SHIFTING ROOTS

home, garden, food, and prairie lifestyle

How to Prepare Your Strawberries for the Winter

It’s another one of those rites of passage of learning to garden–killing the strawberries you so desperately wanted to save. Everybody loves strawberries, but nobody likes it when the strawberry plants they invested in last Spring die a slow and horrible death over the cold Canadian Winter.  Not that I’m bitter about the time it happened to me, or anything.

Here’s how you (and your strawberries) can avoid this terrible fate.

Disclaimer time: I garden in in zone 3b in the Canadian Prairies and thus my advice is best suited to that region, and also highly applicable to zones 2 and 4.  I realize that readers from many warmer zones read my stuff, so I’ve tried to account for your situation where possible.   I love comments from those who live in other places!  Your knowledge of different zones helps lots of people become better gardeners. . .which is probably why you’re here in the first place.

Second disclaimer, as of writing this post I’m 19 weeks pregnant and. . . hormonal, shall we say?  As I’m re-reading this I realize it might come off as really angry, but it’s meant to be funny.  I hope it’s funny.

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Bumbleberry Crisp with Saskatoon Berries, Rhubarb, and Strawberries

Have you heard of bumbleberry?  It isn’t actually a berry, but a combination of fresh or frozen fruit including saskatoon berries, blueberries, rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, or crab apples.  The beautiful thing is you can pick whichever three or more you have on hand, in whatever amounts you like, and still call it bumbleberry.

For generations, farm wives have loved making bumbleberry pies and crisps to clean our their freezers of leftover frozen fruit or use up an overabundance of summer fruit.

Whatever your situation, you’re sure to love this easy summer dessert recipe.

Rhubarb, strawberry, and Saskatoon berry combine in this easy and delicious bumbleberry crisp recipe. With rolled oats and fresh or frozen fruit, it's sure to become a new favorite summer dessert recipe. #bumbleberrycrisp #summerdessert #summerdessertrecipe #fruitcrisp #saskatoonberry #rhubarb #strawberry

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Tips and Tricks to Harvesting, Cleaning, and Preserving Berries

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. . . berry picking season!!  Saskatoon berries, sour cherries, strawberries, and raspberries are all in season these next few weeks.  Before you grab your straw hat and pail (or walk down to the fruit truck, we won’t judge) here’s some little tips and tricks to make the whole process smoother.

This post contains affiliate links.  If you purchase anything, I earn a small commission at no extra charge to you.  Thanks for your support!

Planning to harvest fresh berries this summer? Before you start canning, freezing, and preserving your berries, read this first to make the whole process easier--especially if you're a beginner! #berries #summerberries #canning #harvesting #preserving #freezing #foodstorage #preservingfood #canning101

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For the Love of Berry Picking

It’s a hot sticky morning in July and I wake up to the bright sun at 6:30am.  Why am I up this early?  Oh yes, it’s berry picking season.

Yesterday I spent 2 hours in the scorching sun only to pick one pail of Saskatoon berries.  Today I’ll be picking raspberries at my Mother-in-law’s acreage.  Two hours later I emerge hot, sticky, dirty, and profoundly happy from the raspberry patch.

Why?

I love going berry picking every summer. Saskatoon berries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, sour cherries. . . you name it, I love to pick it. Over the years I've learned that while picking berries is about food security, it's also about love and passing down traditions.

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