I always connect wild strawberries with the fourth of July, so when I paid a visit to my neighborhood wild strawberry patch this afternoon, I thought it was just to gauge how much longer it would be before they ripened. It’s a good thing I decided to do that, because ripening was definitely underway there, and I ended up coming home with a sizable handful of the delectable fruit.

A few years ago, my brother and I spent an afternoon picking wild strawberries for strawberry shortcake.

It was delicious! But it’s not something I’d do every day. Picking enough of the tiny berries requires an unscheduled afternoon, a companion to help you, and a good deal of patience. However, if you can manage all that, you’ll surely find that it’s worth the effort.

The handful of berries I picked today will probably go into tomorrow’s breakfast cereal. Unless we eat them all up before then.