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The only difference was Mom had a large strawberry patch at one side of our garden, and my berries came from the local market.

Early in their farm life, my parents had a large strawberry field with workers who picked and drove the berries to a small packing house in town. Immediately, the berries got shipped to the large city markets. A lot of work was involved — from the day the plants were put in the ground, to the care and watering to the actual picking days.

In the meantime, let’s go back to the kitchen, where our berries were being prepared for canning, freezing and the recipes the family loved. That large bowl of fresh “sugared down� strawberries that appeared at the dinner table was soon eaten.

Once again, the canning jars were carefully washed and waiting for that strawberry jelly and jam. The freezer was rearranged to make room for the frozen berries to eventually be used for pies, cakes and much more.

Two of my favorite strawberry memories are the old-fashioned homemade strawberry ice cream and strawberry shortcake.

Enjoy today’s recipes.

STRAWBERRY JAM

5 cups crushed fresh strawberries (you’ll need approximately 8 cups fresh strawberries or approximately 4 16-oz. containers), 7 cups granulated sugar, 1 packet original Sure-Jell premium fruit pectin powder, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp butter.

Wash jars, lids and bands in hot soapy water, dry completely, and set bands aside. Simmer lids in warm water in a saucepan until ready to place them on jars. Keep jars warm by simmering in hot water until ready to use. Do not boil. Fill a 20 quart stock pot or water bath canner with hot water, and place on the stove over medium-high heat (you’ll need enough water to later cover your jars with at least 1 inch of water). Crush strawberries in a large mixing bowl or shallow glass baking dish using hand masher until nice, smooth consistency (small chunks are okay). Transfer crushed strawberries to 8 quart stock pot. Add pectin, lemon juice and butter to the pot, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon over high heat, while bringing to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add sugar, return to rolling boil, then boil for 1 minute while stirring constantly. After 1 minute, remove foam from top of jam by skimming it off with a metal spoon.one by one, remove a jar from hot water, transfer to a cookie sheet (this will catch any spills), place regular mouth canning funnel on jar, and ladle in strawberry jam mixture leaving 1/4 inch empty head space at top of the jar. Then wipe off the rim of the lid and threads of the jar with damp cloth.

Continue until all jars have been filled. Remove warm lids from the saucepan, a magnetic lid lifter works like a charm, and place one lid on each jar. Then screw one band on each jar just until snug but not overly tight. Place filled jars on a rack in a 20 quart stock pot or water bath canner, then lower down into hot water. Make sure there is enough water in the pot that there is at least 1 inch of water above the jars. If necessary, add more hot water. Place the lid on your pot, and bring to a gentle boil. Once water is boiling, set your timer for processing and boil for 10 minutes, once jars have finished boiling, turn off heat, remove the lid from the pot and let jars sit for 5 minutes before removing. After 5 minutes, lift up the rack to an elevated resting position, then carefully remove jars one by one using a jar lifter, and transfer to a folded towel to cool. The lids on the jars will begin to ‘pop’ into the sealed position, signifying the jam has been preserved. If any lids do not pop within the first 12 — 24 hours, transfer those to the refrigerator and use those up first. It may take up to 24-48 hours to finish setting.

Jars can be stored in your pantry, or a cool, dry cupboard for up to 1 year. Label the top of each lid with the type of jam and the date it was made. Remove bands when storing and be sure to never stack jars on top of each other. Always inspect lids to ensure the seals are good before using. When ready to use, transfer a jar to your refrigerator, and use within 1 month.

STRAWBERRY PIE

1 1/2 cups water, 1 cup granulated sugar, 3 tbsps cornstarch, 1 3-oz package strawberry Jell-O, 1 1/2 pints fresh capped strawberries, 8-inch pre-baked pie shell.

Mix together water, granulated sugar and cornstarch. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick. Remove from heat and Jell-O; mix in well and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes; then fold strawberries. Pour into pie shell. Refrigerate until firm. Serve with a cool whip on the top. You may also use a graham cracker crust.

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PIE

1 cup + 2 tbsps granulated sugar, 6 tbsps cornstarch, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 pound fresh rhubarb, 1 pound strawberries (stemmed and quartered), 1 tbsp orange juice, 2 tsps orange zest, 2 tsps vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, 1 large egg, 2 tbsps turbinado sugar.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet on the center rack of the oven to preheat. Roll out one piece of dough on a floured surface into a 12-inch round, starting at the center and working your way out (sprinkle flour over the top of the dough if it’s a bit too moist). Carefully lift the dough and place in a 9-inch pie pan (not deep dish); gently press against the sides of the pan. Trim excess overhanging dough at the edge of the pie plate. Stir together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a large bowl until evenly combined. Add the rhubarb, strawberries, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla. Toss until evenly coated. Pour the fruit mixture into the pie crust. Roll out the other piece of dough into a 12-inch round on a floured surface. Cut into eight 1 1/2-inch-wide strips. Arrange 4 strips of dough in parallel rows on top of the filling. Working with one strip at a time, arrange the remaining 4 strips perpendicular to the first ones, weaving the strips over and under to form a lattice. Trim the ends of the strips and press them against the bottom crust. Press with a fork all around the edge of the pie crust to crimp. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and 1 tbsp of water with a fork. Brush the dough lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Bake the pie until the filling is bubbly and thickened in the middle of the pie, 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. (Cover the pie with foil if the crust is getting too dark after 45 minutes.) Allow the pie to cool to room temperature before slicing, about 4 hours.

STRAWBERRY BREAD

2 quarts fresh strawberries, 4 beaten eggs, 3 cups all purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, 3 tsps cinnamon, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 1/4 cup cooking oil, 1 cup chopped nuts.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 inch loaf pans and set aside. Wash and cap and slice berries. Drain well and place in a medium bowl. Stir in eggs, flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, oil and nuts. Mix well, pour into prepared pans and bake one hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

STRAWBERRY LEMONADE

1 pound strawberries plus more to garnish, 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 2 cups fresh lemon juice (strained and divided), ice, lemon slices to garnish.

Hull and quarter the strawberries. Place the strawberries in a large bowl, stir in the sugar and ¼ cup lemon juice. Allow to sit, covered for 30 minutes. In a countertop blender, blend the strawberry mixture until pureed. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve to get the seeds out. In a large bowl, combine the strawberry puree with the remaining 1 ¾ cups of lemon juice and 4 cups of water. Add up to 1 additional cup of water to taste if the mixture is too sweet or strong. To serve, stir the lemonade and pour it over ice. Garnish with sliced lemon and strawberries.