Dehydrating Strawberries

These strawberries are delicious and they can be preserved and used in a variety of ways like freezing, jams, jellies, muffins, breads, and dehydrating. Here is a batch of berries ready for the dehydrator. After they were washed and trimmed, the berries were sliced with and egg slicer. It is an easy way to make sure the berries are a uniform thickness for a more even drying.

The 8+ pounds of berries filled 9 drying racks in the dehydrator. The temperature was set at 155'(F) for the first 5 hours, then reduced to 135'(F) for the next 5 hours. It took only ten hours for these little beauties to be reduced and preserved for a winter treat. There is a fan blowing in the back of this dehydrator to keep the air moving evening over the food.

When the dehydrating process was complete, the berries filled 2 1/2 quarts. They will keep for a long time if eaten in moderation. We like the dehydrated berries mixed with nuts, mixed into granola and yogurt, eaten by themselves tasting just like candy, and put into a river mix (trail mix). When the fruit is abundant, it is time to enjoy fresh and to preserve for winter provisions.

Strawberries and Roses

June is the month for both strawberries and roses. The juicy sweet ripeness, and the softly scented air make the farm smell heavenly. The strawberries are being used for fresh eating, snacking, shortcake, and even cobbler lately. Here is the cobbler just made on the farm.


Strawberry Cobbler:
1 Cup flour
1 Cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
a pinch of salt
1 Cup of milk
1 stick of melted butter
2 Cups of strawberries

Add all dry ingredients together and stir. Add milk and mix until smooth. Finally stir in the melted butter until the mixture is silky. Pour this into a buttered baking dish or deep dish pie plate.
Now add the sliced in half strawberries and push then into the batter in the pan. You can create a design onto or let the berries fall where they may! Sprinkle the top of the berry filled batter with a teaspoon of sugar and bake at 350' for nearly an hour. Let sit for about 30 minutes before serving.
This is also delicious the next day with tea or coffee. Be sure to use a favorite flowered plate or table cloth when serving...Enjoy!

The Strawberries are Ripening!

Mmmm, they are so sweet and juicy, too. Did you know you can throw a small handful of epsom salt into the strawberry patch and the plants will thank you for that extra little boost of growing power? They love the nutrients from the epsom salt. It helps set the blossoms, keeps the plants blooming more and the fruit tastes sweeter. Here is to the salt of the earth!