Strawberries!

Strawberries have always been one of my all time favorite foods. I just love them.  I remember my Mom making me strawberry pies for my birthday when I was a little girl and a couple of times taking birthday cupcakes topped with strawberries to share with my friends at school. 

A couple of weeks ago I made some Strawberry Jam, some strawberry lemonade concentrate, some Strawberry Vanilla Jam and dehydrates some to use later in oatmeal and in granola. 

On Sunday afternoon a co-worked sent me a text letting me know he could get a good deal on some strawberries. He also asked if I could make him some jam if he bought all the supplies. In exchange, he picked up and delivered my berries to him and gave me a discount on them. I got two gallons of berries for myself and then he sent me another gallon to using in making his jam.

Three gallons of strawberries, washed, capped and sliced. When I run out of bowls, I often pull out my crock pots! They hold a lot, and don't take up as much room as another set of mixing bowls would since I already have the two crock pots on the shelf.

This is what I did with my strawberries: I made my friend a batch of strawberry jam and a batch of strawberry ginger ale jam and then for my pantry I made strawberry syrup, strawberry pie filling and the Maple Strawberry Smooch recipe from the Ball book. I hadn't planed on doing strawberry pie filling, but when I asked Kip if there was anything he wanted me to make that was his suggestion. And I am so glad I made it too!! It will be made here every year if I can, it is that yummy.

This was the Strawberry Vanilla Jam that I made a couple of weeks ago.

To finish my days of strawberry canning, I had strawberry shortcake with fresh whipped cream. I may have had this dessert more than once!