Mackensy Lunsford

mlunsford@citizen-times.com

ASHEVILLE – Strawberry time is on the horizon, and experts say berry lovers need to act fast this year to capture the best of a fleeting season.

After a cold winter and some late cold snaps, the season started later than usual this year. The strawberry season is in full swing across much of North Carolina, but here in the mountains, local farmers say, we’re on a different schedule.

J.D. Obermiller is in his 34th year growing U-Pick strawberries at his farm just west of Hendersonville in the community of Horse Shoe. Obermiller said strawberry farmers in Western North Carolina are generally at least 10 days to two weeks behind the rest of the growers in North Carolina, since they grow at a higher elevation.

And right now, it appears, the harvest will come a full two weeks later than WNC’s normal this year.

“We usually start picking about the first week of May, but it will be well into the middle of the month until we start picking this year,” said Obermiller. “The green berries that are out there right now will take a minimum of two to three weeks to ripen. Generally, from open blossom to ripe berry is three to four weeks.”

The late bloom, said Obermiller, will “condense the season down. Generally if we start picking the first week of May, we’ll pick for five-six weeks, but this year it will be over a period of four weeks.”

Obermiller said the flavor and quality of the strawberries will be the same, but aspiring berry pickers will have to act fast if they want to score fresh, ripe strawberries in the field in the one-month window between mid-May to mid-June. To that end, said Obermiller, it might help to bring a big basket to the farm.

“It’s hard to beat a fresh, ripe strawberry out of the field,” Obermiller said. “That’s one of the best ways to eat them.”

To see how the season is going, Obermiller said to check his farm’s Facebook page, or call the farm at 891-8841.

Slow start, fast season

Farmer Danny McConnell of McConnell Farms, an operation focusing on farm and tailgate market sales, also said a tough winter will affect the growing period of his berry crop, which should ripen sometime next week.

“My crop will be slow to wake up this year,” he said.

McConnell Farms generally enjoys a seasonal harvest of around 4,000 4-quart containers. McConnell could not say yet whether his total harvest would be affected by the recent weather.

“Right now it’s still hard to tell,” he said. “The hot weather this week is going to speed the crop up, and this time next Monday we’ll have a better handle on it.”

McConnell said growers farther east are having even bigger issues with crops ripe and ready to pick in a shorter window than usual. “And next week, they’ll be on the downside,” McConnell said. “Cold moving into extremely warm temperatures really set the crops on fire in that area.”

According to Dr. Barclay Poling, executive director of the N.C. Strawberry Association, high yields in a shortened timeframe pose significant challenges to strawberry growers. “It’s anyone’s guess on how long the season will last,” he said. “We’re seeing unprecedented volume during the first week. It is a phenomenon we haven’t seen before.”

Reports from consumers who have had some of the first berries of the season are that they are especially good this year, sweeter and tastier, which Poling believes can be attributed to the cooler temperatures.

“What is happening in the eastern part of the state is expected to play out statewide,” said Poling. “A typical weekly 2,000 pounds-per-acre yield will escalate to 5,000 to 6,000 pounds by mid-May, if not higher,” he explained.

To deal with the sweet windfall this year, the association started an initiative called “Short & Sweet Strawberry Share 2014.” It encourages strawberry pickers to give a free bucket to a local food pantry, soup kitchen, day care center, nursing home or person in need. Many farmers (check with your local farm) are offering a “pick four buckets, pay for three” deal.

“We have a bumper crop coming on,” said Mitchell Wrenn, a farmer in Zebulon. Wrenn also serves as president of the N.C. Strawberry Association.

“In a normal year, we couldn’t afford to give berries away, but we’re going to lose berries,” he said. “I’d rather give to someone in need, someone who is handicapped or in a nursing home so they can enjoy these delicious berries.”

Strawberry elixirs

Danny McConnell knows exactly what he’ll do this year if he has excess strawberries. McConnell Farms recently added an operation to the farm to make strawberry cider with surplus or misshapen berries.

