memories of strawberry picking Throw Blanket bydesigned_by_debby

Growing up in northern Michigan, we always had a vegetable garden. But, fruit was something we either picked from the wild or at specialized farms. Visiting orchards to pick our own strawberries, cherries, apples and peaches was something we did every year. For strawberries, it meant getting up before light, loading about a hundred quart containers in the car, some peanut butter sandwiches (and taking a pillow to sleep a bit more) and arriving at the orchard early. The reason to arrive at sunrise is to start picking before it gets too hot. We usually filled our quarts (and our tummies) before noon. But that was just the first part. Next, we cleaned and prepared the berries for the freezer jam my mother made. It was a lot of work. But, in the middle of winter, that berry jam was so delicious. To this day, I’ve tasted none better. Maybe part of it was remembering the day we made it. :-) If there are orchards anywhere near you, take your kids.