Sunday, June 27, 2021

Our First Strawberry Harvest

I made our first strawberry harvest of the season this afternoon.
 

I keep track of how many pounds we harvest each year.  Last year was not plentiful in the strawberry department.  We got only 59 lbs. as a total.  This year is looking better as this first picking was 11-1/2 lbs.  I think that's the most I've ever gotten from a first picking.
 
Our daughter took some, we ate some and the rest are now in the freezer for use in our smoothies in the coming months.  That's kinda utilitarian (the ones for smoothies) in my book, but the next picking is destined for a big Strawberry Shortcake and some strawberry fruit leather for a little guy who has been waiting for a new supply ever since we ran out a few months ago.  When he was here last week, he asked me to show him where the fruit leather would be in the pantry when it was ready.  Oh, the eager anticipation! 

15 comments:

Tigger's Mum said...

Amazing the seasonal differences - strawberry season has just finished here. It's apricot jam/chutney/shortcake/and fruit leather season now. Congratulation on the prmise of an excellent harvest.

Michelle said...

Love that the little guy wanted to know where to check! I'm afraid that this heat is the end of our strawberry season, but I don't have more room in the freezer anyway. Brian isn't eating much in the way of "real food" so our frozen fruit supply has lasted much longer than usual.

Leigh said...

Wow! What a fantastic harvest! When ours came in we had strawberry shortcake every day for a week! lol

Mama Pea said...

Tigger - When we lived in Illinois, the season for the red, ripe berries was a whole month earlier than it is here in Minnesota. And it varies greatly in most every state in the U.S. I sure envy you your apricots!

Michelle - Not having room in the freezer at the end of the season means you've got a nice amount squirreled away. You and Rick can feast on Brian's share. The boy doesn't realize what he's missing! ;o)

Leigh - Strawberry shortcake every day?? I want to come live at your house!

Lisa K Thomasson Jung said...

Love strawberry any why. And look like you have a great harvest. They are already done in my neck of the woods. Enjoy the bounty !

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

I have ripped out all strawberries from my garden and so I shall live vicariously through you now. They look wonderful! Strawberry shortcake! Will you make jam? -Jenn

Goatldi said...

Good for you!

Looks delicious 😋

Jennifer K Robert said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Rosalea said...

Those are beautiful, Mama Pea. I am reaching through the screen, so if you miss any, you'll know where they went!!
I am struggling with my patch. They bloomed in that early burst of hot weather we had in May, before the frost, but there were no pollinators out, so those blooms are just bumps on the end of stems now, no fruit. The plants are lovely and green and growing now, and are blooming again, so I live in hope. I've never grown SB's before. I'm cutting off all the runners, except on a few plants I want to increase. I have several different varieties, some are everbearing. I've been very disappointed, as I've dreamed of big, fat, juicy, red berries. Do you have any words of wisdom for a new strawberry grower?

Nancy In Boise said...

Nice! We planted our first row of strawberries this year. Waiting on the berries with anticipation!

Mark said...

That's amazing!! They look great! Our strawberries are finding a new home next year. They are currently conveniently planted just outside the door in a fieldstone terrace. Turns out convenient for us is also convenient for the chickens!

wyomingheart said...

Simply perfect! My favorite is strawberry jam! Happy to take any extra off your hands!...lol !

Mama Pea said...

Lisa K. Thomasson Jung - Thanks! I got another nice picking again today right before a 3/4" of rain fell on us. That should encourage more berries!

Jenn - You can bet I'll be making jam as it's my husband's very, very favorite!

Goatldi - I'm crossing my fingers the harvest this year is fantastic. Even GOOD would be nice!

Rosalea - You may already be aware of this, but just in case . . . you should pop off all the blossoms on your first year plants so that the energy goes to the plant. I know, I know, so very hard to wait a whole year for your first berries. Also snipping off all the runners as you're doing will give you a mother plant that will last more years than if you don't. I've kept plants going for up to six years (experts say you need to replace your plants every 2 or 3 years) that way. Hang in here and you'll have a nice bed of strawberries next year.

Nancy - As I said to Rosalea above, if you can bear it, don't let your plants bear berries this first year. It truly does zap the strength of the mother plant that needs the energy to become established for years to come.

Mark - Ooops! Our main problem in our strawberry patch is those cute little ($*%&*!) chipmunks!

wyomingheart - You and my husband! When he was teaching he took a peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwich for lunch every day!

Rosalea said...

Thank you, MP. These are mostly 2nd year plants, and are a mix of varieties, as I had bad luck with the original shipment of bare root stock, so bought plants here and there to fill in the bed. I am letting some of the best plants 'runner', and am pinning them in soil filled cups to move them once they establish themselves. So, question: These baby plants will be put into the ground this summer, so next spring, are they considered to be first year or second year plants? Thank you for reminding me of picking off the blossoms. Somewhere in the dregs of memory, that rings a bell! (Ran out of data, so a bit of a delay in getting back to you.) Thank you.

Mama Pea said...

Rosalea - Darn good question as to whether new plants made from runners are considered first year plants or second year plants. When I have done as you described to make a runner root to fill-in a bare spot, I've always gone ahead and let the blossoms turn into berries the next year and then harvested them. Eeek, is that wrong?? Since they were planted in the fall and not in the spring as new plants, maybe they're more teenagers instead of babies. I think I'll go with that!