You’ve seen them. Those massive, plastic-clamshell-encased strawberries sitting under the fluorescent lights of the grocery store in the middle of a January snowstorm. They look perfect. They are bright red, uniform in size, and somehow look like they were 3D-printed. Then you get them home, take a bite, and it’s like chewing on a crunchy, watery sponge.
That’s because they aren't actually in season. Not really.
If you want to know when are strawberries in season, the answer is more complicated than a single date on a calendar. It depends on where you live, what the soil is doing, and whether you’re talking about a wild meadow or a commercial farm in Oxnard, California. Honestly, most of us have forgotten what a real strawberry tastes like—one that is ruby-red all the way to the core and smells like a perfume shop.
The short answer (that's actually a bit long)
Generally speaking, the peak of the strawberry season in the United States is April through June.
But that is a massive generalization.
If you are in Florida or Plant City (the winter strawberry capital), the season starts as early as December and peaks in March. If you’re up in Maine or Michigan, you might not see a local berry until late June or even July. It’s all about the "June-bearing" vs. "Ever-bearing" distinction, which most people ignore but is actually the secret to why some berries taste like candy and others taste like nothing.
Why geography dictates your berry window
Climate is everything. Strawberries are sensitive little things. They need chilly nights to set fruit but enough warmth to develop sugars.
- The Southern Belt: States like Florida and parts of Texas see their season kick off while the rest of the country is still shoveling snow. This is why "winter strawberries" exist. They are bred for durability because they have to survive a cross-country truck ride.
- California: This state is the powerhouse. They produce about 90% of the U.S. strawberry crop. Because California has such a diverse range of microclimates—from the cool coast of Watsonville to the warmer valleys—they can technically harvest almost year-round. But even then, the "best" ones are harvested in the spring.
- The Northeast and Midwest: This is the home of the true "June-bearer." It’s a short, frantic window. You have about three or four weeks to get your hands on them before they are gone. It’s high stakes.
The "Ever-bearing" vs. "June-bearing" Confusion
Most people think a strawberry is just a strawberry. Gardeners and commercial growers know better.
🔗 Read more: Marie Kondo The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: What Most People Get Wrong
June-bearing varieties produce one massive crop per year, usually over a 2–3 week period. Because the plant puts all its energy into one "flush" of fruit, these berries tend to be larger, juicier, and significantly sweeter. These are the ones you find at U-pick farms. They are the gold standard.
Ever-bearing and Day-neutral varieties are the workhorses of the industry. They produce fruit throughout the summer and into the fall. While it's great to have berries in September, these varieties often sacrifice a bit of that intense flavor for the sake of longevity. If you’re asking when are strawberries in season because you want to make jam, you want the June-bearers. Always.
What Dr. Marvin Pritts says about the "flavor gap"
Dr. Marvin Pritts, a berry specialist at Cornell University, has spent a lot of time looking at why local berries taste better. It’s not just "local pride." When strawberries are bred for the grocery store (out-of-season berries), they are selected for "shelf-life" and "firmness."
A berry that has to travel 2,000 miles from a farm in Mexico to a grocery store in Chicago needs to be tough. It has to have a thick cell wall so it doesn't turn into mush in the truck. Unfortunately, those thick cell walls are exactly what make the berry taste "crunchy" and bland.
Local, in-season berries are picked at peak ripeness. Strawberries do not ripen after they are picked. Not even a little bit. They might get softer and darker, but the sugar content is locked in the moment they leave the vine. If they are picked green to survive shipping, they stay sour.
How to tell if they are actually in season
Don't trust the sign in the store. Trust your senses.
First, smell them. If you can't smell the strawberries from two feet away, they aren't ready. A ripe strawberry emits a powerful aromatic compound called furaneol. No smell? No sugar.
💡 You might also like: Why Transparent Plus Size Models Are Changing How We Actually Shop
Second, look at the "shoulders." That's the area right around the green leafy cap (the calyx). If the shoulders are white or green, the berry was picked too early. A truly in-season berry will be red all the way to the top.
