Save Money with Pick-Your-Own Strawberries

Strawberries are one of our favorite fruits of the Spring season.

Fresh from the farm strawberries are much tastier than store-bought ones. We usually buy several quarts to use throughout the winter but nothing is as tasty as fresh, local strawberries.

At $5 or $6 per quart, they aren't the cheapest but you can save some money by buying strawberries in bulk and freezing them for later use. Pick-your-own farms will help you save even more, plus it is a wonderful experience for the kids. Look for farms that give you a volume discount if you can find one to increase your savings.

I always freeze a few quart bags of washed and capped berries for over the winter to use as well.

Strawberry Recipes

I am a firm believer that making things yourself saves money. After you return home with your bounty of fresh-picked berries, it's time to get busy making delicious goodies with them. Here's some inspiration for your kitchen!

Smoothies or Shakes – some yogurt and honey, a splash of vanilla, a little milk and fresh or frozen strawberries are a perfect treat on a hot summer day. I tend not to measure my ingredients, I'm a dump and taste kinda smoothie maker. But if you're looking for actual recipe I like this book and this one.

Frozen Treat for kids – Slice and freeze berries for an easy treat for kids. Just grab and go.

Salad – If you've never tried strawberries, or other fruit in a salad you don't know what you're missing. Add toss in some pecans too! My favorite salad recipe can be found here on page 112.

Chocolate covered – need I say more. Check out this amazing chocolate-covered strawberry tart.

Mousse – This recipe might seem outside the box at first glance but it is amazing! Whole New Mom‘s Dairy-Free Berry Mousse is a great treat.

Ice Cream – add some fresh strawberries to your homemade ice cream in the last minutes of processing. Here's a yummy chocolate strawberry ice cream.

Ice Cream Topping – We smash and bag several quarts of berries each year to top our ice cream and yogurt sundaes. Depending on how sweet the berries are sometimes I add a touch of sweetener before bagging them. Then, free them and thaw when ready to use.

Instant Pot Strawberry Cobbler {grain-free, nut-free, naturally sweetened} – Grain-free, nut-free Instant Pot Strawberry Cobbler (in less than half the time as the oven)… sweet berry perfection that's naturally sweetened and topped with a butter-y crust!

French Toast topping – The same frozen smashed berries we use for ice cream make a great topping for homemade french toast. They're great for pancakes too!

Strawberry Jam/Jelly – Freezer jam is one of our favorite uses for strawberries. My husband uses it all the time, and in a pinch, it will work as an ice cream topping (yes, we've tried it). I have always used traditional recipes with white sugar and last year I was hesitant to try sucanant. I came across this “real foodified”recipe from Our Nourishing Roots and this one from Authentic Simplicity

Shortcakes & Biscuits – A warm shortcake, cold milk, and fresh strawberries make a great breakfast, lunch, or even dinner.

Strawberry Syrup – Here's an easy recipe for strawberry syrup.

Sourdough Waffles With Fermented Strawberries & Yogurt Cheese – Fluffy hotel waffles are so tempting! But they can cause belly aches, and make you feel frumpy and sluggish. Solve your waffle cravings by making them at home with nourishing ingredients. Fermented berries and yogurt cheese top fluffy, slightly crisp sourdough waffles –- a scrumptious breakfast for any morning!

These Berry Flower Straws for serving with your favorite summer drink are too cute not to share!

Pro-Tip

Got kids who want to earn some Summer spending money? Let them pick and sell quarts of berries to friends and family. They pay you back for the cost of the berries and keep the profit.