By Sandy Holthaus
Two years ago, I decided that our local farmers market had a far better product than I could grow in my garden boxes. The farmers were experts, and I was just winging it. By the time I bought all the seeds and plants, weeded and watered, I had spent more time and money than a trip to the Saturday farmers market AND the market was more social. I am very excited after these months of isolation to see all the people I have missed.
I planted my beds with strawberries and I am now celebrating that decision. These berries are beautiful, sweet, and delicious. I don’t bother with bringing them into the house. I eat handfuls in the garden. I share a few with the mama wren that has a nest nearby. My garden is in raised beds that we built as a family several years ago. They are easy to weed and keep most of the critters away. Sometimes, the deer think it is a salad buffet just for them, but they leave the strawberry plants alone.
I remember taking a plastic bowl into the woods to look for wild strawberries on Cramer Road. Not many of these found berries made it back to the house but those that did were put on a bowl of vanilla ice cream. I also used them as lipstick when I painted my mouth with strawberry juice.
Never have I ever picked strawberries at a farm, but I think that might be a fun idea this summer. Then I could make these three easy recipes and enjoy strawberries all year ’round. Peace and hugs and strawberry kisses to you.
Sandy
“Strawberries that in gardens grow
Are plump and juicy fine,
But sweeter far as wise men know
Spring from the woodland vine.
No need for a bowl or silver spoon,
Sugar or spice or cream,
Has the wild berry plucked in June
Beside the trickling stream.
One such to melt at the tongue’s root,
Confounding taste with scent,
Beats a full peck of garden fruit:
Which points my argument.”
– Robert Graves
Sweet Strawberry Jam
2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled
4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in batches until you have 4 cups of mashed berries. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, mix the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees. Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace, and seal. Process in a water bath. If the jam is going to be eaten right away, don’t bother with processing, and just refrigerate.
Place a plate in a freezer … after about 10 minutes of boiling place a teaspoon of the liquid of the jam onto the cold plate. Return to the freezer for a minute. Run your finger through the jam on the plate … if it doesn’t try to run back together (if you can make a line through it with your finger) it’s ready to be canned.
Strawberry Ice Box Cake
(2) 8 oz. containers Cool Whip, thawed
1 1/2 lbs. strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 1/2 packs graham crackers
Spread a 1/2 container of whipped topping in a layer on the bottom of an 8×8-inch pan.
Add a layer of graham crackers, breaking as necessary to cover whipped topping.
Top with another 1/2 container of whipped topping and smooth with a spatula.
Add 1/3 of the strawberries in an even layer. Then graham crackers, whipped topping, strawberries, graham crackers, whipped topping, and strawberries.
Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.
Strawberry Crisp
6 cups halved fresh strawberries
3 Tablespoons all-purpose white flour
1 Tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup rolled oats
salt to taste
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine strawberries, 3 Tablespoons white flour, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Pour into a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/4 cups sugar, butter, rolled oats, and salt in a bowl; mix by hand or with a pastry cutter until crumbly and well mixed. Spread over strawberry mixture.
Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly and light brown, about 45 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.