Strawberries, Canning, Seedlings & Fig Trees

The cheapest we've found strawberries this year is $12.00 a flat. In the spring the farmers from the Northshore of Lake Ponchartrain set up roadside stands from the backs of their cars or pick-ups or at farmer's markets. Usually at the beginning of the season they get as much as they can for them about $30.00 a flat. Who can blame them?

After a few weeks of strawberry season passes you can get what I consider quite a deal on them. The local berries are sweet and delicious. After stuffing ourselves with as many fresh berries as we could, I made jam with the remainder.

Making jam is simple. Cook down fruit, a little lemon juice and sugar to gelling point, put in prepared jars, then can in boiling water for about ten minutes. I've bought a couple books, and while I had all the canning stuff out I decided to try out this recipe....
I'm going to attempt to make Thai food soon just so I can try out this sauce I made :) Very very spicy. Should go great with spring rolls.

Here are my seven jars of jam and nine jars of Thai dipping sauce. I think I'm going to give some of the Thai sauce away, but the strawberry jam......? I'll think about it.

Here is a view of the seedlings I planted previously. My front porch becomes a seedling nursery every spring. Once they developed their first set of true leaves, I scooped them out, separated them and planted them in their own little cell. Hmmm... Sounds like prison. Anyway, There are better ways than these little plastic pots, but these are recycled from other people. I'll use them over and over as long as they hold up.

In the front I have seven Japanese plum seedlings that sprouted under my plum tree. They'll be planted here and there around the place. In the very back I have the Alma fig cuttings! It's been a month and they've been planted, growing tips pointing upwards, in their very own little pots.

We'll see how many take. This is something I really hope works. There are a couple great fig trees I'd like a few more of!