Tag Archives: farm

Picking Strawberries 딸기

There’s nothing quite as sweet and springlike as eating freshly picked strawberries right off the vine. Somehow last year I missed out on strawberry picking season. So I did my research and made sure to know when the strawberry season would occur for the new year. It just so happens that April is peak strawberry season here in Korea.

Back in the states, I absolutely loved to go strawberry picking. I mean what’s not to love about eating your own body weight in berry goodness? Plus, I cannot think of anything more peaceful than wandering down rows of bright berry beds and carefully selecting the perfect gem to come home with me.

Today I roped my two counterparts into checking out a local berry farm. I wasn’t sure of the actual address, the hours, or if it even really existed. All I had was a hunch and a belly growling for berries, so off we went.

We were able to easily find the place, but when we pulled up and did some investigating the place looked sort of empty. Unsure, I walked around the backside of the building and took a look. Peaking into the greenhouses from the road I could see long lush rows of strawberry plants. Okay, perfect! This was the place! Hmmm….but where were the people? It was noon-ish, on a Saturday. I called the number on the sign posted out front. A sweet Korean man who barely spoke English answered. Between my limited Korean and his English, he arrived 3 minutes later!

For 10,000W, think $10.00 USD, the farmer handed us three plastic containers for our strawberries, led us into the greenhouse and proceeded to show us how to pick and enjoy the berries. He proudly emphasized eating the berries as we picked. Of course we could absolutely get on board with that!

The strawberry picking experience was slightly different from in the states for me. In Korea the strawberry plants are lifted off the ground on these 4FT planters, making the entire picking experience much more enjoyable!

As we picked down through the greenhouse we came upon a bee hive. Strawberry flowers need to be pollinated, without pollination berries usually result in misshapen fruit. I learned that a recommended bee hive size for greenhouse strawberry is one with 6,000 to 8,000 bees per 11,000 sq feet per small hive. Buzz, Buzz……

Backpackbees

Directions:

Located in Yangju off of highway Three. Coming from Dongducheon, turn left when at Yanju City Hall. The greenhouse is Located right on your left, after you make your left turn.

010-7666-9720
10,000 W per container, all you can eat

What’s in the Box

Today I skipped down to the gate guard to pick up our last package, before we decide to renew again or not. Part of me was really sad that this was the end of our first run that we tried with the CSA. Okay, maybe all of me was sad…that being said, we’ve got to renew!

The CSA box contents changed and restructured a bit from the past boxes we’ve received. We knew it was coming, WWOOF made sure they let all box recipients last week know, as well as it being emailed and posted on social outlets. Now instead of getting breads and snacks in your box, WWOOF is focusing more on the emphasis of the produce. More green for your green! If you still want to get the breads and snacks, they are add on items. In addition to that there are also going to be more add-on items in the future as well. Talk of organic meats, jams, etc. How awesome is that?

This week we got our standard delicious strawberries, eggs (two unfortunate little guys didn’t make it and were cracked and oozing on the others), potatoes, sweet potatoes, a carrot, spinach, mallow, assorted salad vegetables, perilla leaves, and an onion. Then there was the show stopper, its last but certainly not least and is a new item, bean sprouts!

Let’s talk about the bean sprouts shall we? Bean Sprouts are a powerhouse of nutrients! You get vitamins B, C, B1, B6, K and A all from that teeny little bean sprout. Plus, sprouts are a wonderful source of iron, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, and manganese, and omega 3 fatty acids. Whew! See, powerhouse! Low on energy? Forget that power bar or shake, reach for some sprouts! The sprouts help by giving our bodies a great source of enzymes that increase our overall energy.

I’m not even close to being done with the topic of these bean sprouts. Did you know that these sprouts help prevent cancer, heart attack or stroke, osteoporosis, boost fertility, are great for skin, help aid in losing weight and acne and prevent menstrual disorders and menopause.

Before coming to South Korea, I cannot say that we honestly ever ate bean sprouts. Now that Korean culture and eating habits have rocked our world, we couldn’t imagine a future without them. Almost any Korean restaurant serves bean sprouts often in a sauce or accompanying meat. They are a perfect side addition to a meal, on a salad, or even in soup.

What are you waiting for? Go out and grab some organic bean sprouts NOW!

Backpackbees

An Apple a Day

So I guess we have more than enough apples to enjoy for a few days… or so…

I didn’t get to fulfill my hopes of apple picking in Korea this year. I couldn’t track down a farm that would allow you to pick yourself. I guess I can add that to my list of things that I do miss from home.

Don’t worry! We did fulfill the apple void by ordering a 15 kilo (roughly 33lbs) box of freshly picked apples from a farm South of us. These apples are delicious! My stomach is envisioning many nights of apple slices dunked in caramel and topped with whipped cream, totally healthy, hey! You’ve got to live a little.

Speaking of apples and things that I miss, almost every fall my family makes applesauce and cans it for the winter. The sauce is heavenly. Just the perfect amount of sweetness. If I were home right this second id be begging to make it with them. Hopefully there is at least one jar left when we go home for a visit to savor.

How do you enjoy your apples? Plain? sauced? baked? Feel free to let me in on a few recipes too! Goodness, you see our refrigerator, I think we can spare a few and try out a new thing or two.

The nerd in me had to share these fun facts that I received in an e-mail as I was writing this blog. Perfect timing!

  • The crabapple is the only apple native to North America.
  • Apples come in all shades of reds, greens, and yellows.
  • Two pounds of apples make one 9-inch pie.
  • 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States.
  • 7,500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world.
  • Apples are grown in all 50 states.
  • Apples are fat, sodium, and cholesterol free.
  • Apples are a great source of the fiber pectin. One apple has five grams of fiber.
  • The science of apple growing is called pomology.
  • Apple trees take four to five years to produce their first fruit.
  • Most apples are still picked by hand in the fall.
  • Apple varieties range in size from a little larger than a cherry to as large as a grapefruit.
  • Apples are a member of the rose family.
  • Apples harvested from an average tree can fill 20 boxes that weigh 42 pounds each.
  • The largest apple picked weighed three pounds.
  • Most apples can be grown farther north than most other fruits, because they blossom late in spring, minimizing frost damage.
  • Apples have five seed pockets or carpels. Each pocket contains seeds. The number of seeds per carpel is determined by the vigor and health of the plant. Different varieties of apples will have different number of seeds.
  • Apples ripen six to ten times faster at room temperature than if they were refrigerated. 
Source: http://urbanext.illinois.edu/apples/facts.cfm
Humph, who would’ve thought.