A strawberry picking is an exciting activity for strawberry lovers where we can harvest strawberries and eat them on the spot.
The season for strawberry is originally spring, but now it can be harvested from winter to meet the demand of the Christmas season. Therefore, many places have been accepting strawberry picking since about January.
This time we will introduce recommended strawberry picking spots, strawberry picking at home, and even recipes using strawberries.
Strawberry Picking Spots
Here are some recommended strawberry picking spots. If you live in the neighborhood, why not visiting them.
TOKYO STRAWBERRY PARK (Kanagawa)
TOKYO STRAWBERRY PARK is a spot where you can enjoy strawberry picking all year round. The name includes “TOKYO,” but it is in Kanagawa prefecture.
You can choose the one you like from an all-you-can-eat course that you can enjoy strawberries on the spot and a takeaway course that you can bring back home the picked strawberries.
The facility has a strawberry buffet restaurant and a sweets stand, so after the strawberry picking, you can also enjoy them.
The prices for the all-you-can-eat course at TOKYO STRAWBERRY PARK are as follows. The time limit for the course is 30 minutes.
| Periods | Adults | Elementary school and younger | 3 years and under |
|---|---|---|---|
| January to June | 2,100 yen | 1,600 yen | Free |
| July to December | 3,100 yen | 2,600 yen | Free |
The take-away course costs 900 yen from January to June and 1,500 yen from July to December.
Ichigo-no-Mori Strawberry Farm (Chiba)
Ichigo-no-Mori Strawberry Farm is a strawberry picking spot where you can enjoy all-you-can-eat strawberry with free condensed milk. The cultivation container unit of strawberry is elevated here, so you don’t need to crouch to pick strawberries.
Here you can pick strawberries of soft and juicy Akihime and sweet and sour Beni Hoppe. And you can buy other strawberry varieties at the direct sale place.
The price list for strawberry picking is as follows. The all-you-can-eat time limit is 40 minutes.
| Periods | Adults (elementary school and above) | 3-6 years and over 70 years old | Under 3 years old |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opening to January 31 | 2,200 yen | 1,700 yen | 600 yen |
| February 1 to March 5 | 2,200 yen | 1,700 yen | 600 yen |
| March 6 to March 31 | 1,800 yen | 1,500 yen | 600 yen |
| April 1 to May 10 | 1,400 yen | 1,100 yen | 600 yen |
| May 11 to late May | 1,100 yen | 800 yen | Free |
Grandberry (Osaka)
At Grandberry in Osaka, you can enjoy the Akihime strawberry picking. The cultivation container unit is elevated here as well, so you can pick strawberries while standing.
The direct sale place sells strawberries harvested in the early morning of the day, so it is a good idea to buy them as souvenirs.
There is an English version of the website, making it easy for foreigners to make reservations.
The prices for strawberry picking at Grandberry are as follows. The time limit is 30 minutes.
| Adults (elementary school and above) | 4-6 years old | 1-3 years old | Under 1 year old |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,700 yen | 1,300 yen | 400 yen | Free |
Strawberry Picking at Home
If you have difficulty going to the strawberry picking spot, you may want to try it at home. The other day, people doing strawberry hunting at home became a topic on Twitter.
家で”いちご狩りをする”という夢が叶いました！！！！！！！！！！
— ごりっぺ⚡︎ (@denpabibibi) March 8, 2020
部屋中がいちごの香りいっぱいでとても幸せです！！！！！！！！！！！！！！ pic.twitter.com/3DCfYXugAV
The dream of “picking strawberries at home” has come true!!!!!!!!!!
I am very happy with the scent of strawberries in the room!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They hand a string to their house and use small clothespins to hang the strawberry. It seems that strawberries were sold as packs.
You can buy the necessary strings and clothespins at hundred-yen stores, etc., and it may be interesting to try it as a strawberry hunting event that does not require going out, especially at homes with small children.
Notes on Going to Strawberry Picking
When going for strawberry picking, keep the following points in mind.
- Many places require reservations.
- Businesses may end earlier than closing time if there are no more strawberries to eat on that day.
- You may not have a toilet in the facility.
- Your desired strawberry varieties may run out.
Many places require reservations, so please check how to make a reservation on the website of each facility. You can also find information about temporary closures there.
Some facilities offer strawberries not all-you-can-eat but selling by weight. Be sure to check what style of strawberry picking they offer.
How to Find Strawberries in Good Condition
If you are going to strawberry picking, you may also want to know how to select a good strawberry.
Generally speaking, it is good to choose a fruit that has a bright red color even in the area under the calyx. If the area is not red yet, it may not be ripe.
Also, strawberries whose calyx is warped, and the area around the seeds is raised, are in good condition.
In strawberry picking, let’s find strawberries in these conditions.
Recipes Using Strawberries
If you get fresh strawberries at the strawberry picking or direct sale, you can eat them as they are, but it is also recommended to try them as sweets.
Here are some recipes that use strawberry.
Candied Strawberries
The familiar candied strawberry at the festival stalls is a recommended sweet that you can easily enjoy the crispy texture.
Make a starch syrup with water and sugar, and put cleaned strawberries in it. After that, cool them at room temperature, and let them solidify.
- Strawberries
- Water
- Sugar
Please refer to the following for detailed instructions.
Strawberry Tulip Fruit Sandwich
This is a recipe for a pretty fruit sandwich whose cross-section looks like a tulip.
To begin with, mix the ingredients to make a cream. After that, sandwich the cream with cut fruits in two slices of white bread, chill it in the fridge, and cut it.
- Strawberries
- Kiwi fruits
- Grapes
- White bread
- Mascarpone cheese
- Fresh cream
- Granulated sugar
- Honey
Please refer to the following for detailed instructions.
Conclusion
Strawberry picking, where you can pick up fresh strawberries on the spot and eat or take them home, can be experienced in many places in Japan. It is often necessary to make a reservation, but if you like strawberries, you should try it.
For people who have difficulty going out, it may be fun to try strawberry picking at home. It can be one of the events that you can do at home.
Also, if you bring a large number of strawberries home from strawberry picking, try a recipe that uses strawberries and consume them deliciously. There are many recipes other than the ones introduced this time, so please try various ones.
