Thursday, June 25, 2015

Food talk--strawberries

One of the great things about this time of year is getting fresh produce from local gardens (or out of the backyard). And we had another one of those treats a few days ago. Aunt Martha and Uncle Billy invited me over to pick the last of the berries from their strawberry patch. So early one morning before the thermometer climbed into the 90's, I went. Aunt Martha and I picked a quart or so of the remaining strawberries not counting the ones we ate or fed to the dog while picking. They were delicious--sweet, juicy, and gently warmed by the sun. I usually think of eating strawberries cold, but the ones off the vine that morning were perfect. We have now finished the strawberries and I'm a little sad. But the blueberries will be here soon enough.

Aunt Martha was already picking when I got there. Dog was eagerly awaiting anything that might be tossed outside the fence for him. BTW, after a few years, the fence is still keeping the deer out even though they could jump over it if they wanted.


The end-of-the-season strawberries were small, but sweeter than ever.



Even though there weren't that many, my fingers are still stained from cleaning these.



Besides eating them by the handful, we enjoyed the strawberries on our cereal every morning.



12 comments:

  1. You have made me so hungry for strawberries. I have only had about four strawberries so far this year while the berries I left behind have produced so many they fed the entire apartment complex.

    I'm amazed that short of a fence has kept the deer out of Aunt Martha and Uncle Billy's garden!

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    1. Apparently, deer won't jump into a small area where they think they can be easily trapped and I guess that the size of this garden qualifies as that for them.

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  2. I missed strawberry and blueberry season here, but now it's blackberry and peach time and I am ready!

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    1. Do you have wild blackberries or cultivated ones? As with most things, I think the wild ones have a better taste. However, I am happy to eat either.

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    2. There are wild blackberries all over the place around me, but most of the places are areas I had rather not step in, so I will just get cultivated ones. The wild areas are just thick bramble filled areas at the edges of the woods and fields on the way to the lake. I seem to always be in flip flops and I am not about to step in there with open toes.

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    3. When we were kids and used to go blackberry picking with my father, my mother made us were long sleeves and pants to protect us from the thorns and heavy shoes in case there were snakes. It was really hot, but it was worth it to have blackberry cobbler.

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  3. So that's Uncle Billy's garden! A nice set-up with the fencing.

    I love fresh berries for breakfast. Right now we have a mix of the tail end of strawberries with the beginning of blueberries and raspberries.

    Do you ever make strawberry jam?

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    1. I occasionally make strawberry jam--usually freezer jam. I think freezer jam tastes so fresh although just like regular jam occasionally, it turns out runny. Then I say I've made ice cream sauce.

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    2. I think freezer jam is just 1 step below eating fresh fruit. I love it, especially peach freezer jam. When the peach freezer jam is runny it turns into peach cobbler here!

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    3. That's a good way to describe freezer jam--just one step below fresh fruit.

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  4. I love the local strawberries and I think I will go get some today. Yum. The strawberry picking photo with dog watch looked so pleasant and peaceful!

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    1. It was very pleasant and peaceful. However, when we finished, it was getting really hot and buggy.

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What do you think?