Ingredients

• 3 quarts (about 3 pounds) of fresh Sakuma strawberries,rinsed and hulled
• cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon powdered pectin (Sure Jell)
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons corn starch, dissolved in 1/4 cup of water
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pre-baked pie shell

Procedure

Slice 1 heaping quart of the Sakuma strawberries for the filling and halve 2 heaping cups of your best looking ones for the pie top.  Halve another 2 cups of Sakuma strawberries, place in a food processor and puree until smooth.

Measure out 1 1/4 cups of the puree and transfer into a medium saucepan along with sugar, pectin and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking frequently. Continue to simmer so that mixture foams, about 1 minute longer. Remove from heat; skim foam from the surface. Return saucepan to medium heat, slowly whisking in cornstarch mixture.  Continue to whisk until mixture is stiff. Stir in lemon zest and vanilla.

Transfer 1/4 cup of the mixture to a small bowl.  Whisk in up to 2 tablespoons of water for the glaze. Transfer remaining mixture to a medium bowl, placing a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the surface. When mixture has cooled to room temperature, stir in sliced strawberries and turn into baked pie shell.  Arrange halved Sakuma strawberries over to; brush with glaze and refrigerate until ready.

The pie can be made several hours ahead.  Serves 6 people.

Thanks to USA Weekend for this Strawberry pie recipe.

Original content provided by Sakuma Bros. Farms and Market

Checker Schedule

Picker Report

2011 Strawberry Harvest Map

2011 Blueberry Harvest Map

2011 Field Map

Click on pin for Field Name.  Red pins are Strawberry fields, Blue pins are Raspberry fields.

View Fields in a larger map

Original content provided by Sakuma Bros. Farms and Market

Strawberry Shortcake made with fresh Sakuma Strawberries

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar for sprinkling
• 1 stick unsalted butter (8 tablespoons)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 2 boxes (quarts) of fresh Sakuma Strawberries
• 1 cup whipping ream or heavy cream, whipped with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Procedure

Preheat oven to 425

Cut the butter in half and then half again the long way. Cut the 4 butter quarters in 1/2 inch slices. Put these on a plate, cover with plastic, and put this in the freezer while you’re assembling everything else.

Hull the Sakuma strawberries, that is, remove the stem and leaves and tiny core from the top of the berries. Cut the berries in half or in quarters, depending on the size of the berries. Sprinkle them with 1 tablespoon of sugar and let them stand while you make the biscuits.

Put the flour, salt, baking powder, and 3 tablespoons of sugar in the food processor and pulse a few times to blend. Distribute the butter over the top of the flour mixture and pulse until the mixture resembles “coarse meal.”

Dump this into a mixing bowl, mix the lightly beaten egg with the half-and-half, then gently stir it into the flour mixture until clumps form. Flour a work surface, then gently knead the dough until it just comes together. Pat the dough into a rectangle 9 inches by 6 inches that’s about 3/4 of an inch thick. Cut out six rounds of dough with a 2 3/4 inch biscuit cutter and place them on a cookie sheet. Brush the tops with the lightly beaten egg white and then sprinkle the tops with one to two tablespoons of sugar.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Cool on a rack for ten minutes. Then split each biscuit in half crosswise. Place a large spoonful or two of Sakuma strawberries and the juice they’ve exuded on top of the bottom biscuit. Be generous with the berries Top with a large dollop of whipped cream. Perch the biscuit top at a rakish angle on top of the whipped cream. Serve with additional whipped cream on the side.

Thanks to Kitchenography for this Strawberry Shortcake recipe.

Original content provided by Sakuma Bros. Farms and Market

It has been said that one picture is worth a thousand words.  A thousand words couldn’t begin to describe the tastiness of our new bakery items.  A few words that do come to mind are scrumptious, mouth-watering and mmmm mmmm good!

Our bakers have out done themselves this year with their new creations! Come try a piece of our new berrylicious cake topped with your favorite berry syrup or perhaps a scoop of ice cream.  Take home our delicious scones complimented by our own Sakuma Bros jams.  Want something special, try our new biscuits and berries.

