{"id":12709,"date":"2022-06-09T13:39:21","date_gmt":"2022-06-09T17:39:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/food-health\/?p=12709"},"modified":"2025-02-05T12:48:36","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T17:48:36","slug":"get-ready-for-strawberry-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/food-health\/2022\/06\/09\/get-ready-for-strawberry-season\/","title":{"rendered":"Get Ready for Strawberry Season!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2014 By Kathy Savoie<\/a>, Extension Educator, University of Maine Cooperative Extension<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

To say that I am excited for strawberry picking season is an understatement. I\u2019ve missed out on Maine\u2019s pick-your-own (PYO) strawberry season for the past two years and I can\u2019t wait to get to the fields! If you\u2019re wondering where to find local pick-your-own berries, check out the<\/span> RealMaine.com<\/span><\/a> website to find a listing of Maine\u2019s PYO farms near you. It\u2019s best to know before you go if you need to bring your own berry containers or not.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond eating them plain, my favorite way to eat strawberries is just washed and sliced up into a bowl with a dash of sugar and a splash of cream. There is no shortage of recipes for using strawberries in baked goods, pies and frozen treats. UMaine Extension offers several<\/span> recipes for using strawberries<\/span><\/a> in baking and cooking.<\/span><\/p>\n

I always pick enough so I\u2019ve got plenty to preserve to use later in the year. I\u2019m stocked up on freezer-grade storage bags as well as canning jars, lids and pectin to use for my favorite low-sugar strawberry jam. In all honesty, strawberry jam is my favorite. I\u2019ve sure tried a lot of jam and jelly varieties over the years but nothing is quite as satisfying to me as<\/span> simple strawberry jam<\/span><\/a>. My goal is always to pick enough <\/span>strawberries to freeze<\/span><\/a> for use in smoothies, pies, and other delights throughout the \u201coff-season\u201d. I simply wash, hull, dry and freeze the strawberries whole in a freezer-grade storage bag that I have labeled and dated. As my children have grown and gone, I freeze fewer berries each year but they are quick to ask for a jar of jam (or two) on their way out the door.<\/span><\/p>\n

Have you ever considered entering your home preserved goods into<\/span> Maine’s Agricultural Fair<\/span><\/a> Exhibition Halls? Most fairs have categories for jams, jellies, pickles, tomato products, relishes and more. Beyond ribbons, fairs pay premiums directly to you for winning entries. I have a friend who takes advantage of this opportunity each year at her local fair and makes a good chunk of money that she puts towards her holiday gift buying fund. Take a minute or two to check out your local fair Exhibition Hall book and consider reconnecting with the traditions of Maine\u2019s Agricultural Fairs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Resources<\/span><\/h2>\n