Pick Your Own Strawberries?

[zippydedodah]

Hoping that the strawberries will get better this month, and wondering where we might be able to go pick our own.

A search told me the best place to buy (Samoeng), but i like the idea of going out and picking my own. Anyone got any leads on that?

I know, given all i read about pesticides, i might be better off just buying and washing, but the wife is looking to get out into some strawberry fields.

[Asmerom]

I think your average raw potato tastes better than a ripe Thai strawberry.

[zippydedodah]

that's really helpful...........

thanks

[realthaideal]

Try heading up Mae Rim way to where the big Chotana turn off towards the Four Seasons is (Same corner and Fai Daeng where the Butterfly n Orchid Farm are). I'd just go try n make somebody an offer when I come across a field. Plenty of them up there.

Asmerom's pretty much right-on though. The Thais don't know from strawberries and pick them hard and sour with a hint of sweet. Your chances of finding big juicy berries left on the plants are likely very slim.

The edible and plentiful Jamaican Cherry is in good supply. The Thais tend to eat them as kids and then for some reason get bored with them later in life. I often stop roadside to pick myself a handful. Very very honey/cotton candy berry-like. They're called Ma-Ta-Khop locally, maybe in Central Thai too, but not sure. You see them everywhere without even knowing it. Seriously, it's a nice bonus to a walk in the neighborhood to stop and grab some.

http://www.google.co.th/search?q=jamaican+...lient=firefox-a

[newbie001]

I find large juicy strawberries all the time. I just bought 40kilos two days ago and they were all very large and ready to burst with juice. They needed very little sugar for maceration.

Real Thai deal is right the for location. I have seen signs for pick your own out there.

Last year the harvest was pretty bad, but this year is starting to look much better.

I think that the Thai population do know about Strawberries they just don't eat them the same way that you do, so they pick them young.

They let them grow out and get super ripe when they dry them, but for daily consumption with salt and sugar small and hard is best.

[jaideeguy]

We used to buy them on the junction heading up to samoeng past mae rim and only when the price dropped below 3k/100thb. Does anyone know the current price now to save me a trip up there to find price is too high??

I've learned two things......that the smaller the fruit, the sweeter the taste and this time of the year should be peak of season and with this dry weather, less fungicide sprays on fruit.

Please post current prices>>>>>

[msg362]

If you head to Samoeng, about 4-5Km before you get there there is a strawberry 'pick your own' on the right. The sign is in Thai unfortunately. It's down on the 'plain', the flat bit after the last twisty descent.

Chock diii!

[earlofwindermere]

There is a well known farm that attracts tourists every year. It's past Samoeng in a little village called Boh Kaew. The farmer also sells Strawberry wine and other items made from strawberries. My staff are travelling there tomorrow so I can get more info if you need it. Here's what I know right now:

The farmer's name is Vittaya and the phone number is 0848039905

For those who have never been to Boh Kaew, it's a beautiful little town in a valley - lot's of strawberry farms. There are also a few guesthouses in the area.

[Ulysses G.]

Are the fresh Thai strawberries up to much? The ones for sale around here are only good with lots of sugar.

[SM7WGP]

Thai Strawberries taste like sh... better to by jam and think its berries.

[zippydedodah]

If you head to Samoeng, about 4-5Km before you get there there is a strawberry 'pick your own' on the right. The sign is in Thai unfortunately. It's down on the 'plain', the flat bit after the last twisty descent.

Chock diii!

I believe that I found the place you mention.... although it was closer to Samoeng... like 1/2 kilo from the police station, on the right. There were 3 fields to pick from, 2 organic and one regular.

The organic fields were small and sweet (300 baht/kilo) or big and tart (200 baht/kilo).

We picked a 2 kilos of the small and sweet and the wife will prepare them dipped in dark and white chocolate for a small party on Wednesday. I expect them to be delicious!

thanks for all the road tips... that certainly is a winding road.

[gotlost]

The Samoeng Strawberry Festival 2010 is February 12 to 14. www.openchiangmai.com

Love those strawberries.

. งานสตรอเบอร์รี่ของดีอำเภอสะเมิง ณ อำเภอสะเมิง ระหว่างวันที่ 12-14 ก.พ. 2553

Edited February 2, 2010 by gotlost

[jaideeguy]

Anyone know what are the current prices for the road side vendors at the Mae Rim to Samoeng junction?? used to be 3 kilos for 100thb during peak season. No way would I pay 200-300thb per kilo when i do the labor of picking.....even IF organic.

[butterisbetter]

A few weeks ago I happened to be at the royal project store in the airport and noticed that the strawberries looked unusually red. i bought a couple boxes and the ranged in flavor from mildly sweet to flat out deliciously sweet. so it can be done here. i went back a few days later and wasn't so lucky.

[zippydedodah]

Anyone know what are the current prices for the road side vendors at the Mae Rim to Samoeng junction?? used to be 3 kilos for 100thb during peak season. No way would I pay 200-300thb per kilo when i do the labor of picking.....even IF organic.

i was told (by the strawberry farm folks) that the roadside vendors are charging 180b/kilo for the pesticide variety of (possibly) tart strawberries.

[Thaifan2]

I went to Samoeng today .Its 30 km beyond Mai Rim with a winding hilly road all the way .Great scenery though .As i entered Samoeng town there was a stall selling Strawberryies by the side of the road for 70 B a kilo ,or 35 B a half kilo .They taste good ( not too hard and sweet ) and better than the ones i bought in Chinatown for twice the price .

