pick your own

This summer, for the first time I picked fruit from trees (excepting apples, which I have done twice). This may seem a strange first experience to have at the age of 30, but keep in mind that I grew up in Florida, where citrus trees provide the only truly fresh fruit.

A friend of mine mentioned something about picking strawberries one day. A passing thought, of little significance to him, as he'd grown up knowing that ripening strawberries are an unambiguous signal of summer's onset. The only things that signaled summer in Florida were somewhat hotter temperatures, more humidity, thunder storms every afternoon, and the end of school. Fall and spring had nothing to do with leaves or flowers on the trees. When I moved to the northeast from Florida, the coming and going of seasons smacked me in the face, yet more than 10 years later am I finally appreciating one of the most wonderful aspects of the seasons - the tremendous series of fresh fruits available from early summer through late fall.

So, at my friend's suggestion, I found some farms nearby (30-45 minute drive) that let you pick your own fruit. We've picked strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries so far this summer - peaches and apples will come up in the next few weeks - from three different farms:

Land's Sake (Weston) - strawberries
Smolak Farm (North Andover) - strawberries and raspberries
Connors Farm (Danvers) - raspberries and blueberries

All the fruit was outstanding. I made strawberry jam, raspberry syrup, blueberry pancakes, and blueberry-lemon bars (and spent days just snacking on the fruit whenever I could). Each farm had it's pros and cons. In terms of price, Connors Farm was unbeatable. I will definitely go back there for more fresh fruit.