Strawberries have a lot in common with regret. And with the old adage, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”
If ever there was such a thing as a fleeting moment, strawberry season in the Northwest truly is it. The first local strawberries seem to appear in early June and by the end of the month, they’re nearly gone. If you want to get technical about it yes, there are ever-bearing varieties here, but the June bearers – the Puget Crimson, the Puget Reliance, the Rainiers – seem to make the most flavorful jam.
For a kid who grew up in California, strawberry season stretches from as early as late January nearly all the way to the fall, before starting again. It’s a luxury that we just don’t have this far north. You’ve got to pay attention to the calendar and the moment the strawberries come in, start tasting and making jam. Unlike last year, when I first started dabbling with jam, I only made strawberry once, and as a refrigerator jam to boot, not realizing what I’d be missing come January and February. This year, I was ready. Sort of.
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