Georgia’s strawberry crop is in. Don’t let the recent food scare
keep you from picking
and eating these scrumptious specimens.

“The Georgia strawberry crop is one of the most sanitary crops I
know of,” said Gerard
Krewer, a University of Georgia Extension Service horticulturist
in Tifton. “It’s
drip-irrigated with drinking-quality water, and a layer of
plastic separates the berries
from the soil, eliminating the risk of soil-borne illness.”

The soil and fertilizer used on the crop also make it safer.

“The fertilizer used on strawberries is commercial dry
fertilizer, not manure,” said
Butch Ferree, an extension horticulturist in Fort Valley. “The
first round of fertilizer is
usually plowed into the soil in the fall, and more is added to
the irrigation system in the
spring. Soil low in organic matter produces the best
strawberries, so it’s properly
treated before the berries are even planted.”

Despite these precautions, animals passing through a field, or
mishandled berries, could
still cause a health problem. Sanitation care in the kitchen,
and at every step in food
handling, is required.

“Whether it’s industry, pick-your-own or the family garden, poor
sanitation can cause
problems,” said Judy Harrison, an extension food safety
specialist. “Using clean hands
and clean, properly stored containers for the product are
important, regardless of the
crop or who is picking it.”

Harrison says to remove any badly bruised or moldy strawberries.
Place the rest in a
single layer in a clean container covered with wax paper in the
refrigerator. Cap and
wash thoroughly with drinking water just before using.

“You can best wash strawberries by placing them in a colander
and spraying them with
water,” Harrison said.

The prime picking time for Georgia strawberries is now.

“The crop usually begins coming in in mid-March and lasts until
early June,” Krewer
said. “We’re a little early this year due to the warm
weather.”

The weather has also made this a banner year for Georgia
strawberries.

“We had some problems around Savannah because the warm weather
between
Christmas and New Year’s forced some of the plants to bloom
early,” Ferree said.
“But this dry weather has brought us superb quality.”

No matter where you live in the state, you should be able to
find a fresh supply of
Georgia-grown strawberries.

“Our crop is scattered all over the state,” Krewer said. “We
don’t have exact acreage
figures on the crop, but we do know they are very productive,
yielding about 15,000 to
20,000 pounds per acre.”

They’re a tasty crop, too, Ferree said.

“The variety usually seen in grocery stores is Chandler, and it
was practically made for
the Georgia climate,” he said. “If you pick your own, they are
more mature and even
fresher.”

Take advantage of this limited-time offering of fresh Georgia-
grown strawberries.
Don’t let the recent scare scare you off.

“It comes at a very bad time for us,” Krewer said, “because it
gives the wrong
impression. But we have a very good crop this year. And the
combination of clean,
drinking-quality water used for irrigation, strictly using dry
commercial fertilizer and
the plastic shield between the berries and the soil make it an
outstanding, clean crop.”