6:00 - wiped out @ 2:15 today, OPEN Sat, Sun and Mon

Hi gang,

Brought in 20 flats today by noon and promptly sold out by 2:15. Now that's movin' some berries! Of course the heat reduced the harvest and slowed down the picking time :( Berries do not like heat! Some will roast in the high temps and we can't harvest past noon because the berries turn to mush.

Good news!!! Schedule change...... Open for sure on Sunday and Monday

We will be open Saturday, Sunday and possibly Monday (Monday for sure unless you hear otherwise).

We'll bring berries in at noon and will be there till we sell out. I have no way of knowing how many we'll have for the day until I get there @ 11:30. Our schedule can be quite changeable these days - it's the nature of the business. I promise to keep you updated if something changes.

We're behind on spreading compost, need to shape the beds and water up the rows before we can plant. All that takes time!! Our current plan is to start planting full speed ahead on Tuesday. We will surely be closed Tues 9/4, Wed, Thurs and possibly Fri. We need 7 - 10 days to transplant the entire patch with new plants. We juggle watering the beds before we plant, keeping the new plants watered, watering our existing patch, and watching the weather (heat). Sometimes we can harvest a day while we water up. Nothing goes according to a schedule I'm afraid.

The countdown has begun.... 17 more sales days left until closing.

Freezing berries
Some of you asked about freezing berries so I'm sending the tips again. You can find all my past "berry updates" @ carstensenfarms.blogspot.com. All the recipes are there and you can check for berry updates if you're away from your home computer :)
Reprinted from May 19, 2007 berry update:

Lots and lots of you have mentioned you never thought of freezing the berries. A customer suggested I share my freezing tips once again so here goes....

Method #1
I don't even wash them before freezing. Cut the tops off, slice a few times and place into a freezer container. I use the Glad or Ziplock kind with the blue lids. I pack them really tight to push out as much air as possible. They will come out a solid brick so choose the size container you wish to defrost. I use them all winter long on pancakes, waffles, shortcake, making jam, smoothies, etc. Expect them to be soft and have lots of liquid. Some folks will ONLY make jam from frozen berries.

Method #2
Puree them first then pour into freezing sizes you desire for smoothies. This way saves the most space.

Method #3
Take the tops off, place whole berry on cookie sheet, wait until frozen, put in bags or containers. You can take these out individually or use them like berry ice cubes. Some kids enjoy eating the frozen berries.

Method #4
Make berry ice pops for the kids. Puree berries. Place in pop molds. Kids love them. Sometimes I add yogurt and banana. Get creative.

Cheers!

Sally Strawberry

Open 12:00 - 5:30/6:00 or sold out daily,
Closed Tuesday/Thursday

3:45 - OPEN w/ 16 flats needing homes

Hi all,

Annie is completely bored at the stand right now :) We've got 16 beautiful flats of juicy, red berries just waiting for homes. Ya know....... today has been very weird. The day is way off the norm for customer flow. Could it be that you are waiting on my every email before stopping by??? I realized I didn't send out the week at a glance memo today. Hummmmm, this email is powerful stuff.

Here's the scoop.....

I'll be open all this week as follows:
Today 12 - 6
Wed 12 - 6
Fri 12 - 6 (blackberries should arrive @ noon, limited qty)
Sat 12 - 6 (will be open unless you receive word otherwise)
Sun Closed (unless we don't get our plants)

Monday thru Friday of the following week ( 9/3 thru 9/7) ------ CLOSED for transplanting. I'll send you an update if we happen to squeeze in some harvest time and can bring berries in. You will be going without berries for about 10 days!!! I'm letting you down slowly in preparation for the BIG final close in mid to late September.

Not to shock you but...... we have approximately 20 sale days left until we close for the winter. Yep, TWENTY. If you're waiting to make jam, freeze for the winter, or just plain eat 'em, stop by and snag some while you can. Ma Nature can close us at any time.

I'll stay open as long as we have berries AND as long as you want them.

Cheers!

