Home Grown Strawberries

First picking



Second picking

 When I was a little girl ,we would go to Illinois every summer to see my Grandparents and I would get to eat "puddies" ( that's what I called strawberries...don't ask my why.  Mom thought I called them that because I thought they were pretty..lol)  three times a day.  Grandpa Beck grew them in his garden and Grandma would " put them up" in the freezer in the garage.....quarts and quarts of them!  Of course she put tons and tons of sugar in them and that's why I think I liked them so well.  It was like eating strawberry syrup.  ...they were soooooo good.  Mom would fuss at Grandma for letting me have so many of them but she would tell Mom that I was her only grand daughter and I could do what ever I wanted...lol.  Spoiled much?  Well, my Grandmother had five boys with my Dad being the youngest and all the boys only had "boys"....until I came along. Since last year was our first garden up here and of course I planted six strawberry plants.  Well, all summer long, they kept spreading with their little "runners" until I had a big patch of them.  ...but no strawberries.  This Spring, they made up for it.  The plants have been loaded!!!!  I have picked three bowls full so far and there is probably enough down there right now to go pick again.  I guess I should " put some up" in the freezer for when my grand daughters come up this summer.  Who doesn't want to "spoil" their grand daughters with home grown "puddies"?