“Strawberries that in gardens grow are plump and juicy fine. But sweeter far as wise men know, spring from the woodland vine. No need for bowl or silver spoon, sugar or spice or cream, has the wild berry plucked in June beside the trickling stream.” – Robert Graves
In the month of June, the full moon is known as the “Strawberry Moon.” A name given by the Algonquin tribes, the appearance signalled the time when ripening fruit was at its peak and ready for gathering.
I love strawberries. They have a special place in my collection of food memories. From watching my grandmother gathering wild Muskoka strawberries to make a table full of jam to sharing my son's first taste of the sweet summer berries in the field. These little bits of happy come to the front of my mind this time of the year.
A member of the rose family, strawberries are native to North America. Indigenous peoples used them in many dishes and were one of the first sweet treats available to be gathered in early summer. Early North Americans did not bother cultivating strawberries because they were so abundant in the wild.
In the 1600’s, North American colonists shipped propagated strawberry plants back to Europe for cultivation. Another variety was also found in Central and South America, and is what the conquistadors referred to as "frutilla" or Chilean white strawberries.
The plants can last for five to six years with careful cultivation, but most farmers use them as an annual crop, replanting yearly. Strawberries require both a male and a female plant to produce fruit.
For me, strawberries are at their best eaten fresh. I mean who can argue with a crisp glass of bubbly paired with a luscious ruby red berry. But they lend themselves to any number of dishes, both fresh and cooked.
Fresh tarts and home-baked double crust pies are common ways to cook with them, but muffins, jams, preserves, and sauces are all good choices. In our home we have been enjoying fresh berries in savoury salads and as a key ingredient for our morning smoothies. I do make an excellent strawberry and red wine sangria — a perfect libation for the back deck on a sunny summer afternoon.
Our local strawberry-growing season is typically short but different varieties allow that season to be extended. But not to worry, strawberries can easily be frozen for consumption any time of year. It’s as easy as just washing and hulling them, lay them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet so they are not touching and freeze them until solid. Once frozen, you transfer them to a resealable freezer-safe zip-top bag and keep for up to one year.
Since taking our son Tyler for his first picking and tasting experience 15 years ago, our family has made the trip out to our berry picking spot of choice and it's just minutes away.
Barrie Hill Farms is a second-generation family farm, owned and operated by the Gervais Family. They grow over 200 acres of fruit and vegetables with over 25 acres of strawberries.
Barrie Hill is one of the largest and, in my opinion, best-run operations for strawberry picking available. They grow several varieties of strawberries for pickers. Annapolis, Jewel, and Albion are available and all have unique qualities that make them stand out. It’s an amazing sight to see when the tractors are running and the fields are full of happy families picking berries.
I first met Morris Gervais when I was involved with Simcoe County Farm Fresh as a local chef supporting local producers. Farmer Morris and the team at Barrie Hill Farms are huge supporters of the local food and sustainability in our region and have worked diligently for many years on many of the initiatives started here in Simcoe County.
My job is a little different now. I’m not the restaurant chef out buying local and creating those authentic dining experiences. I’m working from a different side — one that I hope will help mentor the next generation of young cooks and chefs to be inspired by the foods we find locally.
As a chef involved in the hospitality programs at Georgian College, I get to work side by side with our students as they start the journey to becoming our next kitchen managers, dining room captains, cooks and bakers.
Supporting local food producers and encouraging “field to fork” education has always been a big part of who I am as a chef and it’s a real privilege to be able to share that with the students.
This summer, with the support of our hospitality department and an eager group of culinary students, we have put together an extra curricular field trip project called the “Field to Fork Discovery Tour.”
The goal is to get our students out and visit three different agriculture producers in the region and see what they do, how they do it and how it impacts what we can do as cooks.
Barrie Hill Farms was a natural fit for our first stop. So, one Monday afternoon several weeks ago, just as the berry picking season opened up, myself and several students went out to check out the crop of 2022.
The strawberries did not disappoint! It was really amazing to watch them all take some time and see what it's like. There was lots of great questions and our conversations covered so many food and farming topics.
Many of our students have never seen anything like a you-pick farm or had the opportunity to taste a fresh berry right from the field. It was intriguing to them how our local producers have developed the farm into a festival like atmosphere.
My favourite part… Well it was just like it was with Tyler 15 years ago. I got to watch each of them pick and taste that first berry and see the spark of discovery.
Now bring on the raspberries and blueberries!
For more information on Barrie Hill Farms check out: https://barriehillfarms.com
Daniel Clements is the chef technologist at Georgian College’s School of Hospitality and Tourism.
