Fresh-Picked Prague

Farmer’s markets are on the upswing and all the civilized world is eating fresh. And yet I still find myself grumbling about the monochromatic fruit selection every time I go to the supermarket. Strawberries, though, are in abundance in the Czech Republic and the sight of roadside stands, market tables, and produce aisles laden with the season’s berry bounty, heralds the arrival of the summer.

For Czechs, strawberry picking is to summer what mushrooming is to autumn. What we call “u-pick” in American English is samosběr in Czech, and if you’ve never gotten juice on your hands in the name of a good shortcake there’s no better time to pack up the family and go. The season typically begins in late May and lasts until the end of June or mid July. Like it’s done in America, all you need are buckets or bags which will be weighed upon entry—and sufficient stamina for all that bending and stretching beneath the heat of the summer sun.

Strawberries don’t sleep-in which means most strawberry fields open around 7am come rain or shine and close by 5 or 6pm. You’ll generally pay 30-40 CZK for 1 kg (2 lb) of fruit, though the farther outside of Prague you go, prices tend to come down a bit. (Some u-pick fields actually request a deposit to ensure against theft and/or rowdy behavior!) If you’re injured, indisposed, or just plain lazy you can pick up a kilo of freshly picked strawberries for about 60 CZK.

Here in Prague, Kunratice is synonymous with strawberries, thanks to the Jakoubek family. We spoke to Jiří Jakoubek, third in a long line of strawberry growers, and owner of Kunratické Jahody. “Our history goes way back,” says Jakoubek. “In 1964 my father Václav won a gold medal for his Senga Sengana strawberry, and a silver for his Senga Gigana at the World Gardening Exhibition in Vienna.” He adds, “We started our self-pick business in 1993 after the collapse of the agricultural cooperatives. Today we farm about 26 hectares (64 acres).”

Jakoubek recommends preserving—or eating—your self-harvested crop without delay. “Our strawberries are not grown for durability, but for taste. What you pick is fully mature and intended for immediate consumption or processing. ” Should you store them overnight in the refrigerator, he strongly recommends eating the strawberries the very next day. Jakoubek shares his family’s special recipe: “Layer some piškoty [those little coin-sized Czech biscuits that come in a bag] in a glass dish. Slice the strawberries in half and mix with sour cream and a sprinkle of vanilla sugar. Pour this mixture over the biscuits and repeat the layers. Chill overnight.”

Jakoubek also suggests cleaning, hulling, and mashing your strawberries and serving them in a parfait glass over ice cream or fresh whipped cream, or making a smoothie of mashed strawberries, sugar, buttermilk, or kefir. “It’s a wonderfully thick and delicious drink—obviously the more strawberries you put in the better.”