Some of the county’s finest fruit, vegetables, flowers and landscape plants are grown on farms and orchards of the Northwest.
- June – Time to pick the Raspberries!
Tulameen Raspberries make great jam!
We were the first in line waiting for Columbia Farms to open today, to pick raspberries. We picked Tulameens as the Cascade Delights weren’t quite ready. The Tulameens were very abundant, easy to pick, and nice and ripe. It took two of us about an hour to pick a flat (12 pints). These berries are so delicious. Eat them fresh on shortcake with ice cream or make some jam as I did. They make an outstanding jam!
- Berries, berries, and more berries! Strawberries first!
It’s just five weeks to the start of June. In Oregon, it’s the start of berry season. Strawberries, start the parade at the beginning of the month, followed by Raspberries and Blueberries.
Oregon Berry Season – note these times in your calendar so you don’t miss out! STRAWBERRIES – “Strawberries fall into three categories, each with several varieties, according to Bernadine Strik, an Oregon State University Extension berry crops professor in the horticulture department. June-bearers produce one crop per year, usually during June. Everbearers produce two crops per year, one in June and one in August. Day-neutrals produce an almost continuous crop from May through early fall.”
Varieties typically grown in Oregon are June-bearers, including Hood, Shuksan, Totem, Benton, Tillamook, and Puget Reliance. June-bearers are ideal if large numbers of strawberries are needed at one time, such as for jam or freezing. Everbearers include Fort Laramie, Ozark Beauty, and Quinault; day-neutrals varieties include Albion, Seascape, Selva, Tribute and Tristar. To find U-Pick locations – Click Here!
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‘Hood’ strawberry fruit picked at optimum ripeness for eating fresh (with “cap” on). Photo: Bernadine Strik, © Oregon State University Hoods are truly the essence of the flavor strawberry! “…The reason is taste, OSU breeder Chad Finn said. Hoods are exceptionally sweet — they’re loaded with sugar — but it’s balanced by the berry’s acid content.” While you might buy Hoods to use in a recipe, if you eat one, you might not have any left for the recipe, as they are addictive! They are by far at their best eaten fresh! Hoods have a delicate skin that damages easily, so very little is shipped out of state.
Picking Hoods at Columbia Farm on Sauvie Island OR Our first outing in the Covid-19 world was to pick Hood strawberries at Columbia Farm on Sauvie Island just outside the city of Portland OR. We went on the first day and were first in line at 9:00 am. We picked two flats which took two of us about an hour and a half, longer than normal, as there were fewer ripe berries. As we left I counted about 150 people there picking. The berries tasted great!
- Welcome to Greatgardengreatfood.com!
Join us on our journey to learn about great food and the gardens and farms that produce it. Our journey will not be limited to just food producing gardens and farms, we will explore and visit all types of gardens; flower farms, nurseries, public and private gardens and parks as well! Our journey starts in the Northwest United States, and over time will branch out to parts of the country.
What else will you find here? Recipes using fresh garden produce. Reviews of cook books and sources for food and cooking equipment. Finally, follow the creation of a small garden plot in a community garden! We hope you will stay with us on our journey and contribute to it!
Fresh winter garden produce for sale at the Winter Vegetable Sagra held on December 8th, 2020 in Portland OR
