When I was a child, is Erdbeeri Feld gah (going to the strawberry field) was a yearly spring ritual in my family. The strawberry is a very delicate fruit, which means the supermarkets can only sell the very sturdy varieties, and only if they’re not fully ripe – otherwise they would all break on the way to the customer. However, if you go and pick your strawberries yourself, you can pick them at a much riper (and sweeter) stage and often the pick your own fields have varieties that are a little more delicate but also more delicious! As for the price, it’s a lot cheaper if you pick your own – on our local field we pay CHF 5 per kilogram, while in the supermarkets and markets the same amount would cost around CHF 13. It’s an understandable difference though given how labour intense strawberry picking is.
There are strawberry fields in most parts of Switzerland and it’s easy, a lot cheaper and more delicious to pick your own – have you ever tasted a still warm, freshly picked, very sweet strawberry? It’s divine! I know that things like going to a strawberry field can be a little daunting in a foreign country, especially if your German skills aren’t very strong, which is why I’ve written a short guide on how it works, so you can prepare yourself have a stress-free experience.
How to pick your own strawberries in Switzerland
One. Wait for the strawberry season which is May to October, depending on the variety.
Two. Find a nearby pick your own strawberry field at selberpflücken.ch
Three. Bring your own baskets and bowls. Most fields also hand out cardboard boxes but for the sake of our environment, I prefer bringing my own packaging.
Four. Check in at the strawberry field by weighing your packaging.
Five. Pick your strawberries.
Six. Go and weigh your fruit and pay.
Seven. Go home and enjoy your delicious berries!
These days, many farms offer a lot more fruit and vegetables to pick, from blueberries to kohlrabi and lettuces. So much fun! The above link covers all kinds of fruit and vegetables picking fields, not only strawberries.
