Strawberries aren't supposed to be crunchy. They aren't supposed to taste like iceberg lettuce. They're not all the same perfect size and shape. 

Real, locally grown, strawberries, farmed by a handful of human beings, are bright red! They vary in shape and size. Some are perfectly round, some beet shaped, and some do have the perfect cone shape we see in the grocery store. 

The flavor is exquisite. Every single bite is sweet, juicy, and a little bit tangy, 

For the past four years, we've made the 45 minute trip up to Bradley Kountry Acres in Cottontown, Tennessee to pick strawberries.

Owners Mike and Cathy Bradley, devote five acres to growing strawberries. They grow Sweet Charlie, Chandler, Darselect, and Earliglow. I am particularly fond of Sweet Charlie and Chandler strawberries, they are small/medium sized and sweet. Cathy and her cousin Cay are in the photo below, Cathy says Cay is her adopted sister. I think they've been there every single year that we have. The way they treat each customer is unforgettable, and that is why I remember them. They are my favorite type of 'Southern' nice and I would like to be adopted into their family. I would TOTALLY help with the strawberries, peaches, and blackberries, and DUH I'd do anything needed in the greenhouse. 

This year, their strawberry season was cut short and we almost missed our opportunity to make our yearly trip! We woke up early after a long and busy week (thanks P!), and joined the early birds around 8:45 am.

It has been raining every day for the past week or two, so the fields were pretty wet and mucky. I wore my snow boots and suction-cupped my way through the rows of strawberries. 

In addition to strawberries, the Bradley's grow Blackberries and Peaches which will be ready for picking in July. Be sure to check their Facebook page for updates! They also have a greenhouse and offer herbs, vegetables, and flowers. There were bees buzzing all over their flowers, so obviously I had to get some flowers since the bees seemed so happy. 

We picked three buckets and spent almost two hours prepping them for the freezer. I am looking forward to strawberry ice-cream, jam, popsicles, cocktails, etc. 

What is your favorite summery strawberry treat? Do you have any recipes to share or ideas for things I can make with our strawberries? Please share them with me by leaving a comment below, maybe even with a link to a recipe! Or make sure you are following me on Instagram, @corrielanderson and leave me a comment on my strawberry picking photo! 

Oops, how'd this one get in here???