What fun! fields and fields of various bushes, plants and trees, me and my neice Rosie with a bucket to hand and were off. How many fruits are going to make it to the punnet before your mouth,  (now be honest! I know so many who have eatten more than there fair share while picking, or before you are ill!).  Looking at the state of beautiful Rosie, my sister is going to kill me, when she sees the colour of her beautiful little dress, now stained with berry juice where she has duely wiped her hands down it, bless!

A trip to a local pick your own farm is a great way for you to discover newly harvested fruits, picked at there peak, fresh and usually cheaper than the shops and markets. Plus its a great day out for the kids too.

Presently you can pick not only the last of the strawberries but raspberries, currants, cherries and  gooseberries throughout both June and July, with further fruits and berries to be available from september for picking.

These soft summer fruits are at their best when freshly picked, so packaging and storage of your freshly picked fruits are very important.

There are over 400 PYO (pick your own) farms through out the UK so theres sure to be one near you, check your local press and plan your visit. Some PYO Farms also have restaurants, cafe, farmshops etc too which make a great day out.

Some sound tips for picking from the Farm shop and pick your own association (FSPA) make great sense they are:

1. Pick at least half inch of stem to avoid touching and bruising your freshly picked fruit
2. Wear sensible clothes and shoes
3. Pick just enough for yourself as its very easy to get carried away
4. Punnets are usually provided but you may wish to take your own containers too.
5. Fruits nearest the entrance get picked first so stroll to the far side of the field.
6. Pick strawberries and raspberries last as these are the most fragile
7. Make sure to put your fruit in a cool place as soon as possible after picking.

For a great Raspberry Fool with your freshly picked produce, you will need: 350g raspberries, 75g icing sugar, 2 tblsp port, 450g fromage frais and extra fruit or cream to decorate (can use chocolate shavings too)

Wash and dry your raspberries and place in your food processor. Puree until smooth and pass through a seive to remove the seeds, into a bowl. Then stir in the sugar and the port before folding in the fromage frais into your puree. Spoon into wine glasses or dessert bowls and decorate before serving. Summery, delicious and simple, what more can you ask for?

Take at look at my previous blog perfect raspberry jam for your toast and cakes, also  its very sundae (check out the great sundae glasses in this blog too), and seasonal june strawberry food events with a great cheesecake recipe!

Whats your favourite PYO fruit, have you got a recipe to share or tip? Why not tell us all about a PYO farm near you?