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:

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

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  2. 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!!

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  3. 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

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  4. 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

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

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

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  7. 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

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  8. 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.

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

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  10. 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

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  11. 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!

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

    Hope you have a great week!

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  13. 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!

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

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  15. Beautiful pictures! Beautiful girls!

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  16. 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!

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  17. 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.

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  18. 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.

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  19. 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

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

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