Strawberry ideas

Bueno!

What’s your favorite food made from fresh strawberries? Of course you can eat them as a topping on ice cream, or waffles or pancakes, or in a bowl with sweetened whipped cream on top. On cold cereal. On a saucer with sugar sprinkled over them.

But – there’s also homemade strawberry jam, strawberry bread, and cookies, muffins and the king of desserts, strawberry shortcake.

We had fresh strawberry muffins for breakfast this morning … wonder if there are any left? H’mmm. I am a little hungry.

Hasta luego! See you later!

Diego

That aroma …

Hola!

Mmmmm … does anything smell more like summertime (and make your mouth water) than a flat of freshly-picked strawberries on the kitchen counter as you walk in the back door?

Here’s a tip to get those cores and tops removed easily. Get a plastic drinking straw and hold it firmly between your thumb and first finger. Push it up through the strawberry, beginning at the tip or pointed end. It’ll take the core of the strawberry out for you – and remove the top, too! What’s left in the straw looks like a miniature palm tree – just squeeze the straw to get it out, and go on to the next plump, ripe strawberry.

Enjoy! (Mucho gusto!)

Your amigo,

Diego

Sugar Sweet Soon

Bueno!

Sunshine today, and the wranglers are checking the progress of the strawberries.

We can’t wait for that delicious, sweet berry to be ready by the handful or the quart!

Did you know strawberries need sunshine to make them sweet and flavorful? During times of little to no rain, we all mutter about “doing a rain dance.” Right now, perhaps we should be out at the You Pick patch doing a Sunshine Dance.

Bring your sombrero and join me!

Diego

Hola, Amigos!

Well, activity around the Dixie Chile Ranch is really picking up. we’re anticipating the strawberries being ready for their first picking very soon. (Can we call that a “Fiesta de Frescas” ? ‘Frescas’ means strawberries – and of course, that’s party or fiesta time when they’re ready to pick and eat!)

Unfortunately this past winter, with its cold – too warm – too cold – warm variations hurt many of our strawberry plants. Our valiant ranch wranglers kept putting the covers on to protect the tender plants – and then pulling them off again so they didn’t overheat.

But we lost almost a quarter to a third of some varieties, in spite of everyone’s hard work. My advice is to come and pick as soon as the strawberries are ready, because there may not be as many filled flats available this year as there were last season.

We’ll keep you posted – look for the Opening Date for the ‘You Pick’ patch on Facebook. See you soon!

Diego

Diego the Chile Cowboy at the Dixie Chile Ranch

Strawberry Fields Strawberries from Kenton, Tennessee