And if you're not interested in cooking at all, you can catch one of the many strawberry festivals in the area. Russo's farm supplies hundreds of pounds of berries to the First Presbyterian Church in Bordentown for its strawberry festival that takes place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. tomorrow. There, you can sample strawberry shortcake, strawberries with ice cream, and, of course, homemade strawberry jam.

Tips for Berry Picking:

Call the farm ahead of time to make sure there are still strawberries to be picked.

Dress in old clothes and sneakers that you don't mind getting stained or dirty. If you plan to spend a long time in the field, wear sunscreen or a wide-brimmed hat.

Berries shouldn't be piled too high, so bring a shallow container, such as a flat box, plastic tub or metal tray. (Most u-pick-'em farms have boxes you can buy.)

Follow the directions of the farmhands. At Russo's Farm, for instance, they assign you to a row where they know the berries are plentiful and you won't step on the plants.

Select berries that are plump, firm and fully red; strawberries do not ripen after being harvested.

Pinch the berries off by the stem, just above the berry's cap, and lay them gently in your container.

Keep berries cool while driving home, and refrigerate them if you want them to last a few days.

Where to Pick Your Own Strawberries

Here are some local farms that welcome pickers.

Pennsylvania

Hellerick's Family Farm
5500 Easton Rd.
Doylestown
215-766-8388
www.hellericksfarm.com

Highland Orchards
1000 Marshallton-Thorndale Rd.
West Chester
610-269-3494
www.highlandorchards.net

None Such Farm
4493 York Rd.
Buckingham
215-794-7742
www.nonesuchfarms.com

Linvilla Orchards
137 W. Knowlton Rd.
Media
610-876-7116
www.linvilla.com

New Jersey

Russo's Orchard Lane Farm

310 Extonville Rd.
Chesterfield
609-259-3684
www.russosorchardlanefarm.com