Monday, April 27, 2009

~~berry goodness~~




Strawberry pickin time is here!!
We're fortunate to live very close to a great berry patch, where for years I've taken the girls out to pick berries. We usually come home with at least 3 gallons to make jam ( which makes cute little gifts) and load up the freezer for year round yummy berries to add to smoothies & salads.


These are all oldie pics taken pre-digital camera days but i love them anyways.


~Its best to pick berries first thing in the morning while the berries are cooler.
~Don't wash or remove the caps until you are ready to use them
~When freezing them whole, hull the strawberries and place on a cookie sheet. Once frozen you can transfer them in a freezer bag. Once they are frozen they shouldn't stick together.
~If you plan to freeze your sliced berries in cereals or desert toppings, add a tablespoon of sugar per cup of berries. Let stand for a few minutes until they become juicy, then freeze. If you plan to use the sliced berries in jam or other recipes later, do not add the sugar.
~Let your berries thaw in the frig. You may add frozen berries to recipes.























Strawberry- Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
2 cups hulled strawberries
6 tbl lemon juice
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1/4 c olive oil
1/8 tsp poppy seeds
using food processor, puree berries until smooth. add lemon juice and sugar and process until well combined. with machine running gradually add vinegar and oil in a steady stream. process until blended. stir in poppy seeds.
this makes a wonderful vinaigrette thicker than most. serve on a salad of mixed greens with grilled chicken or steak. i love to add brown sugared almonds and blue cheese!

21 comments:

Kasey said...

can i use your recipe in my new cucina???
lol.
are you ready for tomorrow's photo challenge????
xo

Anonymous said...

Oh goodness girl, you make jam too? You really are an "it" girl aren't you. :) I tried one time with my friend and all we ended up doing was making one large mess. cutie, cutie pictures also!!

the wild raspberry said...

those pictures are sweeter than a strawberry pie! they look like they are printed on linen...adorable.
thanks for sharing your strawberry wisdom with us :)
chasity

Jboo said...

That sounds like so much fun! I think we are a ways off from picking strawberries around here --but it is definitely something to look forward to! Great photos as always!

Have a fun week.

Janet

Julie said...

Those are such sweet pictures. Thanks for the strawberry tips. I've been thinking about taking the kids to pick some this summer.

Jena Williams, Not So Shabby Interiors said...

What a beautiful post!! I love your pics and story....thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

We love to berry pick near my parents house in NC...we dont have beautiful berries like that up here! Love your pictures today..

annie

Unapologetically Mara said...

We don´t have strawberries nearby, but I am looking forward to blackberry time! Last season we were in england and I made 2 jars of jam and more then one litter of icecream!

Your children are absolutely beautiful and the pictures are incredibly sweet.

Jennifer said...

Made me cry....don't know why...just feeling sensitive and you are so darn cute and sweet.

Half Gaelic, Half Garlic! said...

I love these sweet pictures of your girl....adorable!!

We are not in strawberry season yet....but when we get there, I would love to try out this recipe!!

Hope you are doing well:)

Lisa

Janelle said...

After seeing this, I am determined to go soon. I remember picking berries as a kid and it would be great to have this as memories for my kids too! Gorgious pics!

Jodee said...

What a fun outing. I love strawberries too! Cute flashback pictures!

Hope you have a great week!

LissyLou said...

Gorgeous pictures!

Anonymous said...

Such a lovely post. I love the pictures of your little girl with the strawberry stains on her fingers! Cute.
There's a beautiful strawberry picking place about half an hour from my home - I love going up there with my son and eating the strawberries while they are still warm from the sun. Yum!

Sa-Sea said...

that is the sweetest!! those pictures are sooo great!!!

Sarah said...

Beautiful pictures! Beautiful girls!

Tara said...

Oh my goodness, your daughters are just beautiful...these photos are amazing, I love the colors, the looks, the sweetness...perfect match for some strawberries!

I am a little jealous that you live so close to a berry patch!

Jen Kershner said...

Yum! I'm a blue cheese girl too. Can't wait to try that recipe.

Can I go picking with you guys? I will have to see if we have a place around here. We love gathering our own food.

Jeanne Oliver said...

I love these. We also go berry picking every year. We all look forward to it and I have to admit I love all the beautiful photos that I get. It is one of our favorite summer activites.

Heather said...

i am going to see if Christy wants to go pick on Friday ... maybe we can meet for lunch afterwards? or maybe next Tuesday.......

xo
HH

Kimberly said...

Yummy fun-ness!!!!!! :) Kim, Texas