We had so many berries and they were so ripe and ready to eat. The only down side to them being so late in the season was the fact that they were rather small. I did not feel like freezing such tiny berries so I ended up making preserves on top of strawberry jam. I have never made strawberry preserves before- just jam. The preserves did not set up as nicely as the jam since the recipe did not call for pectin to be added. The preserves consisted of three simple ingredients: strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice.

We ended up having our homemade pancakes the next morning for breakfast instead of for dinner that Friday night as I was too tired from putting up all those strawberries! We used the preserves on the pancakes which were so good seeing that the preserves did not jell up as much as the jam. Plus I like the large chunks of berries the preserves have.

I am bracing myself for the next few months as I have a lot of preserving and canning planned. I am making it my goal to can as much fresh produce as possible to have for the rainy and cold winter months (that seem to last forever here in Oregon!). The blackberries are just a few weeks away from being ready and the first few crops of cherries are starting to roll in. Also by mid-July there will be the blueberries and I know a great farm for those. At the same time the blueberries are ready, the lavender farms are having their festivals. Then come August I will try canning tomatoes from the garden for the first time ever (we usually gobble them up before they get a chance to see a single canning jar!). On top of the tomatoes there will be the U-pick peaches that we plan on devouring. September will bring pears galore from the Fruit Loop. Not long after that the apples will be ready for more U-pick family fun which will find me making applesauce, pies, and apple butter. Oh, and let’s not forget that all the herbs I grow still need to be gathered and dried. This is of course on top of keeping the garden healthy and happy! This time of year can bring a frenzy of activity when it comes to harvesting and preserving summer’s bounty but I would not have it any other way!

I have been taking an interest in drying food for preservation as well and might give that a try this year. How about you? Are you planning on preserving some of your harvest this year and, if so, how?

Photos can be clicked on to view full size.

I took my kids today on a spur of the moment trip out to the Hood River Valley area for some last of the season strawberry picking. Unfortunately, I have no pictures to share of the farm we ended up at. It was too hard to take pictures while making sure a 2 ½ year old did not eat the whole strawberry field! The strawberries were still very plentiful despite being so late into the season. The owners of the farm told us the berries were too small for the fruit stand and were more than happy to let us pick till our heart’s content. My boys managed to pick close to 4 pounds each! Needless to say this evening you will find me in my kitchen busily making up jars upon jars of strawberry jam. We decided we should have pancakes for dinner just so we can have some homemade jam on them.

On our way back home I pulled off the road for a minute or two to stop at a panoramic spot so I could at least steal a photo (or two) for today’s Skywatch Friday. The sky was a little bit hazy but Mt. Hood still looked absolutely beautiful.

I could have stood and stared at the valley beneath us for hours but our strawberries were awaiting us in the car so I snapped this photo below and then got back out on the road towards home.

Now I must get going on that jam making and preserve some of today’s sweetness.

Be sure to visit other great blogs taking part in today’s Skywatch Friday! There is always some gorgeous photos to be found there.

This little strawberry plant is one of the few plants in flower in my herb garden right now. Last year I had some strawberry plants growing in a pot and they had been in that particular pot for a couple of years. They really were not looking very good due to my negligence and had their babies sprawling every which way attempting to hijack the other containers. I decided it was time to let them go which saddened my youngest son as he really enjoyed them while they were in their prime. I reluctantly let him talk me into allowing him to plant one in the herb garden. He was set on saving at least one of them.

That one little strawberry plant struggled to make it through the rest of last spring and summer as it was buried under a sea of cosmos. Combine that with the harsh winter we had and I honestly did not think it would survive. I was most certainly wrong as the pictures today will show. That has got to be one of the healthiest strawberry plants I have ever had in my garden! It is loaded with blossoms and buds and has my son anxiously awaiting its first berry.