Homemade strawberry rhubarb lemonade ice pops
Courtesy of Diane Souther of Apple Hill Farm in Concord (makes about 12 to 15 ice pops)
3 stalks rhubarb, chopped fine (approximately 3 cups, packed loose)
¾ cup sugar
2½ cups water
3 cups strawberries, frozen or fresh, hulled and sliced
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
In a large saucepan, bring the rhubarb, sugar, water and strawberries to a light boil for about three minutes, stirring to dissolve. Remove from the heat and let it sit in the pan for around 30 minutes or longer — this allows the fruit to blend together and lets it cool slightly before the next step. Place in a blender with the lemon juice and puree. Pour into ice pop molds and freeze until chilled.
Raspberry whip
Courtesy of Chip Hardy of Brookdale Fruit Farm in Hollis
1 pint raspberries
2 egg whites
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whip the egg whites until soft, then add the sugar slowly and whip the egg whites until stiff. Fold in the vanilla. Add the raspberries and mix quickly with a beater. Refrigerate. Great for use on top of an angel food cake or pound cake.
All-berry pie
Courtesy of Chip Hardy of Brookdale Fruit Farm in Hollis
2 to 3 quarts any variety of berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or blackberries)
¼ cup sugar
2 premade pie crusts
1 Tablespoon butter
Mix together the berries and add the sugar. Set aside. Using an 8- or 9-inch round pie plate, place the bottom pie crust inside and add the berry mixture on top. The top pie crust should have a lattice top for the steam to come out — if using the whole top crust, make sure to poke steam holes in the crust. Melt the butter and brush onto the top crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes until the crust is slightly browned. Remove from the oven and serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Refrigerate after serving.
Strawberry buttercream frosting
Courtesy of Diane Souther of Apple Hill Farm in Concord
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1¼ cups sugar
¾ pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces
1½ cups fresh strawberries, pureed
Place whites and sugar in a double boiler cooking pot. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Whisk with a mixer on medium speed for five minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and whisk until stiff and glossy peaks form (about six minutes). Reduce the speed to medium and add butter, one piece at a time, whisking well after each addition. Switch to a paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the strawberry puree and beat until smooth (about three to five minutes). Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate (can be refrigerated for up to three days — bring to room temperature and beat on a low speed until smooth before using).
Strawberry cupcakes
Courtesy of Diane Souther of Apple Hill Farm in Concord
1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
1¾ cups sugar, plus more for sprinkling fruit
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1¼ cups milk
10 ounces strawberries, hulled and cut into small diced pieces, plus more for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two and a half standard 12-cup cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder and salt, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (three to four minutes), scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then beat in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour — beat until combined after each addition. Fold in the strawberries. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups so that each is about two-thirds full (about 2 ounces each). Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cupcakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean (about 20 minutes). Transfer the pans to a wire rack to cool for five minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool completely on the wire racks.
Featured photo: Strawberries from Sunnycrest Farm in Londonderry. Courtesy photo.