By Roberta Bailey
Winter came and winter went, leaving us in the spring mud. This, too, will pass. Meanwhile the strawberries are blooming. In one month from the time they bloom, the berries will begin to turn red. Spinach, lettuce, asparagus, and now strawberries, the harvest basket is bulking out. The gardening season is fully upon us.
Sometimes I imagine the ripening strawberries as the Old Sow, the second largest whirlpool in the northern hemisphere, located in the Bay of Fundy; her sucking sound, as she slowly churns, can be heard from miles away. Strawberry harvest slowly sucks me into the busy summer. Here we go. Raspberries ripen, overlapping with the ongoing strawberry harvest, and the blueberries are ripening earlier each year. Last year, I was picking all three berry crops at once for about 10 days. They used to be very separate harvest windows.
Strawberries are the harbingers of the busy whirl of summer, the vortex sucks me in and swirls me through picking and freezing and canning, only to spit me out on the back side of the orchard, hurriedly picking the storage apples before a hard freeze comes. It’s always a wild and wonderful ride, always quite busy, but it sure tastes good.
Some things I have learned about strawberries:
- Dried strawberries are divine. I cut the strawberries into thirds, halves for smaller berries, then spread them on drying racks in a dehydrator. Dry them until crisp, with no moisture. Store them in glass jars or plastic bags. I vacuum seal some in plastic bags for hiking or traveling snacks. When one is far from home, a dried strawberry is very grounding.
- Strawberries raised in a high tunnel ripen a month earlier than an outdoor crop. The flavor and sweetness are greatly concentrated, always bringing on exclamations of amazed delight.
- Sparkle strawberries have the best flavor I have ever tasted. They can be large if well-fed but do get smaller by the third or fourth picking. I freeze the small berries whole or use them for jam.
- I no longer pinch the blossoms off plants in their first year. I have experimented with doing it on half the plants, while leaving them on the other half of the row. The yields were so similar that I decided not to take the time.
- I set out a row of plants each spring or fall and harvest for two years, sometimes three, if the patch is not weedy yet. Usually, the row gets tilled in the third year.
- I often set out a row of plants in September or October from runners from the last patch. The plants bear extremely well in the next year. No blossoms get pinched.
- Planting in a wide block vs. a long row reduces your edges. Cedar waxwings prefer to eat from the edge of the patch. I sometimes cover the edges with row cover to deter the activity. Flash tape also helps.
- Cedar shavings make great mulch. The weeds hate them, the strawberry plants thrive. The shavings break down slowly, suppressing weeds for two years or longer.
- A light application of a general (3-2-2 or so) granular fertilizer in April gives the crop a boost and ensures big berries.
Whether you grow your own, or pick your own, or buy locally, strawberries are early summer’s way of saying that you made it. Summer is here. Enjoy the ride.
Strawberry Lemon Custard
2 cups heavy cream
2 tsp. lemon zest
½ cup warm honey
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons)
Pinch of salt
Berry topping:
1-2 cups sliced strawberries
2 tsp. warm honey
Black pepper (optional)
In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, lemon zest, and salt. Simmer for five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the honey. Simmer for two minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Let sit for 25 minutes. Strain out the zest, if desired. Pour into six small bowls or ramekins. Chill three to five hours, until set.
Prepare the strawberries by drizzling them with honey that is warm enough to pour easily. Stir gently and let set for 30 minutes.
Top custard with berries and freshly ground pepper, if desired. The pepper adds an interestingly spicy note.
No-Sugar Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Makes about 3 cups.
2 cups chopped rhubarb stalks
4 cups strawberries
1 ½ cups honey
3 tsp. low-methoxyl pectin (like Pomona’s Universal Pectin)
6 tsp. calcium solution (⅛ tsp. calcium powder in ¼ cup water)
¼ cup lemon juice (optional)
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, cook the rhubarb in a splash of water, until it begins to soften. Add the strawberries and cook until soft. Puree if a smoother jam is desired.
Add the pectin powder to the honey and stir until well mixed. Whisk the honey into the berry mixture. Bring to a gentle boil and remove from heat immediately. Whisk in the calcium solution.
Jam can be frozen or canned. To can: Fill sterile ½-pint or pint jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe rims. Place lids on jars and tighten until just tight. Process for five minutes in a boiling water bath. Remove and place on a rack to cool. To freeze: Fill small jars or plastic freezer containers to ½-inch from the top. Cover and freeze.
