Checking off our Summer Bucket List
The best meals come from the freshest ingredients. We always try to shop local and stick with what’s in season. That’s why we were so excited when we discovered neighboring farms, Hartland Orchard and Green Truck Farm. We’d been to Hartland a few times before, but always during the fall. They never fail to have the best apples and pumpkins. This year, we discovered that they also have all kinds of berries to pick during the summer!
We ventured out for our first berry trip late last month and fell in love with the farms all over again. Green Truck Farm is stocked with blackberries, blueberries, black raspberries, and (coming soon) red raspberries.
When you arrive at Green Truck, you’ll get several empty pints. Fill as many as you’d like at $4.00 apiece, return back to the stand, pay, and voila! You now have the makings of the very best mixed berry pie, blackberry crumble, and blueberry muffins. They are truly some of the sweetest berries.
Make sure and stop by the second stand on your right for freshly-made kettle corn, all kinds of jams and butters, and the best peach cider slushis. We’ve ended our berry-picking trips each time with their slushis. It’s the best way to cool down.
Across the way at Hartland Orchard, you’ll find the section of peach trees where those famed slushis come from – and, yes, you can take some home! They sell them by the bag.
It’s now the second week of July and we’ve already made two trips out to these farms. It’s berry picking season and it doesn’t last long, so if you’re looking for something to do this weekend, I can’t recommend this more. Berry-picking is best in July, so this is your month, friends! According to Hartland’s website, peaches are good in July and August.
The best part about picking fresh is you can freeze them and enjoy them still when they’re out of season throughout the fall and winter.
To freeze your berries:
Wash them, then set them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Let them dry fully. Once they’re dry, stick the entire cookie sheet in the freezer. Once they’ve frozen, remove them and quickly add them to freezer bags. Place them back in the freezer and you are all set!
The reason why you dry and then freeze them on a cookie sheet is so you’ll have individual frozen berries to work with instead of a massive clump. It makes smoothies much easier – trust me!
I’d love to hear about your trip if y’all make it out there. Let me know by sharing in the comments below. Happy summer!
This post contains affiliate links, but all are tried and true Magnolia Stripes favorites.
