Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - With Puerto Vallarta's favourite weekend attraction in full swing once again, we are delighted to fill our bags with "make it, bake it, grow it" goodies. So what's at the top of our shopping list this week? Sweet, juicy, just-picked strawberries and blackberries from Frutas Frescas!

Meet Frutas Frescas

Pedro and Maria de Lourdes Hipólito and their son, Edgar, of Frutas Frescas bring their very best strawberry and blackberry selections to the market. They have several decades of berry-growing experience from working a family-owned farm in Michoacán.

Their growing practices always produce firm, plump and deeply coloured batches to give berry lovers like you maximum flavour and health benefits.

Berry-licious Superfoods

Known as "the queen of fruits," strawberries are considered to be superfoods for their high antioxidant, vitamin and mineral properties. Eating strawberries on a regular basis lowers one's blood pressure, boosts short-term memory, eases inflammation and promotes bone and eye health. Strawberries also slow the aging process and help to burn stored fat. The Ancient Romans even used them to relieve symptoms caused by fever, gout, halitosis and blood and liver diseases.

Strawberries also come with a romantic history. They've long been a symbol for Venus, the Goddess of Love, and were used as aphrodisiacs in France in the 1200s and 1300s. Madame Tallien, of Emperor Napoleon's court, was known for bathing in the juice of 22 pounds of strawberries. Today, these berry delicacies make the perfect on-the-go snack, smoothie must-haves and salad or dessert toppers.

Like strawberries, blackberries are superfoods in their own rite. The Ancient Greeks and Romans tapped into their high vitamin, mineral and antioxidant properties to lower the risk of heart and periodontal disease as well as prevent aging and weight gain. Today, we love blackberries because they make the perfect addition to cobblers and ice cream sundaes!

Stop by the market this Saturday to pick up your next batch of Frutas Frescas strawberries and blackberries. And to connect directly with Frutas Frescas, send them an email or call 322-194-1847.

Meet the OTFM-TC

We're a fun-filled North American style market that celebrates the tradition and culture of Mexico's outdoor tianguis markets. Every season, over 100,000 national and international shoppers stop by to pick up fine "make it, bake it, grow it" products. All of our vendors are registered, tax paying business owners who live full-time within 75 kilometers of Puerto Vallarta. The market itself is a registered non-profit/association civil organization, focusing on the "buy local" movement as well as entrepreneurial and community development.

Join us this Saturday at Lazaro Cárdenas Park for live music, tasty edibles, artisan products, and of course, fresh berries!

Located in Lazaro Cárdenas Park, kitty-corner to Daiquiri Dick's on Olas Atlas, the Old Town Farmers' Market-Tianguis Cultural is open every Saturday from 9:30 am to 2 pm from November 1 to April 25. For only $10 pesos an hour, you can park in the garage directly beneath the plaza. Or you can take a taxi or public bus, which stops along Pino Suarez Street, just steps from the Market. For market updates, visit OldTownFM.com, and "like" us on Facebook.

Click HERE to learn more about the Puerto Vallarta Old Town Farmers' Market.