6月13日 本地草莓丰收季节即将到来!

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Strawberry season is sweet for many delicious reasons, and it heralds the beginning of summer.

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For homegrown treats, it\'s hard to beat the strawberry, the first sweet fruit of summer.
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6 U' Y5 s) {! _8 YFor the next few weeks Southwestern Ontario residents can buy strawberries at a local farm, or be farmers for a day and pick the strawberries themselves.

1 m$ W- F# B. X: [* x' Q% lMike O\'Shea of the O\'Shea\'s Farm Fresh, a family operation near Granton, said this year\'s crop is much better than last season because the weather has been much more co-operative.

/ n8 ]; \. C9 f1 g" b- {\"It\'s not as cold and wet as it was last season, so it looks a lot more promising,\" he said.

, g! e3 y2 t/ G7 p5 V\"If the weather continues this way and maybe gets a little cooler, it will be just perfect, and we\'ll have a great turnout,\" he said.
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$ T7 {! @; g  u2 yO\'Shea is encouraging residents to phone in before coming out to pick.

Over at Red Barn Berries, near Woodstock, Sue Hilborn is expecting big things.

( U% {8 h, K4 A3 O2 k. r\"It\'s going to be huge,\" said Hilborn of this year\'s strawberry crop. \"We avoided any frost.\"

3 m7 M+ h0 N/ }1 rTheir pick-your-own operation opens today, said Hilborn, who urges residents to stock up on the summer treat.

9 [& H" P* J% d( E( F\"It\'s going to be easy picking,\" she said.

STRAWBERRY PAIRINGS
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4 L3 s  H2 d+ m  W+ X- Serve fresh strawberries with a cheese platter for an appetizer or after-dinner treat.

9 m/ Z, P2 T/ d- S2 v- Slice fresh strawberries into a salad of arugula and pecorino cheese.

# a- A( o/ b/ [8 ]- Another option is a salad of greens, sliced yellow pepper, strawberries and cooked pancetta or bacon.

; r- \/ B! K; X. ?" `; L$ a& L- Try sliced strawberries in an omelette.

- Marinate a pint of strawberries with 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) sugar and 2 Tbsp. (30 mL) balsamic vinegar and serve chilled garnished with freshly ground black pepper.
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STRAWBERRY TIPS
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) c- z# c# F* t& G: W- When buying fresh strawberries, look for bright red berries with a sweet smell and no white or green spots.
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1 ^8 W2 ]& d/ L. Y- Size doesn\'t matter -- large or small, all strawberries are equally sweet and juicy.

- Avoid crushed berries or those packed in juice-stained containers. Remove any damaged berries before they spoil the rest.

& v% W4 q7 j$ k* x7 e5 ]2 Z& {- Refrigerate in a single layer with hulls intact. Just before using, gently rinse under cold running water and pat dry.
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6 l/ k; z. {# S' Y5 Y/ C! C' `# I- If freezing, place a single layer on a tray and freeze until firm. Pack into freezer bags and seal.

FOR THE HEALTH OF IT
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Strawberries literally burst with healthy compounds, including anthocyanins -- natural plant pigments in berries that function as powerful antioxidants, sweeping out harmful free-radical molecules.

They contain ellagic acid, which is effective in neutralizing carcinogenic agents. As well, they are rich in kaempferol, which may help reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol.
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" j% n% W0 C9 i% j7 e% Y* L- ]HOW SWEET
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A sampling of area farmers offering strawberries.

- Foley Farms & Carolinian Winery, 4823 Dundas St., London, 519-268-2000
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- Ferguson\'s Produce, Wellington Road South, RR 6, St. Thomas, 519- 631-6589

- G & M Howe and Sons, RR 5, Aylmer, 519-773-3837

- Heeman Greenhouses and Strawberry Farm, 20422 Nissouri Rd., Thorndale, 519-461-0555 or 519-461-1416
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- J.M.D. Vandepoele Farms, RR 1, Drumbo, 519-463-5796

# [  G1 R2 D) m% E- Kerr Farm Market Inc., RR 6, Chatham, 519-352-4164
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- Listowel Greenhouses, RR 2, Listowel, 519-291-2434

W.R.liz

if you can type the full words,maybe i can understand it more easily

bluelove

Farmer Jack’s Orchards
Jack & Teresa Van Diepen
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www.farmerjacksorchards.com
Lambeth
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- O2 @- W! ]- \* e* IFarm is located on Hwy. 4, 3 km south of Lambeth. Open daily 8 am - 8 pm