Sally Strawberry

Open, blkberries on Friday, Berry Chipotle Jam recipe

Hi gang,

We're open today from 12:00 to 6:00. It's a day of celebration for some I'm sure - the kiddos return to school! They'll be needing healthy lunch food and smoothies after school and sports. I'll keep bringing in the berries of you continue to want them :)

Organic blackberries will arrive on Friday. They will be delivered on Friday @ noon and be available until sold out. If there are any left Friday we'll keep them cool and put them out Saturday.


Here's a recipe from a very loyal and enjoyable customer.....

My neighbor, Lois Jenkins, who just started to make jam a few weeks ago, came up with an unusual recipe: Strawberry Chipotle Jam! It is your sweet berries with a bite! I asked Lois if it was okay to share the recipe and she said, Sure! so here it is. Please share with your list. Note - you can adjust the 'heat' - spoon a little, let it cool and taste before you can or serve!

Strawberry Chipotle Jam

3 pints of Sally's strawberries, remove tops and mash up a bit
2 1/2 peppers, taken from canned chipotle. Chop fine, remove seeds and stem. (If you have fresh that should be fine too)
3/4 cup sugar
1 box pectin
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Cook all ingredients together. Lois didn't say how long but I guess for at least a few minutes. Test for gelling on chilled spoons or plates. Lois suggest to add the chipotle sauce from the can to make it hotter, to your liking.

Makes 3 half pint jars.

Doesn't make a whole lot but I'd add that if you can get the smaller jars, use those so you'll be able to give to a few more friends to try.

Barbara Ginsberg

p.s. Rex's Hardware opens next weekend! A local favorite returns. Please continue to support local businesses like Sally's, Rex's, and our downtown stores.

p.s.s. if you are looking for fresh veggies - try Greenstrings on Frates Road right off of Adobe. They are nice people and believe strongly in bringing you the best fresh produce!

Cheers!!

Sally Strawberry

Open @ 3:30 w/ 14 flats

Hi gang,

Just checked in with the stand. 14 flats are still available and ready for adoption. The harvest was good today.

We will be open tomorrow 12 - 6. I have made it to 6PM all last week!

Next week:
Monday OPEN 12 - 6
Wed OPEN 12 - 6
Fri OPEN 12 - 6
Sat OPEN 12 - 6
Sun OPEN 12 - 6

Transplanting is coming up. We may possibly start earlier than the expected Sept 1st. I'll keep you posted about our days closed and open. Sometimes we plant for 3 days, water and harvest for 1, plant another 3, water/harvest for 1 and finish up with 3 more days. Our transplanting chores are EXTREMELY important ----- it's your berries for next year! I really have to step it up and pay attention :)

We have about 6 weeks of the season left (including transplant time). We usually stay open until mid September every year. Ma Nature makes the call.

Haven't heard back from Anderson's Organics. We were playing phone tag. If we get it set up to have them with us I'll give you the word.

Cheers!

Sally Strawberry

OPEN, Open again on Wed

Hi gang,

Quick update to keep you informed.

We're open today..... 12 - 6 or sold out.
Open Wed 12 - 6
Open Fri 12 - 6

Sat and Sun look good. If you don't hear from me assume I'll be open as usual.

Cheers!

Sally Strawberry

4:00 - 13 flats delivered, OPEN

Hi folks,

Your regular 4/4:30 update comin' at ya.........13 flats are available. We'll make it till 6:00 tonite.

The field looks good. We'll be open tomorrow, Sunday, 12 - 6.

The upcoming week:

Monday - will report in after harvest tomorrow, Sunday hoping to be open
Wed - Open 12 - 6
Fri - Open 12 - 6
Sat Open 12 - 6 until further notice
Sun Open 12 - 6

A little advance warning for you.......

Our annual transplanting will start on Sept 1st. If all the supplies and plants flow, we will be closed for 10 days Sept 1 - 10th. Sometimes we sneak an open day in between transplanting blocks but we can't foresee until we're in the thick of it. After transplanting we will have about 2 - 2.5 weeks left of the season. Please don't wait to freeze for the winter. The time will fly by!!!

Cheers!

Sally Strawberry

4:30 - 8 flats left :) Open on Saturday

Hi gang!

