Close your eyes and imagine the smell of a perfect strawberry. It’s light, fresh and…what else? If you’re having a hard time conjuring the deeply floral, jammy, caramel-tinged aroma of fresh strawberries, it’s probably because you, like most consumers, rarely get to experience the wonder of a field-fresh strawberry.

There’s no better farm to source the perfect strawberry from than Harry’s Berries, which was founded in Oxnard, CA in 1967. For the sake of the family, the land, the farmworkers and the fruit, Harry’s Berries is organic, so there are no chemical pesticides here. Instead, they interplant the fields with cheerful flowers that ward off berry-loving pests and invite beneficial pollinators. Additionally, the berries don’t come off the vine until the very peak of perfection, so you can expect deep red berries full of flavor every single time.

Two specialty strawberry varieties, Gaviota and Seascape, are the main crops. The vibrant red color and the stop-you-in-your-tracks scent of summer will demand your attention, and you’ll never, ever forget your luscious, juicy first bite. Plump, sugar-sweet Gaviotas beg you to eat each and every one straight out of the basket, and the more nuanced Seascapes have a hint of acidity that makes for incredible pies, shortcakes and jams.

How to store:

Once you get your berries home, transfer them to an airtight container and layer (on top, in between, and on the bottom) with dry paper towels. Be sure not to wash your berries until you’re just about to eat them. According to Harry’s Berries, the fruit can last up to two weeks with this method.

Melissa’s Long Stem Strawberries make a wonderful snack as well as a very special dessert ingredient. Very flavorful, Long Stem Strawberries have beautiful deep red coloring with vibrant green stems and leaves.

These California Long Stem Strawberries are preferred for their gorgeous display quality and their excellent sweet summer flavor. Melissa’s Long Stem Strawberries are delicious when eaten out of the hand, mixed in salads, and used in desserts, such as strawberry shortcake. Long stem strawberries are fabulous dipped in chocolate for a rich dessert. For a simple and sweet treat, serve long stem strawberries with sour cream and brown sugar.

Stems and caps should be fresh and firm. The berry should be plump and firm with a nice red finish. Avoid green or white-topped strawberries, or those that are mushy, shriveled, or leaky.

Preparation
Wash and prepare with or without stems.

Melissa’s Blackberries taste best when they are very dark purplish-black to completely black. These berries are rich in antioxidants, especially in vitamin C.

These berries have a tart-sweet flavor and can easily be consumed as a wonderfully plump and juicy snack. They can be used to make homemade jellies or jams, included in a summer fruit salad, topped as dessert decorations or toppings, as well as utilized as a luscious baking ingredient.

Berries should be bright, plump, and well colored. Take advantage of these fresh berries during the peak months of July and August. Store dry in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Strawberries, a member of the rose family, are unique in that they are the only fruit with seeds on the outside rather than the inside. Many medicinal uses were claimed for wild strawberries, its leaves and roots. The ancient Romans believed that the berries alleviated symptoms of melancholy, fainting, all inflammations, fevers, throat infections, kidney stones, halitosis, attacks of gout, and diseases of the blood, liver and spleen. The American Indians were already eating strawberries when the Colonists arrived. The crushed berries were mixed with cornmeal and baked into strawberry bread. After trying this bread, Colonists developed their own version of the recipe and Strawberry Shortcake was created. Since then, Americans continue to rave about this fruit for dipping in chocolate, for using in cakes and pies, for making frothy milkshakes, and for preserving.

Melissa’s Organic Strawberries make a wonderful snack as well as a great baking ingredient. Bursting with the flavor of summer, Organic Strawberries are seasonal treasures organically grown and distributed without the use of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, and preservatives. Melissa’s Organic label reads: “Melissa’s Certified Organic Produce is free of artificial or synthetic fertilizers and full of unforgettable, great tasting flavor. Our farmers use traditional earth-friendly farming methods inspected by a nationally recognized agency to verify organic authenticity. Melissa’s Organic Produce, a choice made closer to nature.”

Organic Strawberries are preferred for reasons of taste, health and the environment. Enjoy fresh strawberries out of hand, mixed in salads, and in desserts.

Stems and caps should be fresh and firm. The berry should be plump and firm with a nice red finish. Avoid green or white strawberries that are mushy, shriveled, or leaky.