Picking fruit yourself is an easy way to spend a few hours outside and take home something you can actually use afterwards. Strawberry fields, orchards and berry farms increasingly open during harvest periods, allowing visitors to pick directly from the plants.

What is available depends entirely on the season. Strawberries usually appear first, followed by cherries, raspberries, blueberries and other summer fruits. Later in the year, apples, pears and sometimes grapes become the reason for a trip to the countryside.

You-pick farms work differently from a normal farm shop. Visitors are usually given a container or bring their own, walk through designated growing areas and pay according to the amount collected. Some farms also combine picking with a shop selling vegetables, preserves, juice and other produce grown locally.

It can be particularly enjoyable with children because there is something practical to do rather than simply going for a walk. They can see how fruit grows, choose what to pick and take part in collecting food that will be eaten later at home.

Picking at the farm also makes seasonality much more visible. Strawberries are not available all year and cherries may only have a relatively short harvest. A farm visit depends on what is ripe rather than what happens to be available in a supermarket.

It is worth bringing suitable shoes, particularly after rain, as fields and orchards can quickly become muddy. A hat, water and a container that protects softer fruit are useful on warmer days.

Once home, freshly picked fruit does not need an elaborate recipe. It can be eaten as it is, added to breakfast, served with yoghurt or used for a simple dessert. Larger quantities can be turned into jam, compote or frozen for later.

For travellers, local picking farms can also provide a different way to experience the countryside around a destination. Instead of only visiting villages and viewpoints, a morning at an orchard or fruit farm introduces another part of the landscape and how it is used.

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