Strawberries are generally mature about thirty days after blossoming in mild
weather, faster when the weather is warm. (Incidentally, the first flower to
open on a plant is always the largest flower and always becomes the largest
fruit with the most seeds.) Pick strawberries when they are perfectly red and
ripe in the home garden, unless you plan to sell them to local markets or
from a
roadside stand - once they are whitish they will change color and become redder
after picking, but will never gain in flavor when off the plant. Fruit to be
used for freezing, however, should be firm and not dead ripe, while fruit picked
for jelly making (when concentrated pectin won't be used) should be slightly
under ripe. Harvest the berries daily or at least every other day, the best time
for strawberry picking being in the early morning while the berries are cool. Do
not pick on rainy days, as berries picked in the rain may not keep well. Never
pull or pick the berries from their stems, either, for you might pull off an
unripe cluster in the process. Just pinch the stem between the thumb and
forefinger so that the berry is removed with the calyx and a short piece of the
stem intact. Place the berries in shallow containers where they won't be bruised
piled one on top of another and don't keep them in direct sunlight for more than
10 to 15 minutes.