Red berry alert: The season for local strawberries is almost over. The last harvest for strawberries grown in the New York area is usually the beginning of July, but with this year's warmer weather, the season will likely be over in the next few weeks. So get out there and get picking.

The berry is part of the "Dirty Dozen" fruits and vegetables that have been labeled the most pesticide-residue intense by the Environmental Working Group. Carolyn Cope, who writes the food blog Umami Girl and is the Crisper Whisperer column for Serious Eats, recently spoke with WNYC's Amy Eddings about the world's most popular berry.

"Make sure you know what you're buying and who you're buying from," said Cope (pictured below). "They don't necessarily have to be certified organic to avoid all the pesticides. A lot of smaller farms that do great work can't afford to be certified organic. The most important thing you can do as a consumer is...to get to know the sources of produce as well as you can and ask all the questions that you want to ask."

Farmer Greg Donaldson, who grows conventional strawberries in New Jersey, also points out that the term "organic" is not a guarantee to healthy eating. "A lot of people when they hear the word organic, they think it means there's absolutely no pesticides sprayed on that crop, which is not true," he said. "There's a whole slew of chemicals that are certified to be used on organic production, and some of them are very deadly, like rotenone. [It's] used to kill insects, and we won't even use it on our farm because it kills all insects — the good ones, the bad ones. Anything in its way, it kills."

Once responsibly grown strawberries are located, there's also the problem of hanging on to the delicate, easily rotted fruit. Cope said to only wash strawberries just before eating. And if they start going soft too quickly — as truly ripe berries are apt to do — just cut out the marred spots, hull them, and cook them lightly over the stove with a few tablespoons of sugar. Take them off the stove once some juice starts cooking out, and then store them in an airtight container. The softened, slightly liquid result can be eaten over granola, ice cream, or as is. The berries also freeze well, just spread them out on a cookie sheet first so they don't stick together.

The best bet, of course, is to use them as soon as you get them. Below is Cope's recipe for sweet and savory strawberry bruschetta.

Sweet and Savory Strawberry Bruschetta
by Carolyn Cope
makes 16 hors d'oeuvres

• 1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 3 teaspoons mild-tasting honey, divided, plus more for drizzling
• 1/2 teaspoon minced mint leaves
• 4 ounces fresh goat cheese (chevre), at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more for finishing
• 1/2 baguette, cut on the bias into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper

1.  Preheat the broiler with a rack about 6 inches below the heat source. Place the strawberries, 1 teaspoon of the honey, and the mint leaves in a medium bowl and stir gently to combine. Let sit at room temperature while you prepare the rest of the components. Note: if your strawberries are not luxuriously ripe, you may need a bit more honey, so adjust according to your taste.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the goat cheese, remaining 2 teaspoons honey, lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

3. Brush the baguette slices lightly with the olive oil. Place under the broiler until the tops are golden brown at the edges, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the slices and brown the other side as well.

4. To assemble the bruschetta, turn the baguette slices so the olive oil side faces up. Spread some of the goat cheese mixture on each slice, and top with a few slices of strawberry. Arrange the hors d'oeuvres on a platter and drizzle a bit more honey over each piece. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve at once.