“Wife, into the garden, and set me a plot
With strawberry roots, the best to be got;
Such growing abroad, among thorns in the wood,
Well chosen and picked, prove excellent food.”

~Old Tusser, Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry

Storing Strawberries.

Strawberry season is nearing its merry end. And while technically we do get berries year-around, they disappear from the farmers market, where they can be procured by the half flat for a mere $8 during summer’s peak.

Alas, I have procrastinated on my strawberry purchases until late this year. Today they are $12 a half flat – still a bargain by any measure. I’ve frozen one flat, and hope to do a few more before the end of the month. Why all the berries? Excellent question!

What is more lovely than the smell of a kitchen infused with strawberries?

Actually, there is a plan. Or several plans…

Uses for Strawberries.

• Strawberry jam for holiday gifts
• Strawberry sauce topping for sundaes, desserts, and weekend pancakes
• Strawberry Wine

Each of the above have turned out delicious, and worthy of doubling quantities this year. The best part is that the recipes don’t require perfect berries, a not insignificant technicality when we’re talking about getting large quantities of berries de-stemmed and frozen on a weeknight.

As we traipse into fall, what summer bounty will you preserve – and how?

More Fun Discoveries from Antique Cookbooks

• Strawberry Syrup ~1866
• Strawberry Season ~1920
• Irish Pancakes ~1895