Original content provided by Sakuma Bros. Farms and Market

 

Sakuma’s market has always been knows for its great tasting milk shakes and smoothies.  This season we are excited to announce improvements and additions our ice cream offerings.

• Our ice cream is now available in the market stand’s main building.
• We now offer 16 different flavors of ice cream!
• Enjoy your ice cream in a cup, cone or freshly made waffle cone.
• Try a delicious sundae with topped with your favorite berries.
• Prefer milk shakes?  You bet, we have them.
• Smoothie time!  Try our updated smoothie recipe.

Original content provided by Sakuma Bros. Farms and Market

Sakuma Bros. Farm and Market is pleased to have an expanded Garden Center for the 2011 season.  In addition to our berry plants are also offering assorted bedding plants, herbs, fuchsia and mixed hanging baskets.

In addition to our great assortment of plants we also offer compost, grow bags and items to help you grow your garden.  Throughout the season we will be offering seminars on how to plant, prune, harvest and maintain your garden and plants.

Plants Available

• 4″ potted Strawberry plants
• 4″ potted Loganberry plants
• 4″ potted Tayberry plants
• 4″ potted Boysenberry plants
• 2 gallon Raspberry plants
• 1 and 5 gallon Blueberry plants
• 5 gallon Blackberry plants
• Assorted Bedding plants and Herbs
• Fuchsia hanging baskets
• Mixed hanging baskets

Don’t Live Near Skagit County?

If you don’t happen to live near Skagit County, Washington, you can also purchase our bare root strawberry and raspberry plants as well as tissue culture plants from Sakuma Bros. Online Store.

Original content provided by Sakuma Bros. Farms and Market

• 5 cups Sakuma strawberries, sliced
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup softened margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups flour

Pour lemon juice over Sakuma strawberries.  Add 1 cup sugar, 3 Tbsp flour and cinnamon.  Pour into a 9″x13″ baking dish.

Combine margarine, sugar, egg yolk, flour and milk.  Pour over fruit mixture, DO NOT STIR into mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Original content provided by Sakuma Bros. Farms and Market

Original content provided by Sakuma Bros. Farms and Market

Original content provided by Sakuma Bros. Farms and Market

Albion Strawberry Fruit Phases

Strawberries are an excellent crop for both home gardeners and commercial farmers. With proper care, strawberry beds can produce good crops for three to five years, with harvest beginning one year after planting.  An initial planting of 100 plants should provide enough berries for a family of four, with surplus to freeze or make preserves.

Best Place to  Plant Strawberries

Select the Correct Strawberry Plant

It is best to plant two or more varieties. Performance will vary according to the conditions at each site. Try new varieties in small trial plantings, next to a variety with which you are familiar.  Strawberry plants are sold either as bare root or in pots.  Bare root cost a fraction of the cost of fully potted plants. When choosing your plants to grow, select plants with large crowns which have healthy, light colored roots.

Everbearing strawberries (Day-neutral) produce two to three harvests of fruit intermittently during the spring, summer and fall.

June Bearing strawberries (short-day) re classified as early, mid-season and late varieties and have the ability to produce a large crop with large fruit each year during a 2 – 3 week period in the spring beginning in early summer.

Day Neutral strawberries produce fruit throughout the growing season. Everbearing and day neutral strawberries work well in limited space. Caution is advised the flower gets too hot (above 85 F) or too cold (below 35 F) because the plant will not flower.

Prepare the Soil / Fertilization

It is helpful to test the soil for pH and fertility levels. Strawberries prefer a soil pH of 5.8 to 6.2.

In the spring of the planting year, apply a balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) at planting at the rate of one pound per 100 sq. ft.  Cultivate the soil to incorporate the fertilizer and break up any clumps or clods several days before planting.  Organic fertilizer sources such as compost, manures, sul-po-mag and rock phosphate may be used in place of synthetic fertilizers. Apply enough of these materials to deliver two pounds each of nitrogen, phosphorus (P2O5) and potassium (K2O) per 1,000 square feet. Fertilize again after renovation of June bearers or second harvest of day neutrals and everbearing types. Do not over fertilizer or you will have excessive leaf growth and poor flowering. In colder climates, do not fertilize strawberries late in the season because this will cause new growth that will be damaged by frost.

