Later-season strawberries tend to be very sweet and flavorful.

If you’ve already eaten all the fresh berries and shortcake you can, now is a good time to fill your freezer, make jam or however you prefer to store up those farm fresh strawberries to last until next berry season.  Our berry patch has once again brought on a later-season bounty of juicy, sweet berries that are ready now!  But they won’t last long.

Call the farm to check picking conditions, 770.288.2582.  Hurry!  Fresh strawberries will not be here forever!  Next, will begin blackberry & blueberry season, which will carry into the summer months.

A strawberry picker-friend told us about this great salad, and we found the recipe at AllRecipes.com  Give this new strawberry salad recipe a try!

Strawberry Blue Cheese Salad

Source: AllRecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

We just love seeing photos and videos taken of your family or friends here at Southern Belle Farm!

Now’s the hard part – choose your favorite three photos (yes – choosing will be hard!)  then Upload your pictures here to enter them into our Spring & Summer 2012 Photo Contest!  NOTE: in the subject line write ‘Photo Contest Entry by (your name)’.

For videos, simply upload to YouTube and tag Southern Belle Farm.  Here’s our farm YouTube Channel!

2012 Spring & Summer Season Photo/Video Contest Prize … WINNER receives a Family 4-pack of tickets to the Fall 2012 season!!

Entries must be received by July 31, 2012. Winners will be announced by September 1, 2011.

By submitting your photos/videos in the contest, you agree to the following Contest Rules.

1. The contest is open to amateur photographers only. Photographers must be at least 18 yrs of age or have written permission of parent or guardian to enter contest.
2. Photos must be taken at Southern Belle Farm during the 2011 Fall Season.
3. A panel of judges will select the top photos based on relevance to Southern Belle Farm, creativity, and quality of the photos. Fall season winners will be announced by November 26, 2011 on our website.
4. Southern Belle Farm will display the top winners on their website and Facebook following the 2011 Fall Season.  Photo entries may also be shown prior.
5. No more than three (3) entries per person.
6. Submission of an entry indicates agreement with this policy on the part of the photographer and any persons featured in the photo. It is the photographer’s responsibility to receive permission of any persons prior to submitting the photo.
7. All photo entries become property of Southern Belle Farm and may be used in other media featuring the farm.  Photos may be used online on the farm website, Facebook profile just to mention a few.

Plucking juicy, red strawberries from the vine gives you every reason to love springtime in Georgia!  The strawberry season got an early start this year, due to the unseasonably warm weather, but we have just now reached our peak!  We have had a great producing strawberry crop so far, and just when we thought we had plenty — even more ripened up!  So, we cannot stress enough just how easy picking is right now.  You can fill up a gallon bucket by walking just a few steps in the strawberry patch.

If you were thinking about picking your own fresh strawberries – now is the time!!  It appears that we will actually be open on Sunday, April 22nd, because we have so many ripe berries that need to be picked.  Come out to the farm – pick your own strawberries for $10/gallon, let the kids pet the farm animals, jump on the jumping pillow for a small fee all while you sit back and enjoy a slice of homemade strawberry shortcake.

Our farm hours this weekend are: 
Saturday, April 21 8am – 6pm
Sunday, April 22 1 – 6pm 

We always encourage you to call the farm before you visit just to check berry availability, 770.288.2582.  You can also call and order pre-picked strawberries for $12/gallon.

Hunting Red Easter Eggs!

We’ve been hunting RED Easter Eggs all week — aka strawberries!

And boy are they a treat to find.  One bite into the ripe, juicy berries and you just can’t stop!  We tell kids when they go into the patch, it’s kinda like an Easter Egg Hunt … you look for the solid red ones and pick those.  That’s an easy way for the little ones to understand.

We recommend to anyone who is planning to come pick strawberries, to please call the farm 770.288.2582
before coming out just to check the availability.

We expect a lot of folks picking, and would want to disappoint you if we were picked out.  So please call us before you come hunt our ‘Red Easter Eggs‘!!  While you’re here, don’t forget to get a slice of Mrs. Kathy’s Homemade Strawberry Shortcake, or a scoop of the Strawberry Ice Cream churned right here on the farm!  Let’s just say — you won’t leave hungry!

Triple-Decker Strawberry Cake
Photo courtesy of Oxmoor House, Inc.

Strawberry lovers are in luck this time of year, as you can get them fresh at farms just like Southern Belle Farm in McDonough, Ga.

TRIPLE-DECKER STRAWBERRY CAKE

The recipe comes from the lovely Southern Living magazine. They have included it in a book, “Classic Southern Desserts: All-Time Favorite Recipes for Cakes, Cookies, Pies, Puddings, Cobblers, Ice Cream & More.” They wrote, “This Cake from Anne Byrn, aka The Cake Mix Doctor, is so good no one will know it’s not made from scratch. We doubled the frosting called for in Anne’s original recipe to add extra richness.”

