Strawberry picking in a field alongside Merrymeeting Bay; a scentful mix of sweet ruby fruit and salted air from the brackish water. If I were a perfumist I would create a fragrance to capture this magnificent mingling of scents. 
The afternoon was spent indulging. Eating, hulling, preserving, more eating. Red-stained fingers and mouths. Happy sounds. 
I froze several batches, which I will use to make the most delicious desert toppings, smoothies, and frozen strawberry margaritas, in the dead of winter, when the snow is collecting outside my door. To preserve I combine one quart of berries with 1/2 cup of sugar, letting them rest in the bowl as they form a sweet, syrupy mix. I then press the mixture into clean mason jars, leaving 1/2 to one inch of space at the top. You can freeze them for up to a year. We also made jam. I have several books on preserving food and making jams and jellies. The small-batch strawberry jam recipe from this book is a favorite.
Wishing you sweet, sensual summer days. XO
Susan Tuttlefine art photography
