A little reason to celebrate
National Pick Strawberries Day
Food · Nature · May 20
A day for picking strawberries, whether at a pick-your-own farm, a backyard patch or a garden box, and eating a few warm from the plant.
National Pick Strawberries Day falls on Thursday, May 20, 2027. That is 205 days away.
Strawberries grow low to the ground, tucked under leafy plants, which means picking them involves a fair amount of crouching and peering. The reward is a berry that has been off the plant for about four seconds before you eat it.
Ripe strawberries are red all the way to the shoulders, right up to the green cap. A white or pale tip means the berry needs more time, and unlike some fruit, strawberries do not keep ripening once they are picked. Pickers learn to pinch the stem just above the berry and give a gentle twist, so the fruit comes away with its cap on and the plant stays put.
Many people mark the day at a pick-your-own farm, walking the rows with a cardboard flat or a basket. Others head to a backyard patch, a community garden or a few plants growing in a pot on a porch. Small wild strawberries also turn up along trail edges and in meadows, tiny and intensely sweet.
The tiny seeds on the outside are not really the seeds of a berry in the usual sense. Each one is technically its own small fruit, and the red flesh around them is the swollen base of the flower. A cooler box in the car helps on warm afternoons. Fresh strawberries are soft and bruise easily, so they keep best unwashed in the fridge and rinsed just before eating.
Ways to celebrate
- Visit a local pick-your-own farm and fill a small basket.
- Look for wild strawberries along a trail edge or meadow.
- Plant a strawberry plant in a pot or garden bed.
- Try eating a warm, just-picked berry straight from the plant.
- Share a bowl of fresh strawberries with a neighbor.
Dates
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday, May 20 |
| 2027 | Thursday, May 20 |
| 2028 | Saturday, May 20 |
| 2029 | Sunday, May 20 |
| 2030 | Monday, May 20 |
Also on May 20
Categories: Food daysNature days