from Elizabeth
Since I met my (eventually) fiancé in high school, I got to grow up with his family and be a part of many family traditions, which we try to carry on to this day. One of my favorite spring traditions is strawberry picking! Even though it seems we always end up going on the hottest day in May, we all go together to find the best, juiciest strawberries of the season.
Over the last couple of years, we’ve been going to Millers Farm in Culpeper for our strawberries. You can follow their Facebook page for updates about the strawberries—and it looks like we only have a few more weeks until they’re ready. Just bring some sunscreen unless you want to be as red as the strawberries!
Last year, we picked close to 30 pounds of strawberries and made more than two batches of jam plus eight pies. Nothing beats homemade jam to have for breakfast on toast or even with a peanut butter sandwich! We currently have only six more jars left at my house, so I’m glad we’ll be gearing up to go picking here soon.
Here are the Wards’ recipes for some strawberry goodness! Enjoy!
Strawberry Jam
First, we went to Walmart to purchase our mason jars (but feel free to buy from anywhere!). We just felt they were the cheapest since mason jars can be a little pricey.
Second, yes, you have to wash and cut the stems off each strawberry. I wish there was an easier way, but hey, grab a bottle of wine/beer and play some jams while jamming! Literally, that is your next step; you jam the strawberries with a muddle or whatever you have at your house.
Next, you have to cook the strawberries with sugar and pectin in a large pot. We use Kraft Certo fruit pectin for this step, as it seems to hold up better. You can find the exact recipe with ingredients on the fruit pectin box or its website.
While your strawberries are cooking, boil your mason jars and lids. This helps seal them so they’ll last longer in storage. Once you have the jam in the jar and you seal the lids on tight, flip the jars upside down for a few minutes.
Finally, we decided to add little labels to our jelly jars—especially the ones we shared with family and friends!
Strawberry Pie
My boyfriend’s birthday is in May, so we serve strawberry pie along with a cake for his birthday because we love it so much!
First, buy a pre-made piecrust (unless you’re way better at cooking than I am to make piecrust from scratch). Brown the crust and let it cool.
Combine (2/4 C) sugar, (2 TB) cornstarch and (1 C) water until smooth. Bring to a boil and cook for a few more minutes until it thickens. Remove from the heat and add a box of strawberry Jello until dissolved.
However many strawberries you want in your pie, make sure to wash them, cut the stems, and slice the pieces into sizes you prefer, then arrange them in the crust. Pour the gelatin mixture over the berries. Refrigerate until it sets.
Of course, we like to garnish with cool whip and ready whip! We’re a house divided.
So this strawberry season, enjoy jamming or making pies, and maybe you’ll start a fun family tradition too!