Strawberry Fields Forever

I fully intended to post the last FAQ  for awhile, but that plan just sort of slipped away after I caught wind that the strawberry fields were open and berries were ripe for picking.   After hearing that, it didn't take long before the girls and I had jumped in the car and were heading south on the old highway with our large containers and straw hats in hand.  Between the three of us, we picked almost 8 pounds of berries in just under thirty minutes.  At a cost of about $5.  (Now I ask you, how much fun can you have for $5?)

My blog pal, Mrs. Staggs, was discussing how smells can transport us to another place and time and how she wished she could share the scent of her roses with her readers, and I have to say, I wish I could share the taste of these strawberries with mine.  I'm terribly sorry if the sight of these are making you drool into your keyboards.  If I could figure out how to create a virtual food to share via the blog, this would surely be it.  There's just nothing like the explosion of flavor from a strawberry (or anything else grown organically for that matter), that's picked fresh from the field.  I know this.  But for some reason it always surprises me and I have to exclaim it all over again.

It was nearly two years ago that I started keeping this blog, and I just realized that my very first blog post was about the process of making strawberry jam.  And making jam is what I intend to do again, just as soon as we finish gorging ourselves on these.   (There are usually several trips back to the farm to gather more berries, before we actually reach the jam making stage however.)  And as it turns out, the exceptional warm weather we're currently having will soon turn to June gloom by next week, with the possibility of rain, which will make boiling things so much more tolerable.  So the timing will be perfect.  I need to find and gather up all my empty jelly jars now and get them ready beforehand.  Buy new seals and cute labels.

But Ginger just reminded me, that first we need to make strawberry milkshakes, strawberry ice cream, strawberry gelato, strawberry sorbet, strawberry shortcake with whipped cream and strawberries dipped in chocolate.  Oh My.  All that?  Apparently, we must.  So I guess I'd better trot back to the kitchen and deal with these very important matters. 

Before I do that though, I have a book give-away.  Just finished reading this lovely story and would love to pass it on (within U. S. only) , so if you're interested, leave a comment and I'll choose someone at random to send it to. 

Updated 6/4 to add:  Comments are closed, thanks everyone, a winner will be announced soon!

Comments

[Linda]

Sounds good to me!! We love strawberries. I live in California where the pickins' are good!!

[melissa]

I can't even remember what a real strawberry must taste like!

[rohanknitter]

We picked our first strawberries out of the garden today!! Yummy! They are pretty small but very tasty.
Would love the book.

[Arlene McComas]

I have enjoyed your blog. I will be sad for you to move to other things, but understand. I have especially enjoyed your 'blanket' statement, hearing about your sweet daughters, and chuckling at your deer visitors. I hope you will miss us and decide to come back to blogging very soon. Enjoy your blog fee summer....Arlene

[VAL]

YOUR PICTURES AND COMMENTS ALWAYS MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I AM RIGHT THERE..I CAN SMELL THOSE STRAWBERRIES TOO. YOU WILL BE SOOOOO MISSED..VAL

[Angela]

Those strawberries look delicious -- wish we had a farm around these parts.

Have a great "summer off" and see you again in the fall!

[sweetroses&vintagechiq]

Hi there! First... those strawberries look soooooooooooo good!
I've been reading your blog for a couple of weeks now (read the entire thing in a day! Just couldn't leave the house until I was finished!) and you are a true inspiration to me.. (you got me sewing again) and I want to thank you for that. I will miss your post en inspiration but hope to 'see' you at the end of summer!
Hope you have a great summer!

[Wendy]

Those strawberries look so yummy.
Have a wonderful summer.

[Kathie Hill]

Vicki,
Your strawberry jam recipe was what got me to get out and buy all the equipment needed to do the jam. Unfortunatly they have still been sitting around unused but I can truly hope this will be the summer of fruit and vegetables. I want to do something for my daughter that I did for my children when they were young.

I dehydrated all kinds of vegetables that would dry completly. Then they went into the blender to be pulverized and blended. They were then stored in a jar and sprinkled on salads, soups, stews, you name it. They didn't have to much of a taste but it packed a wallop of vitamins especially for my picky eating son.

So my daughter would like me to make this concoction up so she can use it for her daughter and very picky eating boyfriend!

It's so nice to be sneaky when you are doing it for the good health of your loved ones! ;)

ps. I love reading and would love to be entered into your drawing for the book.

Have a wonderful and blessed summer, Kathie

[Rachel]

My husband planted strawberry plants for me last year. If we get any berries it will only be a taste here and there. Our local strawberry festival is next weekend and I am so looking forward to it.
I would also like a chance in your drawing

[Carol]

My mouth is watering all over my keyboard. Enjoy your summer!

[Michele]

We get the best strawberries at our Farmer's Market here in NYC. This weekend, strawberry/rhubarb pie.
I'll throw my hat in the ring for the book drawing, too.

[Lisa]

Here's my comment!
So happy it's strawberry season. My June baby is turning 23 this month, and now it's her turn to make jam in her own kitchen! With my help, of course.

[Mama Urchin]

We just can't get that quantity of strawberries around here that cheap. I'll be making jam this week too.

[Georgeanne]

What a great price for strawberries - they look delicious! I've planted some in the garden this year - I wonder if they will ever produce such beautiful berries?

[Quilting Fitzy]

Strawberries, ah yes, that alone transports me back to another era.

We're all going to have withdrawl while you're away. Throw us a kernal or two if you can!

Add me to the contest please!

[Alicia H.]

Oooh...those look like the berries we grew in our garden when I was a kid. Nothing in the world tastes better.

[P-la]

My uncle used to make the best strawberry jam! I think it's a lost art and I love to read that you are going to make some! I purchased some yarn that is called strawberry fields, I think it's going to be a must knit this summer for me.

I just saw that book yesterday and almost picked it up. I would love it for my summer vacation next month!

[Julie]

I haven't gone berry picking in years! Maybe it's time to go out and do it again. Thanks for the reminder!

And I've heard a couple of people mention that book was on their reading list. I'd love it if you threw my name in the hat!

[Amy Witt]

Hello

I am a recently new reader to your blog, my mother shared it with me a little while back. I have so enjoyed many of your posts. And todays has made me wish I was somewhere close to a berry farm. We lived near Dayton Tn for a couple of years and there was a lovely berry and well other fruits farm there. I also grew up in Ca, and there were so many good places to get strawberries. Not as much here in Ks though. Thank you for the delicious post!!

[Siri]

You're making my mouth water something terrible! The U-pick here won't be ready for about another month BUT I will be in Seattle next week and will probably be able to go to one with my mom. She goes every year and I remember going with her when I was little.
As for the book, it's on my list of ones to look for next time I'm in a bookstore.
My strongest memories of visits to Norway when I was a little girl are, besides seeing family, of picking berries: wild strawberries, blueberries, cloudberries. On a trip there when I was nine, we picked wild strawberries the day before returning home with the intention of bringing a bag full of them back with us on the plane but we forgot them in my grandmother's fridge. I regret that to this day and can almost taste them still.

[Pieces]

Those strawberries look so luscious! Did I spell that right? Does it matter? I'm under the spell of strawberry-lust!

[Nada Jones]

i love berry season too.... can't wait fr the blackberries!

I'd like to enter the contest please

[Jenn]

we are going strawberry picking next week and I can't wait. I love strawberry jam. and I have a gigantic rubarb in my garden.
I also wanted to leave a comment to tell you that my mom used your magic formula and it has worked very, very well for her as well. she grows heirloom roses so she was very happy to find a way to keep them from being nibbled away.

[pam]

You make everything so lovely, even if I didn't already love strawberries I would be wanting some.