We've fallen into this routine..... I seem to be writing these 4:30 updates on a regular basis. I think of it as doing my part to make your life easier and a community service announcement :) I do my very best to keep folks informed so they don't make unnecessary trips to the stand and waste their precious time.

The stand had 8 flats @ 4:30. We'll stay until they're gone or 6:00. Come and adopt them :)

We will be open Saturday (just a reminder). 12 - 6 or sold out, as usual.

Cheers!

Sally Strawberry

Wed @ 4:30 as promised - 5 1/2 flats available

Hi gang,

A few flats remain for those of you coming home from work or in the area.

We'll be open again on Friday @ noon.

The berries are starting to get that salmon color again and the aroma is incredible. My house smells like berries from only 3 baskets!! Remember to pop them in the fridge shortly after you take them home to extend their life. Keeping them out overnight is not recommended during this time of year.

Cheers!

Sally Strawberry

Wed 8/8 - OPEN, waiting for berries to ripen

Hi gang,

Sorry about the change back to summer days/hours :( The plants are flowering and there are green berries out there but..... we're waiting for them to start ripening. When the weather is cool (like now) it could take 30 days from blossom to fruit. 75 degree days without 1/2 the day of fog shorten that time to 20 days. All those variables make it hard to predict anything. I simply have to roll with the flow as they say.

We will be open today at 12:00. I expect to bring in more at 2:00. If there are still berries on the stand @ 4:30 I will send you a "come and get 'em" email so you aren't guessing if we're open. I simply don't know how many we'll get today. We have been open from 12 - 6 last week with the exception of Saturday.

Here's our schedule for this week:

Today--Open 12 - 6
Friday--Open 12 - 6
Saturday--Open 12 - 6
Sunday--Could be open or closed depending on Saturday harvest (will send update)
Mon--????

Anderson's Organics and I have been playing phone tag. It sounds like they may be ready with veggies. I'll try to get them set up for this Saturday and next Wed. We had talked about a Wed, Sat, Sun schedule.

Cheers,

Sally Strawberry

Sat @ 3:30 - 15 flats on stand , CLOSED tomorrow & maybe Monday

Hi gang,

Ma Nature changes things quick! I won't have enough to be open tomorrow (Sunday). If you planned to get them tomorrow..... sorry. I just dropped off 10 newly harvested flats 15 minutes ago!!! There's still time to grab berries today instead of tomorrow OR just today for today :) We'll be there until 6PM or when sold out. It could be hit and miss for the rest of this season. My suggestion...... get 'em when you see 'em.

I'll ALWAYS keep you updated with any hours/days changes - you can count on it :)

Cheers!

Sally Strawberry

OPEN! Return to regular days, awesome customer recipes

Hi gang!

OPEN, OPEN, OPEN today. It's the return of our regular days! We'll be out there Fri, Sat, Sun, and Mon. Whew..... I'll have to take a nap on Tues LOLOL I'm expecting the berries to be really red, ripe and juicy.

The weather has been just perfect for slow ripening and sugar building. You should seriously be thinking about squirreling some away for the winter months (if you haven't already). The berries are superb over pancakes, in smoothies, and for jam even when they've been frozen. If you're really smart you'll puree what you need first, seal in your containers and take out just what you need all winter.

Here are a couple of recipes as promised. They are kitchen tested by some of our very own berry customers (really nice ones I might add).

Cheers!

Sally Strawberry

Open 12:00 - 5:30/6:00 or sold out daily,
Closed Tuesday/Thursday

STRAWBERRY BRUSCHETTA

Measurements depend on what size bread you have and what you like. So use your own judgement.

Italian or French bread or other good crusty bread
Mild soft cheese - we like Stilton with Apricots from Trader Joe's but you could also try Brie or others.
Sally's strawberries, sliced
Sugar
Olive oil or butter

Grill bread either in a panini machine or in a skillet with a little olive oil or butter.* Grill LIGHTLY, you'll be broiling it next. Top the grilled bread with the cheese and sliced strawberries. Sprinkle a little sugar on top. Put under the broiler on LOW for about a minute or two. Keep an eye on it as it can burn quickly! Take out of oven the minute when the edges turn golden brown. Wait a few minutes to let it cool before eating.