Basil-Apple-Berry Salsa
A delicious seasonal jumble made possible with everbearing strawberries. Goes great on grilled meats, fish, or as a bruschetta on toast, maybe atop some type of cheese.
1 green apple, cored and diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cup strawberries, hulled and quartered (frozen berries can be used; diced, they will melt into the mixture)
1 tbsp. lemon juice or white balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped (or try cilantro)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine the apple, tomatoes, and strawberries in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste (or wait till it’s all mixed together). Add the olive oil, lemon juice, and basil and stir together. Adjust seasoning. Serve immediately. This salsa needs to be used readily.
Strawberry Ricotta Mousse
1 lb. ricotta cheese
1 pint strawberries (or other berries)
½ cup naturally sweetened fruit jam
1 cup heavy cream or non-dairy alternative
In a food processor or electric mixer, whip the ricotta until smooth, about two minutes. Stem and quarter the strawberries. Set aside some pieces for garnish. Fold the berries and jam into the ricotta. Whip the cream separately until quite stiff. Fold it into the ricotta. Chill for 30 minutes. Serve topped with berry garnish. (You can make this a few hours ahead of time, and fold the whipped cream in just before serving.)
Strawberry Caprese Salad with Pasta
1 lb. small pasta, like shells or farfalle
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 pint fresh strawberries, stemmed and halved
1 cup cubed mozzarella
1 ripe avocado, pitted and diced
½ cup loosely packed, torn fresh basil leaves
4 Tbsp. balsamic glaze or balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water. Place in a large salad bowl and toss with olive oil. Add the berries, cheese, avocado, and basil. Toss gently, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Drizzle with balsamic reduction or balsamic vinegar. See below to make a reduction.
Balsamic reduction: In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat ½ cup balsamic vinegar with 3 Tbsp. sugar. Bring to a boil and turn heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until reduced by half. Remove from heat and cool thoroughly before drizzling on the salad.
Strawberry Feta Spinach Salad
Serves 4.
You can substitute other berries as the seasons progress. I love this salad with pears in the fall.
1 cup quinoa
¼ tsp. salt
Cilantro-Lime Dressing:
1 cup cilantro
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 clove garlic or 2 tbsp. chopped tender garlic greens
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. ground cumin
¾ cup oil (½ olive oil, ½ vegetable oil)
Salad:
6 oz. baby spinach
2 cups ripe strawberries (hulled, and halved or quartered)
1 avocado, pitted and diced
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds
In a medium saucepan, combine salt and quinoa with 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until water is almost completely absorbed. Shut off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes to soak up the remaining water. Fluff with a fork, then transfer to a plate to cool.
In a blender, combine the cilantro, lime juice, salt, and cumin. With the blender running, slowly drizzle the oil mixture in, in a thin stream, until all is combined.
In a large bowl, toss the spinach and quinoa, then add the dressing and toss more. Top the bowl or individual bowls of this mixture with the avocado, strawberries, feta, and pumpkin seeds.
Strawberry Vinaigrette
Yields ¾ cup.
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
2 tbsp. lemon juice
½ cup olive oil
¼ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. salt
¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped; or substitute other herbs
If using frozen berries, thaw and drain them. Place berries, lemon juice, oil, salt, and pepper in a blender. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a jar with a good lid. Stir in the basil. Store in the fridge. Shake well before using.
Strawberry Galette
Crust:
1 cup white flour
¼ cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. sugar
8 tbsp. butter
¼ cup yogurt (can be non-dairy alternative)
3-4 tbsp. ice water
Filling:
3 ½ cups strawberries, cut in half
Pinch of salt
½ lemon, juiced
¼ cup sugar or honey
5 tsp. tapioca flour
Optional Glaze:
1 egg beaten with 1 tsp. water
Coarse sugar
For the dough, mix the flours, sugar, butter, and yogurt together. Add the ice water and mix until the dough holds together. Do not over-mix or the dough will get tough. Roll out the dough, to make a 14-inch circle. Or, to fit a pie plate, plan for a 3-inch edge to be folded over the filling.
For the filling, mix the salt, lemon juice, and sugar or honey together. Stir into the halved strawberries. Toss carefully with the tapioca flour. Place the crust in a pie plate and arrange the filling in its center, leaving 3 inches for folding. To fold, lift each section of crust over the edge of the filling, making a rough pleat, but leaving the center open.
Brush the crust with the egg glaze if desired.
Bake at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.
This article originally appeared in the spring 2025 issue of The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener.
