Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Of Strawberries, graduations and barbecue

I pick up Miss B every Tuesday and Thursday from preschool. On our way back to my house, we pass DJ's Berry Patch and family farm.    

Beginning in February, the farm was being readied for strawberry season. It's a pretty complicated process. You can find out more about how strawberries in NC are grown here.

We got excited as the rows were planted. We got worried when the weather got colder than normal and plastic was put over the rows or covered with freezing water when the weather dropped down below freezing. 

After the miserable winter, we wondered about the strawberries. Would spring ever come? Would we ever get to pick strawberries?  Somebody asked twice a week, "are they ready yet?"

Finally, three weeks later than usual, they were!


Miss B picked some before we resorted to buying a big ole bucket. And grandma had to go back and buy another bucket because some grandchildren love strawberries so much they didn't want to share!

Do you know the correct way to store fresh picked strawberries, especially large quantities? Here is how you do it if you are going to eat them, like we do, quickly:

1)  Do NOT take the caps off or wash before storing.

2) Do examine strawberries for bruises or mold, especially if you are buying a container full. These affect how long they will keep.

3) Do NOT wash them. Strawberries soak up moisture. Very Spongebob like.  Put them in an open container with a layer of paper towels.

4) Wash and then de-cap right before serving. Eat within a few days

It's funny how every year, strawberry season coincides with graduations. This year, prime picking time was on top of graduation. And even funnier, one special graduation was celebrated by the pickin' of a pig.  

I've waxed poetic about my first North Carolina pig pickin' (you can read about that barbecue adventure here. Just click) But no barbeque was more fun than the one we attended this past weekend, hosted by our son, who graduated from law school, and our daughter-in-law.  Three years of hard work while raising three children under six. Of course, they were going to party. Sixty people from as near as their neighborhood and as far as Maryland showed up to congratulate this family that has done so well.

This picture is great but you ought to see the one with all the family trying on his grad cap. They all went to law school.

What about you? What growing season accompanies your graduation season? Are strawberries already gone? Are you still waiting for them? Is there something special y'all cook for big celebrations?  



  

 

25 comments:

  1. LOVE STRAWBERRIES!!!!!! Julie, how fun to see that beautiful family picture of success through effort! Wonderful!

    I love berries of all kinds, I love everything about them, and in June I make a strawberry glace' pie that makes me wish every month was June! SO GOOD!!!!

    Congratulations to the family that went to law school! Hooray!

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    1. Ruthy, I know you know the challenges for our young uns in law school. I keep hearing that June is strawberry season up north. Ours are around until the last of May if we are lucky. Strawberry ice cream is the best in my book but strawberry pie is up there.

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  2. Strawberry season is already over here in Georgia. It went by too quickly. I slice and freeze a big portion of them for DS for the rest of the year. Strawberries are his favorite fruit and I use the frozen ones in his smoothies. Congrats to the graduating family!

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    1. I need to freeze some before I forget but they still disappear too quickly. There was a big platter of them at the graduation party and Miss B ate half of them!

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  3. Sigh, no local strawberries in sight up here yet. Soon though. I hope. There's nothing like a fresh picked strawberry!!! Thanks for the tip about keeping them fresh in the fridge. I knew not to wash them but didn't know about the paper towels. That makes sense.

    I'm surprised Miss B isn't covered in strawberry juice. She has discipline!!!

    Lovely family pic and congrats on the graduation. Law school is no joke and to do it with such a young family. Wow!!!!!!!!!

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    1. Yes, we are pretty proud. Miss B ate half a platter of strawberries at the graduation party and told me I hurt her feelings when I told her her mommy said she needed to stop. Grandma Juju is supposed to let her do anything she wants!

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    2. That's so funny, Julie! :) :) I remember the first time my kids' grandma spanked one of them (a little swat on the bottom). His feelings were so hurt! Just because it was the grandma who always spoiled him. So cute!

