Dates to Remember:

• Strawberries: May 20-June 25; Peak: First week of June
• Blueberries: June 20- Aug. 15; Peak: Most of July
• Raspberries: July 1-Aug. 1; Most plentiful: Mid-July
• Blackberries: July 10-Aug. 10; Most plentiful: Mid-late July

Eat them out of hand to get a sweet taste of summer!

Basic jam recipe

Cleaned and trimmed fruit and sugar cooked on the stove.

• To lower the sugar content, use pectins (such as Pomona’s Pectin, sold at the Co-op) to cut the sugar down while still getting a nicely set jam.
• Always follow USDA guidelines for food preservation.

Freezing Basics

1. Strawberries: use whole or cut pieces (Keep other berries whole.)
2. Lay out in a single layer on a sheet pan with as little contact between the fruits as possible. This helps prevent berries from getting stuck and clumped together once you put them in a zip-top bag or container of choice.
3. Pop them in the freezer. Great for oatmeal, smoothies or winter baking projects

Shrub How To:

1. Combine one cup fruit to one cup sugar (or other sweetener of choice) and allow the fruit to soften until a nice syrup forms.
2. Strain the fruit solids and mix syrup with a vinegar of choice (like strawberries and balsamic, for example). Add in other herbs or aromatics.
3. Mix the shrub or drinking vinegar with a bit of seltzer or club soda for a refreshing, zippy summertime sipper. Shrubs were popular during the colonial period, and they’ve been making a comeback on modern cocktail menus.