Ingredients for 12 Servings

• 1 (18.25-ounce) Package white cake mix
• 1 (3-ounce) Package strawberry gelatin
• 4 Large eggs
• ½ Cup sugar
• ½ Cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
• ½ Cup milk
• ½ Vegetable oil
• 1/3 Cup all-purpose flour
• Strawberry Buttercream Frosting (see below)
• Garnish with whole and halved strawberries

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Beat cake mix, strawberry gelatin, eggs, sugar, chopped fresh strawberries, milk, vegetable oil and all-purpose flour at low speed with an electric mixer for 1 minute. Scrape down sides, and beat at medium speed for 2 more minutes, stopping to scrape down sides, as needed. (The Strawberries should be well blended.)
2. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 23 minutes, or until cakes spring back when pressed lightly with a finger. Let cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely (about 1 hour.)
4. Spread the Strawberry Buttercream Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with whole and halved strawberries. Serve immediately, or chill for up to 1 week.

Note: This recipe was tested at Southern Living using Betty Crocker Supermoist Cake Mix, White. The recipe for the Strawberry Tart shown in the photo is on page 186 of the new book.

To make ahead: Prepare recipe as directed. Chill, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until frosting is set. Cover well with wax paper, and store in refrigerator up to a week.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients
• 1 Cup butter, softened
• (32-ounce) Package powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 Cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
Preparation
1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy (about 20 seconds). Add sugar and strawberries, beating at low speed until creamy. (Add more sugar if frosting is too thin, or add strawberries if too thick.)

This recipe was taken (page 43).

5 Reasons to Eat Strawberries

Everyone knows that strawberries are delicious. They’re healthy and nutritious too — just in case you needed a ‘reason’ to eat them!  Here are our favorite five reasons you should include strawberries in your daily diet.  We pulled this excerpt from an article we found at HealthDiaries.com - read below.

Diet

One cup of strawberries contains over 13% of the RDA of dietary ?ber, yet only 43 calories. The dietary ?ber in strawberries helps to keep digestion regular, as well as lowers blood pressure and curbs overeating.

Antioxidants

Strawberries contain a chemical compound called phenols. Anthocyanin, a particular phenol abundantly found in strawberries, lends the rich red color to the fruit. Though anthocyanin is known to have antioxidant properties within the fruit, it is debated as to whether the antioxidant agents in anthocyanin-rich foods can be absorbed into the body once digested. Fortunately, however, it is known that when anthocyanin-rich foods are consumed, the body’s uric acid levels increase, which serves as an antioxidant agent.

Anti-In?ammatory

The phenols in strawberries also ?ght against many in?ammatory disorders, such as osteoarthritis, asthma and atherosclerosis, by inhibiting the enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX) in the same way that the drugs aspirin and ibuprofen do. Strawberries, however, do not carry unwanted side effects like stomach and intestinal bleeding.

Anti-Cancer

The combination of antioxidant and anti-in?ammatory agents found in strawberries is well-known to ?ght against the onset of many different forms of cancer. Thanks to the vitamin C, folate, and the ?avonoids quercetin and kaempferol that they also contain, strawberries are a delicious defense against potentially cancerous cells.

The Vigorous Vitamin C

One cup of strawberries contains an incredible 136% of the RDA of vitamin C, an effective antioxidant that can help lower blood pressure, ensure a healthy immune system, and ward off the development of age-related ocular diseases, such as cataracts and macular degeneration.

Source:  Excerpt from 8 Health Benefits of Strawberries  |  April 8, 2011  |  HealthDiaries.com.  

The Strawberry Patch will OPEN Tuesday, March 27th with Vine-ripe Strawberries ready for picking!

For picking hours, prices and details, click here.

PLEASE NOTE: We accept cash and checks only during berry season.

Strawberry-Sugar Biscuit Trifle

Instructions

1. When berry season begins,  visit Southern Belle Farm and hand pick only the freshest, ripest, juiciest strawberries right from the plant.

2.  When ready to begin, wash off the fresh strawberries and allow to air dry.

Ingredients

• Sugar Biscuits
• 6 tablespoons orange liqueur or orange juice, divided$
• 2 1/2 pounds strawberries, halved $
• Trifle Custard
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• Garnishes: strawberries, mint leaves

Preparation

1. Cut Sugar Biscuits in half; brush cut sides evenly with 5 tablespoons orange liqueur.
2. Line bottom of a 4-quart bowl or trifle bowl with eight Sugar Biscuit halves. Arrange strawberry halves around lower edge of bowl. Spoon one-third of Trifle Custard evenly over Sugar Biscuit halves; top with one-third of remaining strawberry halves. Repeat layers twice, ending with strawberry layer. Drizzle remaining orange liqueur evenly over top. Cover and chill 3 to 4 hours.
3. Beat whipping cream until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Spread over trifle; serve immediately. Garnish, if desired.

Unless you want to bring us a slice of your dessert, share a picture of your strawberry creations with us on Facebook!

We are honored to once again host a
Spring Scout Day here at the farm!

May 5, 2012 at 10:00am

Is there anything more delicious than fresh strawberries picked right from the vine? Girls will get a lesson on strawberries and then start pickin’ right from the patch. Each person will get a container for them to eat or to take home their strawberries. You will also visit the barnyard animals and take a hayride tour of the farm.

The cost is $5/person (adults & children)
Strawberry scout patches are an additional $1.
Pay at check-in when you arrive at the farm.  We accept cash only.

While at the farm, larger containers of fresh strawberries as well as homemade ice cream and other treats may be purchased for an additional cost. It’s an event the whole family can enjoy – fun for all ages!

Register your scout group today.  Use the link below to the online reservation form, fill in the ‘Contact Person’ and ‘Group Event’ sections to register your group.

REGISTER HERE!