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  4. You don't rinse strawberries? Really? REALLY?? I've been doing it wrong all these years? It's strawberry season year round in Arizona.

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    1. Sigh. Thanks for catching that. You don't wash them before storing. Put in the correction. My faithful editor, what would I do without you?

      Year round? Braggart!

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  5. Congrats to lawyer boy!!! I know you're so proud! And also congrats to his precious family.

    I missed the strawberries here too, I guess. They always hit so early! I guess I could call a local farm and find out if they still have any. YUM. It's my third favorite fruit after peaches and blueberries. :)

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    1. Strawberries are the grandkids favorite. I am a peach and blueberry lover too. Lucky you, right in peach heaven.

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  6. Mega congrats to your son, Julie. What a beautiful family.

    I think strawberries and such are behind everywhere this year, what with the weird winter we had across the nation. Lately my strawberries have only been the frozen variety because they go in my smoothies. Hopefully I'll be able to eat real food in time for peach season! :)

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    1. Bless you, Mindy. Peaches aren't exactly chewable but I hope they are extra delicious to you this coming peach season.

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    2. As long as I don't have to suck them through a straw. :)

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    3. Mindy - my daughter's favorite THM smoothie is made with frozen peaches. She makes the Big Boy Smoothie, adds a tablespoon of cream and about 1/2 cup of the frozen peaches. It really tastes like peaches and cream!

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    4. I'm adding that to my list, Jan. Perhaps for this afternoon. I've been having at least one Big Boy every day and just had hubby pick me up some frozen peaches so I could have a little variety. I forgot about the cream, but that might add the satisfaction factor and make it stay with me a little longer.

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  7. I love strawberries! wish I passed a place on the way home - the organic co-op will probably have them though. missed out on that last week - no one was able to do the pickup and not sure about this week - I'm going out of town Mon-Thurs and dont' want anything going to waste though I could take it with me. trying to move some stuff from my parent's house to mine and emotionally this is hard because it's the step before getting the house ready to sell and seeing sentimental stuff in my own house just brings home the fact that they're really gone
    Susanna

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    1. Susanna, I've been there with my mother's belongings and the house not being there to go to when my in laws moved into assisted living. Will be praying for your strength and good memories for you in the days ahead.

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    2. thank you Julie- they've been gone 3 yrs for my mom and 2 1/2 for my dad -but somehow knowing the house is there with the stuff still in it has made it not seem as real somehow..psychological I know but still...it's adding stress to me so I think having 2 friends who can focus and push me the right amount (well one can the other goes overboard LOL)will help keep me on track and once that hassle is done then it's just the finalizing everything.
      Susanna

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    3. Susanna, we've been going through the same thing over the last couple years.

      It's so hard to part with some of the stuff. I brought home my mother-in-law's kitchen timer just because it meant "home" to my husband. (It's part of our kitchen display on top of the cabinets now, along with my mom's mixing bowls and my grandmother's granny fork.)

      You'll feel better when the job is done, even though it will be hard to go through it. We'll be keeping you in our prayers.

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    4. thanks Jan - I'm dreading the whole mess but it's been hanging over my head for a while so ti's time to get it done. just glad 2 friends are going with me. It's taken this long just to imagine leaving some of the stuff but I plain dont have room for everything.
      Susanna

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  8. Strawberries??? STRAWBERRIES?!?!?!?

    We're celebrating green grass! And I hope to get the garden (and new raspberries, thanks to my sons) planted next week.

    We had snow on Monday. Phhft. It's still May.

    But, our days are hugely long already (dawn around 4:30, still twilight at 9:00), so when things do start growing, they'll take off!

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    1. Big congrats to your son and family, by the way! It certainly has been a family affair!

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    2. Thanks. Just a great time for all of us.

      How long is your growing season?

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    3. Average last frost to first frost is mid-May to early-October. So our growing season is right around 14 weeks or so.

      I'm still learning exactly how to garden here - it's a learning curve every time we move :)

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