*I guess you could also lightly toast the bread if you are in a hurry!

My husband Alan makes this special treat on weekends. He found a recipe online long ago and tweaked it - adding the cheese for a little extra tang.

Enjoy!

From .......Barbara Ginsberg


From ........ Lynn & Co.

We use Guittard chocolate, dark 72%. You can't order it online directly from Guittard, but we have found some small boxes in grocery stores (like United Market, but NOT at G&G the last time I checked). The stuff we have found in stores is NOT as high a percentage of dark, it's usually more like 50% or so, but will still work. This only means it is sweeter chocolate. I like the more bittersweet chocolate because it lets you taste the sweetness of the strawberries without overwhelming you with chocolate.

I have also gone to specialty chocolate stores and asked them to sell me "bulk" chocolate pieces if they use Guittard. It comes either in the form of large "chips" or huge chunk blocks, but can be expensive. Because your strawberries are so incredible, I wouldn't use ANY other chocolate. Most "baking" chocolate you find in grocery stores will do your strawberries no justice at all. If you have the right chocolate, you will taste the strawberries first, and have a wonderful, mild aftertaste of the chocolate second. If you use those crappy store-bought strawberries, I would use the sweeter store chocolate to mask the bitterness of the strawberries.

I am sure there are fancy, professional ways of melting chocolate. I don't know or use any of them. I take a regular (medium-large) sauce pan, and fill it 1/2 - 2/3 full of water and bring it to a boil. I leave it on a low, rolling boil the entire time. I then take a small METAL mixing bowl and set it directly on top of the sauce pan. It needs to be bigger than the opening of the pan so it sits on top and doesn't fall in. I suppose a double boiler would work just the same, but I don't have one and have never used one.

Make sure you use a pot holder or something to steady the mixing bowl because it will get REALLY hot on that pot of boiling water. Dump your chocolate in the mixing bowl and slowly stir/mix the chocolate as it melts, using a spatula to work the sides back down into the melted mess of chocolate. Oh yeah, this can potentially be a very messy ordeal, so be prepared. Wear dark, old clothes because dark chocolate can be hard to get out of clothes. You should be able to tell when the chocolate is melted, just keep stirring with the spatula on occasion to keep it from burning.

Then carefully tip the mixing bowl (PLEASE use a pot holder) at a slight angle while it's still on the pot of water, and dip your strawberries. I usually have a baking sheet covered with parchment paper ready and RIGHT next to the stove. As you transfer the dipped strawberries to the sheet, you can sometimes lose a drip or two. Just set them on the sheet and space them however you wish. Once we are out of strawberries to dip, we dip just about everything else to use up whatever chocolate is left (i.e., marshmallows, blueberries, graham crackers, etc...).

Once your baking sheet is covered up, CAREFULLY put it in the fridge (don't tip it or it will all slide off onto the floor - this isn't pleasant and takes FOREVER to clean up). An hour or so usually does the trick, sometimes longer. Just taste something and see if it works. I usually put the marshmallows or crackers in a Ziplock and store at room temperature. The rest stays in the fridge. Because your strawberries are fresh and perfect, they will last overnight dipped in the fridge, but really need to be eaten soon, so I wouldn't recommend doing this DAYS in advance of your need for them, but rather the day before or the day of the planned consumption.

Wed @ 4:00 - plenty of berries! Open now

I just brought in a load of berries to the stand. I can't believe how wonderful the aroma was after being away for 2 weeks! I snagged a box for myself :) We have plenty to last until 6PM tonite so stop by and grab them. If demand is up in August I'll try to juggle harvest and transplanting tasks. Otherwise we'll close for transplanting around Sept 1 for 10 days or so. We have about 6 harvest weeks left gang!!!

This week.....

Friday Open 12 - 6
Sat Open 12 - 6
Sun Open 12 - 6

Next week
Open daily, closed Tues/Thurs 12 - 6

Cheers!

Sally Strawberry

P.S. I'll have to pull up some of my recipes again!!