Here in Northern Virginia, we are coming into my favorite season of the year–strawberry season! Strawberries have a short growing season of only 4 to 6 weeks, so it’s important to make the most of these wonderful berries while you have them!
I highly recommend visiting a you-pick farm to acquire your berries. A day of strawberry picking will leave you with a sore back, but you’ll have the satisfaction of hand-selecting each and every strawberry you bring home. This is a fantastic family outing, too; my husband and I were recently comparing stories of strawberry-picking as children. I remembered a special day spent with my mother and grandmother, while he remembered throwing over-ripe berries at his brothers and getting yelled at by his mom and the farm owner. 
Fresh strawberries are highly perishable and will only last a day or two in the refrigerator, so it is important to freeze most of your strawberries promptly. Wash and hull the berries and dry them ever-so-gently with a paper towel, then load them up in a single layer on cookie sheets and pop into the freezer. When they are completely frozen, transfer them to heavy-duty freezer bags. You’ll be able to use the berries in small amounts this way. (You can even thaw frozen berries to use in homemade jam!)
Here are a few of my very favorite ways to enjoy strawberries:
*Fresh, sprinkled with sugar
With or without spongecake and whipped cream, you really can’t beat this simple pleasure!!
*Strawberry lemonade
Crush a couple of strawberries and add the pulp and juice to a glass of cold lemonade.
*Strawberry bread (This is a recipe my family has been making since the early 1970s. If love has a taste, it’s strawberry bread.)
- 3 C. flour
- 2 C. sugar
- 1 t. baking soda
- 1 t. salt
- 5 C. crushed strawberries, divided (thawed if frozen). Reserve 1/2 cup for topping
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 1 C. oil
Grease & flour 3 loaf pans; set aside. Mix first four ingredients. Make a hole in the middle and pour in liquid ingredients. Mix well and pour into prepared loaf pans and bake at 325* for one hour. Remove from pans and cool completely.
Topping:
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup crushed strawberries
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar.
Beat all ingredients together with mixer until smooth and creamy. Spoon over sliced bread.
*Strawberry-banana jam
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 quarts strawberries, cleaned and crushed
- 1 (1 3/4 oz) box powdered Sure-Jell
- 6 3/4 c sugar
- 3 tbsps lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp butter
Measure 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas and 3 1/4 cups crushed strawberries. Place fruit in sauce pan & add lemon juice. Stir in fruit pectin; add butter. Bring to rolling boil & add sugar. Return to full boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Place jam in sterilized jars & process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.
