Despite the pouring rain and the lack of an umbrella yesterday, I left the warmth of my car to stop at Springledge Farm in New London. It’s strawberry season. I usually pick my own, but the smell of the berries was intoxicating. My son and I ate the entire box. So I pulled out my jelly jars from last year, did a quick count, and went back down to farm stand and bought three more boxes of berries for $5.99 each. I left them in a big cardboard box so the kids wouldn’t see them (and they would actually make it to the jelly making process).

I got up at 5 a.m. this morning and prepped the fruit. Five cups of strawberry mash – oh, the delicious smell! – was on its way to strawberry jelly. I just finished cleaning the kitchen, and eight jars are sealing now. I have some strawberries left, so I pulled out the rhubarb in my freezer and I think I can squeak out one more batch of jelly.

I didn’t make strawberry jelly last year (somehow missed the season), but I did make raspberry for the first time in a long time. That batch was my favorite – I think over the course of the year I ate three jars by myself. But my blueberry has a solid fan base, so I’m saving the rest of my jars for them. Does anyone know if all this rain will make better berries? (Or will be get caught short if the plants don’t get some sun?)