Many, many years ago when Tripp was about two, I got a spontaneous idea which isn’t really my jam (pun intended.) I was sitting at work at the “cube farm” on a beautiful late spring day knowing that out there somewhere the most perfect strawberries were ripe for the picking.
I called my mama and asked her if she would make sure Tripp was ready to go as soon as I got home because we were going strawberry picking that very afternoon! This is when he basically lived off fruit so I knew he would love being in the field where they grew… and having a few taste tests as well.
And so began a tradition we have kept going for a decade. It goes back much further for me to when my aunt and uncle would have a strawberry patch at their house. Summers there were extra delicious and some of my favorite memories are stained red from those berries. I have to say there are few things in the whole world that taste as good as a perfect strawberry fresh from the field.
So every year we countdown to strawberry season. We watch for updates from our favorite spot (Kelley’s, if you’re local) and plan our day as soon as they’re open for picking. It’s a sweet season both in flavor and memories. We laugh. We sample. We race to see who can find THE perfect strawberry (spoiler alert: there are a lot of perfect berries and several comical ones too… 12 year old boy humor not included for your protection.) we laugh some more and sample some more and say “just a few more” enough times until our buckets almost overflow.
But it’s just one of the things we do… it doesn’t matter if it’s hot, muddy, messy and a bit out of the way… it’s a tradition worth keeping and a sweet start to the summer season. Now I think it’s time too make some jam
PS I wash my berries by giving them a quick spin in a bowl of water with a splash of vinegar. The key is laying them out in one flat layer to dry so they don’t get soggy. Life is much easier if you have a few red kitchen towels in the mix. I also have these out when I’m jam making.