When to Plant Strawberries

Plant strawberries as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring during the months of March and April.  Do not work the soil if it is wet. Wait a few days until it dries.  Spring planting will allow the plants to become well established before temperature rises in the summer.

If you are not ready to plant your strawberries when they arrive, store the plants in a refrigerator for a few days, keeping them damp (but not soggy). Rehydrate the plants a few minutes before planting by placing the plants in a bucket of water.

How to Plant Strawberries

It is best to plant strawberries on a cloudy day or during the late afternoon.  Space plants 10 to 12 inches apart and 3-1/2 feet between rows.  Everbearing plants may be planted closer due to their smaller size.

Dig a large hole which will allow the roots to be able to spread out and point downward.  Build a hill in the center of the hole and place the crown at soil level. Spread the roots downward on the hill. Bury the roots and be careful to keep the soil no higher than halfway up the crown.  Do not cover the crown with soil.  The roots should point straight down and should not be bent or form a “J” shape in the planting hole.

After 4 or 5 weeks, the plants will produce runners and new daughter plants.

Flower/Bud Pinching

Strawberry Plant Flowers

During the first growing season, remove flowers of June-bearing strawberries as soon as they appear. Removing the flowers promotes root and runner development thereby insuring a large crop for the following year.

For Everbearing and Day-neutral strawberries, remove the flowers until the end of June and then beginning in July; allow the flowers to remain to set fruit for a Summer/Fall harvest.

Water

Strawberries require 1-2 inches of water per week for ideal growth.  Irrigate plants regularly to insure optimum growth.  Water is especially important while the fruit is forming, from early bloom to the end of harvest.  To minimize berry spoilage, drip irrigation systems are recommended for strawberry plants.

Insect and Disease Control

Strawberries are subject to attack by fungus diseases, such as root rots and gray mold, and several types of insects, including tarnished plant bugs and strawberry bud weevils, but many problems can be prevented with proper planning and care.

All strawberry varieties are prone to diseases caused by overly moist soil conditions and overcrowding. Soil must be kept loose and well drained, plants must be properly spaced and ripe or moldy fruit picked daily.

Plant only varieties that are resistant to red stele and Verticillium root rots. Discourage insect pests by keeping the planting weed-free. Prevent gray mold by keeping the plant rows narrow to improve air circulation and mulching between rows.

Harvesting

Plants generally grow 6″- 8″ tall and 12″ across.  Yield under the best of conditions is about a basket per plant per season.  Pick ripe strawberries by pinching through the stem above the fruit. Never pull on the berry itself. Strawberries will last several days in the refrigerator.

Renovation

Renovation is the post harvest chore of maintaining the June-bearing strawberry plant and is an important part of strawberry care. To insure good fruit production for 3-4 years, a matted row system should be renovated every year immediately after harvest.

The first step is to mow the old foliage with a mower, cutting off the leaves about one inch above the crowns. Rake the leaves and if disease-free, compost or incorporate into the soil. Fertilize with one pound of a 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet.

Next, narrow the plant rows to a strip of 10 or 12 inches wide with a roto-tiller or spade, and spread a light, one-half to one-inch layer of soil over the remaining plants, avoid burying the crowns.  If necessary, remove weaker plants, leaving only the most vigorous and healthy.

Irrigate the plants well, wetting the soil to a depth of six inches.

During the summer, runner plants will emerge and should be placed to fill out the row to the desired two foot width (above says 3-1/2 feet rows), similar to the planting year.

Keep the plants healthy and vigorous throughout the season by controlling weeds, maintaining the proper plant density and row width, and watering regularly.

Day-neutral strawberries should be grown as an annual, to be plowed down the spring after planting and replanted every year. Beds can be carried over if they are healthy and weed-free, but yields from Day-neutral strawberries tend to decline dramatically in successive years.

Original content provided by Sakuma Bros. Farms and Market