“This will use up the excess berries in case we get into a situation like the rest of the state,” he said. “Our test batches have all run with a strawberry and apple combination. You would swear that there’s sugar in the mix because it’s so sweet, but there’s not.”

According to McConnell, it will be a full two weeks before the farm starts pressing. “Then we’ll press it, bottle it, and that’s it.” The cider should be available at local tailgate markets and at the farm, he said. And have no fear — there will be berries, too.

“Even though the crop’s on the short side, we’ll have plenty of berries to go around,” said McConnell.

McConnell Farms is at 177 Old Dana Road, Hendersonville. Learn more on the farm’s Facebook page.

McConnell isn’t the only local entrepreneur making sweet sippers from strawberries. The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary has been serving a Strawberry Elderflower Elixir to spa guests.

Sous chef Colin Archangelis shares his recipe for the seasonal drink above, packed with vitamin C from strawberries, the natural detoxifying elements of elderflower, and antioxidant-rich lemon.

STRAWBERRY ELDERFLOWER ELIXIR

Yields 1 gallon.

4 quarts water

3 tablespoons dandelion root

2 tablespoons dried lemon peel

1 cup elderflower

2 lemons, peel and juice reserved

1/2 cup honey

1 cup strawberries, tops removed

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup strawberry puree

Combine all aromatics, honey and strawberries in a gallon container. Let water come up to a simmer and pour over the aromatics. Allow to steep at room temperature for two hours then refrigerate overnight. The next day, strain the tea through a fine sieve. Season with white balsamic and strawberry puree.

SAUTÉED STRAWBERRIES WITH CINNAMON AND FRESH LIME

This recipe for sauteed strawberries with cinnamon and fresh lime warms the berries just enough to enhance the flavors and draw out their juices. It makes a wonderful light dessert. The combination of brown sugar and the pectin in the strawberries creates a gorgeous glossy sauce. Serve over a scoop of lower-fat vanilla ice cream or with a dollop of plain or vanilla low-fat yogurt. They also could be served over angel food cake, which has less than 100 calories and no fat per slice. Makes 4 servings.

2 tablespoons brown sugar, lumps broken up

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pint strawberries, washed, hulled and halved or quartered depending on size (about 2 cups)

In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, stir together the brown sugar, butter, lime juice and cinnamon. Cook until bubbling. Add the strawberries and toss for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

SHORT & SWEET STRAWBERRY SHARE

• To learn more about the program to donate fresh strawberries to food pantries and other nonprofits, visit the N.C. Strawberry Association website at www.ncstrawberry.com.

• Visit the NC Strawberry Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ncstrawberry) and post a photo of your experience. Include a caption with your name, farm where you are picking, the charity to which you donated the berries, and the charity’s phone number. The winning post will receive a $500 cash prize and an invitation to the Southeast Strawberry Expo at the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst.

• Pick anywhere. It’s not necessary for a farmer to be participating in the share for a picker to be eligible; a consumer can still buy berries, share with those in need and post the information on the Facebook page for a chance to win the $500.

STRAWBERRY TIPS

• Avoid pale or slightly green berries, which is an indication that they are under-ripe. When possible, smell the berries to see if they have a sweet, ripe aroma.

• Store fresh strawberries in an airtight container in your refrigerator and don’t rinse until you are ready to eat them. They lose their flavor quickly, so it is best to eat them within three days of purchase.

If you end up with strawberries that have underwhelming flavor, there are tricks for perking them up:

• Toss 2 cups of hulled and halved strawberries with 3 tablespoons of sugar and let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes. This not only sweetens the berries but also enhances their natural flavors.

• If you like, just before serving you can add a few tablespoons of white wine, orange liqueur or even balsamic vinegar.

• The sweetened berries can be refrigerated in an airtight container for a day or two, but they will get soft.

The Associated Press