Third, look at the size. Bigger is almost never better. Huge strawberries often have a hollow center—a condition called "pithy" fruit. Small, dense berries are usually flavor bombs.
The impact of the "Strawberry Moon"
The term "Strawberry Moon" isn't just a bit of folklore. Native American tribes, specifically the Algonquin, used the full moon in June as a signal that it was time to gather wild strawberries. This timing remains remarkably accurate today for the Northern United States.
Wild strawberries are a different beast entirely. They are tiny—barely the size of a fingernail—but the flavor is ten times more concentrated than anything you'll find in a store. If you find these in the woods in June, you've hit the jackpot.
Common misconceptions about strawberry seasons
One of the biggest lies we believe is that organic always means "in season." It doesn't. You can buy organic strawberries in November, but they were likely grown in a greenhouse or shipped from a different hemisphere (like Chile or Peru). While they might be free of pesticides, they still suffer from the "shipping-over-flavor" problem.
Another myth? That you should wash them as soon as you get them home.
Never do this.
📖 Related: Weather Forecast Calumet MI: What Most People Get Wrong About Keweenaw Winters
Strawberries are like little sponges. If you wash them and put them in the fridge, the moisture sits in the pores and triggers mold growth within 24 hours. Keep them dry. Keep them cold. Wash them only seconds before they go into your mouth.
The Global Perspective: It's always season somewhere
If it's December in New York, it's summer in the Southern Hemisphere. This is why we have global supply chains. However, there is an environmental cost to eating berries out of season. The carbon footprint of flying a tray of berries from South America to London or New York is massive.
Plus, there's the price. You’ll pay double or triple for "out-of-season" berries that taste half as good. It’s basically a bad investment.
Making the most of the peak window
When you finally hit that magical June window where the berries are overflowing at the farmer's market, you have to move fast.
- Freeze them: Hull them (take the green tops off), lay them flat on a cookie sheet, and freeze them until hard. Then toss them in a bag. This prevents them from turning into one giant strawberry brick.
- Macerate: If you have berries that are almost there but not quite sweet enough, slice them up and sprinkle a tiny bit of sugar on them. Let them sit for 30 minutes. The sugar draws out the juice and creates a natural syrup.
- The Balsamic Trick: It sounds weird, but a tiny drop of high-quality balsamic vinegar and a crack of black pepper on fresh strawberries brings out a hidden depth of flavor that sugar can't touch.
Finding a "U-Pick" farm near you
The best way to answer "when are strawberries in season" for your specific zip code is to check a site like PickYourOwn.org. They track harvest dates by county.
Going to a U-pick farm is basically a workout and a grocery trip combined. It’s also the only way to ensure you are getting berries that haven't been sitting in a refrigerated truck for a week. Pro tip: go early in the morning before the sun gets too hot. Warm berries bruise much easier than cool ones.
Summary of the "Best Time" by Region
| Region | Peak Season Months |
|---|---|
| Florida / Deep South | February – April |
| California (Central Coast) | April – June (though year-round is possible) |
| Mid-Atlantic / South | May – June |
| Northeast / Midwest | June – early July |
| Pacific Northwest | June – July |
Actionable Next Steps
To get the most out of strawberry season, stop buying them at the supermarket for a month. Wait. Let the craving build.
- Locate your nearest grower: Use a local agricultural extension website to find out the exact week berries usually "pop" in your area.
- Clear out your freezer: You're going to want to buy in bulk (flats) when the price drops in peak season.
- Invest in glass storage: Strawberries last significantly longer in a sealed glass jar in the fridge than they do in that plastic vented container.
- Check the weather: If there has been a week of heavy rain, wait a few days to pick or buy. Rain makes strawberries watery and bland as they soak up the excess moisture.
Waiting for the true season is a test of patience. But the first time you bite into a sun-warmed berry that actually tastes like a strawberry, you'll realize the grocery store version is just a pale imitation. Get your containers ready; the window is shorter than you think.