Thursday, May 25, 2017

Strawberry Picking

Last Wednesday we headed out to pick strawberries at Benny's Berries in Kansas City, MO. It was only a short 12 minute drive from Lee's Summit. This was my first trip out to Benny's Berries and we will definitely be going back.

I made the trip with my friends Michaela, Libby and our 8 kids (my two oldest were in school). One of the first things that we commented that we loved is the parking is very close to the patch. Not a lot of walking! For moms with little ones, this is a big win! The kind guy at the front explained which strawberries to pick and which to leave alone. We learned new things about strawberries that we did not know. Did you know that if you pick the strawberry with the stem attached, it will stay good for twice as long? Also, you want a strawberry that is red all over (no white tips), as berries do not continue to ripen after being picked!

Jack loved this unique strawberry that he found.

The second thing that we loved about Benny's Berries was the patch was a manageable size. You could still see your kids even if they ran down the patch from where you were picking!


 It was fun to get these guys outdoors and exploring the beautiful berry patch!



A young gentleman even has time to pause from berry picking to help a young lady put her headband back on ;-)!

 They told us that Lincoln was the youngest "picker" to visit the patch!



 The berries were gorgeous and we could have picked and picked all day! It did not take long to fill up our cartons!




I made some fresh strawberry lemonade after getting home from the patch. Libby sent me this recipe from Deliciously Sprinkled. It only took 10 minutest to make and was so refreshing. The lemonade tasted even better the next day after it really had time to set and chill.

I also made one of our favorite desserts at our house, Strawberry Shortcake! I froze the remaining berries, perfect to throw in smoothies.
You still have time to make it out to Benny's Berries before the season is done. Check out their Facebook page for picking days and times. I think I will try to make it out there with all the boys one more time. You can't beat fresh, delicious strawberries!

Do you have a favorite dish or dessert that uses strawberries? I would love to find new things to try with my next set of fresh strawberries!