The Great Spring Strawberry Harvest

I decided to "shop locally" for my strawberries this year... guestimating that that which I spend at Whole Foods on frozen organic strawberries bares... little fruit!

I sampled strawberries each week at my farmer's market and when I felt that they were at their height of sweetness... went in for the kill (on my debit card... but I'm sure it was worth it!)

Step 1 ... bring home more strawberries than you can hold in your arms...

 

Step 2 ... line up each washed, dried and hulled top onto cookie sheets like a neurotic OCD patient... 

Step 3 ... scold your husband for the "missing" drying strawberry. Ignore his proclamation "I don't know what you're talking about" ...

Step 4 ... stick as many trays of strawberries as you can in the freezer and let them become rock hard...

Step 5 ... pull out your vacuum seal machine that you got as a birthday present YEARS ago and simply do not use enough...

 

Step 6 ... call up and beg your awesome brother-in-law who you know has these special freezer bags as well, and take some of his... because of course you ran out of your own!...

Step 7 ... jam your own freezer with endless bags of frozen, pre-measured strawberries for easy access...  

Step 8 ... take all of the remaining frozen bags of strawberries (because you have already eating about 4 bags worth) out of your freezer, line them up on the couch like solders on the front line and photograph them for your blog...

 

Step 9 ... freak out that you might not have "enough" strawberries to last... the year? Then just say "oh F' it... if I need more, there is always WF" ...

Step 10 ... discard the box, the hulls and the plastic pint containers...

 

Step 11 ... reminisce on how pretty your "before photos" looked piled high strawberries in your gorgeous Emile Henry pie dish in FIG that you got as a wedding gift... 

 

Step 12 ... make more and more sorbet and smoothies! ...