The fact that strawberries are on the Dirty Dozen list totally bums me out. They’re always at least double the price of conventional strawberries, and they often look rather
…mushy.
I looooove local strawberries. You cannot beat the taste of a strawberry that was on the vine in the morning and on your plate by lunchtime (or sooner!). And even if you can get pretty close to the price of U-pick when California strawberries are on sale for $1/lb., there are still a lot of good reasons to buy locally.
Dear Michigan Strawberry,
I can’t wait until you’re ripe, my darlings. The first week of June, I’ll be checking the local farm’s website for your start pick date. How do I love you? Let me count the ways:
- You aren’t bred for longevity and firmness, but for – oh yes! – taste. Strawberries that travel across country have to sacrifice taste for looks.
- You didn’t burn gallons of precious fossil fuel traveling in a semi truck halfway across the country.
- You help me support local, family farms and keep small businesses alive. As someone who grew up in a small town as the daughter of a small business owner, I know the value of keeping my money local, even though it’s increasingly more difficult in this hyper-connected age.
- You give us a family outing to pick strawberries: outside, connected to the earth, teaching our children about science and Creation, and enjoying the fruits of our labor…literally. The value of hard work and traditional tasks can’t be underestimated in today’s fast-paced society.
- You make my kitchen smell FABulous when you’re sitting in the flat waiting to be cleaned.
- You’re so delicious in smoothies when I freeze you whole.
- You’re so delicious in yogurt when I freeze you sliced.
- You’re so delicious over ice cream when I freeze you sliced and sweetened.
- You go great in a dip when you’re fresh! And *fresh* is what I love most about you.
- You start to rot quickly. Strange, I know, but everyone has something odd they appreciate about the one they love that no one else can understand. I know that when fruit is fresh and real, the second it’s picked, it should begin to deteriorate. You push me to clean, store, bake with and – oh yes! – eat you quickly, and I don’t even mind it. I know that means you’ll be sweeter and juicier and even more full of Vitamin C to nourish my kiddos’ bodies.
- You made me laugh the first time we took our little guy picking. His bottom was entirely stained red from sitting in the patch, and he was so focused he picked a whole quart without even eating one! I dressed him to match you, in red overalls, but the white shirt underneath wasn’t so lucky!
We’re still finishing up the very last of last year’s pickings from the freezer and looking forward to FRESH. Much love – see you in a few weeks!
Yours in fruit, Katie
Check your local paper/websites for farms in your area, and buy local!
Visit Kelly the Kitchen Kop for more Real Food Wednesday and We are THAT Family for Works for Me Wednesday. Where does your food come from? Visit Nourishing Days for Food Roots.
See the Food for Thought this week for nutrition info on strawberries.
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Photo source
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Oh, I know how you feel. I could write that love letter to so many . . . strawberries, blueberries, peaches, watermelon, corn, carrots, squash, (((sigh))). Hurry up and open, farmer’s market!!
Lori’s last blog post..WFMW: Packing Lunch for Work or School
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What a cute post. Thanks for joining in on Real Food Wednesday! I stumbled you.
Kelly
Kelly the Kitchen Kop’s last blog post..Real Food Wednesday blog carnival 5/27/09 – Join in the Fun!
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For your berries that tend to rot quickly, (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc), have you thought about making ice box jam? We did this when we got TONS of strawberries in our CSA box. It is the ultimate low-effort jam!
2 Cups berries – washed. If strawberries, thickly sliced.
1/4 C honey
Pinch of salt
Zest of 1/2 orange or 1 lemon
Mix ingredients, bring to boil. Then simmer until thickened. Store in *glass* jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Makes appx 1 cup.
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Katie Reply:
May 27th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
I’ve not seen jam recipes without pectin, so this is a neat substitute if I don’t have it on hand. Have you ever frozen it? I rarely lose any berries b/c I’m quick to get them cleaned and in the freezer.
Thanks for the great tip!
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Blackberries are my one true love, but I appreciate the amazingness that is strawberries. Great post! Happy strawberry season!
Alyss’s last blog post..You can please some of the people all of the time…
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This was really cute. We were unable to go strawberry picking this year, but blueberry picking starts this weekend.
Thanks for participating in Food Roots. I hope I’ll see you back there again!
Shannon
Shannon’s last blog post..Food Roots – July 16: where does your food come from?
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This makes me so sad that we just don’t have that kind of access to fresh berries here in the Arizona desert. But I should be grateful that our farmers market is open with fresh, local produce all year long, just no berries. But we do get fresh local citrus in the winter.
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