Sweet, sweet strawberries

Pick ’em and eat ’em

Tomatoes are the first reason people give for craving food that’s locally grown.

Strawberries should be second.

“Most of the berries you see in the grocery store have the white and green tips,” says Joel Wilson, who owns Wilson’s Cedar Point Farm with his wife, Beth, in Pulaski County. Strawberries will ripen after they’re picked, but they won’t get any sweeter, Wilson explains.

Wilson, shown with his family, knows strawberries. He grows 10 acres of them, along with 100 acres of other produce like green peppers and cucumbers.

Keeping strawberries on the plant until they are fully red ensures they are as sweet as can be, says Wilson. To make sure his berries are the highest quality, he doesn’t refrigerate or wash the berries before he sells them.

Wilson’s farm is open for purchasing or picking strawberries from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday during strawberry season, and Sunday noon to 8 p.m. The best way to know when the season starts is to visit Facebook: Wilson’s Cedar Point Farm, which is updated daily or more during picking.