Soon to be...Strawberries!
@OpinionatedLady (5966)
United States
April 6, 2011 4:39pm CST
Oh I was reading in the paper and there was an add for people to sit in the local field to sell strawberries to the people who come to pick them this spring. This excited me. I love to take the kids picking each spring and make jams, jellies and short cakes. I didn't pick too many last year as I was so pregnant and not up to crawling around a field on my hands and knees. Sadly due to the weather the berries weren't all that great either and it was said on the news reports that it was one of the worst years ever for our local growers. I am very much hoping that this year is different and there are bunches of juicy sweet berries to pick eat and cook!
3 people like this
11 responses
@OpinionatedLady (5966)
• United States
7 Apr 11
bugs and pollen yes crazy people I would imagine would matter on where you are..lol I am the type who is outside as often as possible.
2 people like this
@ajk111 (2495)
•
6 Apr 11
This brings memories back when i was 7 years old and we would go out and pick brambles. i have 2 bros and 2 sis (me being the youngest) so there would be 8 of us picking fruit! lol!
then mum and gran would make bramble jam and we would sell it to make ends meet.
Ahh!! the good old days! lol!
1 person likes this
@OpinionatedLady (5966)
• United States
7 Apr 11
What may I ask is a bramble? I have actually thought about making jelly to sell at my craft shows, just not sure about the laws here on that type of stuff. We used to pick as kids, strawberries and black berries I love making those memories with my kids.
2 people like this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
7 Apr 11
I was hoping u would get an answer on this. I don't know what brambles are either.
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
6 Apr 11
I LOVE FRESH STRAWBERRIES!! tHEY USUALLY GET RIPE here in may. I use to make freezer jam every year but i ended up giving most of it away & decided as expensive as they have gotten i'd quit doing that. I do miss having it tho.
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
7 Apr 11
I like blueberries to but they don't like me for some reason. There are not grown around here much like straberries are.Hope u get to get a bunch of both.
@OpinionatedLady (5966)
• United States
7 Apr 11
I do give it away but I usually do so as hostess gifts and what not. The season starts here in late May early June and the blueberries right after, my other favorite.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (159572)
• Boise, Idaho
8 Apr 11
I planted my own strawberries afew years back and this one type I planted had such a turn over. I kept getting more and more. It was great. THe type was called Larmie. I will certainly get them again. I am really looking forward to some short cake and a shake or two. SMoothie type thing. Gotta love those.
@OpinionatedLady (5966)
• United States
10 Apr 11
I have planted them in the past but I never did real good with them. I think because we are down in a valley and we do not get as much sun light as other places. The sun hits the mountains on either side and we are in shadow more often then many other places. It is always a little cooler down here too, nice in the summer but I think my spring plants suffer for it.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (159572)
• Boise, Idaho
10 Apr 11
I live in a valley also. Strawberries are surprisingly picky.
@Masihi (4413)
• Canada
7 Apr 11
Oooooooomigosh, I just ***LOVE*** strawberries!!! I am hoping that we and the family can pick 4 crates this year, as we go through a LOT of strawberries, especially for jams! :-) Plus I'd like to make some strawberry pies, too! mmmmmmmm! I'm also going to make jumbleberry jam, that's strawberry, cherry, blueberry, and raspberry.
If we get our own house with a back yard I'd be planting a huge strawberry patch for sure.
@ClassyCat (1214)
• United States
7 Apr 11
Hi everyone - I too love home grown strawberries. Anthing home grown tastes so much better!
Another good thing is the great varieties of 'smoothies' one can make with these wonderful fruits.
Just wash and clean and throw them in the freezer for a bit - then put them in the blender with some ice chips and whatever you enjoy in your smoothie for the liquid, and enjoy. 
@HelloMickey (1655)
• Hong Kong
7 Apr 11
I also think about a shortcake when I saw this topics. Love strawberries so much that I decorate my room with so many strawberries, it is definitely a strawberry room!!! ^^
@OpinionatedLady (5966)
• United States
7 Apr 11
Yes I just hope it doesn't affect the crops this year.
1 person likes this
@finlander60 (1804)
• United States
7 Apr 11
I like strawberries. When we were a lot younger than we are now my sisters and I would pick wild strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries and apples. I really preferred the raspberries, but all of them were good.
@carolscash (9492)
• United States
19 Apr 11
It will be nice if the berries are in good shape this summer. I enjoy fresh strawberries as well. I hope that you and your kids have fun picking and cooking them!
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
7 Apr 11
hi opinionatedlady boy this takes me back years to childhood on a So uth Dakota farm. we had a huge strawberry patch and I spent early summer morning picking strawberries then afternoons I helped weigh and sell them to townspeople.we learned not to let people pick their own as we lost so much money in trampled plants and ruined berries. we sold them dirt cheap as at that time in the thirties people had little money and we wanted to share with the town people who loved to get fresh fruit and veggies too.Here in California we have some huge lush berries as this is the wettest winter we h ave had in decades so all the produce is really
great now.
@OpinionatedLady (5966)
• United States
8 Apr 11
My husband's Grandfather tells our kids stories about going out and picking in the local farms and then going house to house to sell them to those who couldn't get out to pick their own. That too was the thirties. People today would be so suspicious if they did that now..very sad.
@misplacedbrit (69)
• Canada
15 Apr 11
I was able to buy a quart of strawberries for $1.85 a couple of weeks ago, so I decided to have a go at making my very own strawberry jam for the first time. While I learned that I need bigger pots, and more jars, I was amazed at the difference in taste between my homemade jam, and the jam in the stores. Never again will I buy Jam from the stores.
Strawberries are one of my favourite fruits, so being able to use them in such a way has me excited. I can't wait to try making Jam with other fruits!
@OpinionatedLady (5966)
• United States
18 Apr 11
I am with you. I love home made much better then the store stuff. I love to play with the recipes and am always trying new combinations.