[earlofwindermere]

My staff went to Samoeng today. They came back with 10kg of berries. Here is the price that they paid:

Grade A 40 baht/kg

Grade B 20 baht/kg

Grade C 15 baht/kg

Grade D 10 baht/kg

It's amazing how much it jumps up in price when it hits Chiang Mai.

I guess that I should note that these are NOT the organic strawberries.

Edited February 3, 2010 by earlofwindermere

[zippydedodah]

My staff went to Samoeng today. They came back with 10kg of berries. Here is the price that they paid:

Grade A 40 baht/kg

Grade B 20 baht/kg

Grade C 15 baht/kg

Grade D 10 baht/kg

It's amazing how much it jumps up in price when it hits Chiang Mai.

I guess that I should note that these are NOT the organic strawberries.

to say that i am appalled at how much I paid, would be an understatement. I guess the dizzying drive lowered my powers of reasoning..... Nonetheless, the 3 thai ladies that went with me have vowed 1) never to buy strawberries at that vendor again and 2) to keep my falang a** in the car from now on!!!

i do wonder, what other folks have paid at that same "pick your own" organic place..........

[jaideeguy]

Thanks earl for posting the current prices, altho i don't really want to drive all the way to Samoeng. Did you notice the prices at the junction of Mae Rim to Samoeng road vendors??

FYI, it's not just the pesticides that I worry about, but the fungicides ......Benelate, which is an effective systemic fungicide that is absorbed by the whole plant and standard practice to spray during rainy season. That's why I only buy during this dry time of the year.

most of the pesticides wash of easily.....but not the systemic fungicides.

Edited February 3, 2010 by jaideeguy

[Thaifan2]

Thanks earl for posting the current prices, altho i don't really want to drive all the way to Samoeng. Did you notice the prices at the junction of Mae Rim to Samoeng road vendors??

FYI, it's not just the pesticides that I worry about, but the fungicides ......Benelate, which is an effective systemic fungicide that is absorbed by the whole plant and standard practice to spray during rainy season. That's why I only buy during this dry time of the year.

most of the pesticides wash of easily.....but not the systemic fungicides.

Today i did not notice any stand alone strawberry seller till i got to Samoeng itself .As far as farms being Organic ,can you trust them ?

[zippydedodah]

Thanks earl for posting the current prices, altho i don't really want to drive all the way to Samoeng. Did you notice the prices at the junction of Mae Rim to Samoeng road vendors??

FYI, it's not just the pesticides that I worry about, but the fungicides ......Benelate, which is an effective systemic fungicide that is absorbed by the whole plant and standard practice to spray during rainy season. That's why I only buy during this dry time of the year.

most of the pesticides wash of easily.....but not the systemic fungicides.

Today i did not notice any stand alone strawberry seller till i got to Samoeng itself .As far as farms being Organic ,can you trust them ?

well, i know what you mean about "organic" and in the US it has a very technical meaning (which is diluted more and more as time goes by). BUT.... seeing many strawbs with bugs eating them helped me believe that at least they NOT were sprayed into perfection.

Edited February 3, 2010 by zippydedodah

[IanForbes]

I find large juicy strawberries all the time. I just bought 40kilos two days ago and they were all very large and ready to burst with juice. They needed very little sugar for maceration.

Real Thai deal is right the for location. I have seen signs for pick your own out there.

Last year the harvest was pretty bad, but this year is starting to look much better.

I think that the Thai population do know about Strawberries they just don't eat them the same way that you do, so they pick them young.

They let them grow out and get super ripe when they dry them, but for daily consumption with salt and sugar small and hard is best.

I agree. It is probably the same reason why Thais pick their mangos about a month too soon when they are hard as rocks... and just as tasty. There is no logical reason why Thai strawberries SHOULDN'T be sweet. They are just picked too soon by western tastes.

My ex mother-in-law did that all the time with my strawberry patch I had outside my kitchen. I wanted them to ripen on the vine to gain the maximum sweetness and flavour. I only had to walk 10 feet to pick one fresh off the vine, but, the old biddy would pick them green before I came home from work. Then she would place them on the window sill to ripen. I told her dozens of times to stop it, but she paid no heed. It drove me crazy and I finally got so pissed off I picked them all as little green seeds. Then, my wife said I was over reacting. dam_n rights I was over reacting! I was finally happy when the old bat moved back to Australia.

[Dustoff]

~

I found a delightful strawberry wine a few years back in Samoeng during the festival and hope to luck into the same producers this year.

Pickin' green bothers me as well and the concept of 'tree ripened' just doesn't seem to exist over here.

I have this pet theory about that.. Being a poor country for so long, I think people got used to eating everything green because if you left it on the tree/vine, someone else got it before you did.

It has taken me a few years but my Thai wife now has a good eye for quality 'on da bush' ripened fruit but it is a challenge finding it, especially since she is totally into the 'no spray' stuff..

[jaideeguy]

Aloha Bro, long time no hear from you......I hate to pop your bubble on the strawberry wine, but I saw how they make it....

It starts from the by product of strawberry preserves....the [chemical laden] foam scooped from the top of the kettle is used for flavor and sugar added.

Wouldn't touch the stuff myself.

I do agree with your theory of Asians picking all fruit too early before it gets stolen.