Where to find sweet Washington strawberries

Washington's sweet but fleeting strawberry season is here.

Why it matters: The strawberries you can find right now at farmers markets and u-picks within an hour of Seattle are much sweeter, richer and redder than the more common cultivars grown in Mexico and California, Dianna Biringer of Biringer Farm in Snohomish County told Axios.

• Once you try them, it's hard to go back to the plastic packs available year-round in grocery stores, she said.

Driving the news: Pacific Northwest strawberries have only a two- to four-week season, usually in June, according to Washington State University's Puyallup Research and Extension Center.

• But only around 5% are sold as fresh berries, said Wendy Hoashi-Erhardt, who directs the small fruit breeding program at WSU's Puyallup extension.
• The other 95% are processed or frozen and exported to be incorporated into ice cream, yogurt, jam, smoothie mixes, snack bars and frozen whole-berry mixes, Hoashi-Erhardt told WSU Magazine .

The big picture: Most strawberry cultivars grown locally (including Hood, Tillamook, Sequoia and Puget Reliance) are prized for their rich flavor and deep red color, but they are highly perishable⁠ and too fragile to ship, said Dianna's husband Mike Biringer, whose family farm has been growing berries since 1948.

What they're saying: "We had people this weekend who couldn't stop eating them," she said Monday. "People are always surprised how sweet they are and how they're red all the way through."

Go deeper: Our climate's warm days and cool nights mean there's a higher sugar content in our strawberries than in those grown in California, Jayson Hoffman , chairman of the Oregon Strawberry Commission, told Axios Portland .

Catch up quick: Strawberries were once the leading berry crop in Washington state, with an estimated yield of 1 million bushels (or about 8 million pounds) in 1912, according to HistoryLink , with Japanese farmers taking the lead in berry production by the early 20th century.

• But by the 1970s, California began to be the dominant player and today produces more than 90% of the U.S.'s strawberries, according to the Cal Poly Strawberry Center .
• Washington is still producing about 8 million pounds of strawberries a year, Hoashi-Erhardt told the Spokesman-Review , but now that is just 1% of the total U.S. yield.

What's next: Crop breeders are working to develop new varieties that have longer shelf lives and longer growing seasons .

In the meantime: You can try your hand at growing your own berries or take a day trip to one of the many u-pick farms in Skagit, Snohomish and Pierce, as well as South King and the Eastside.

• Pro tips: Bring cash, carry your own containers and don't wear white .

The bottom line: If you happen upon locally grown strawberries at farm stands or farmers market, snatch them up and enjoy.