The Colors of a Watermelon

Hands down, my favorite fruit is watermelon. Unfortunately I am on a sugar-free diet and they are too high in sugar for me to eat-oh the pressure to look great in summer wear, right?! But I digress! One of the wonderful things about watermelon season is not only the fruit-but the beautiful colors of the fruit. From deep to bright reds and pale and hot pinks to various shades of greens, it is really pretty and each one is a little different.

This inspired me to find some watermelon-inspired clothing, accessories or nails-maybe this will tide me over until I can have the fruit again! Are there any fruits or fruit colors that inspire you?

Lipstick / Tank / Top / Watch / Shoes / Pillow / Flats / Bracelet / Shorts / Necklace / Dress / Headphones

DIY: Freezing Seasonal Fruit

As fruit starts to come into season, it is the perfect time of year to visit local farmers. This year, we decided to stock up on strawberries and freeze them, so we can enjoy them throughout the year.

As I mentioned in my blog post yesterday, we visited Marburger Orchard. Since, this type of fruit doesn't last as long as the store bought-I wouldn't go longer than a couple of days to freeze it. First, we picked up supplies at Wal-Mart. I am sure you can buy these anywhere, but we bought the Ball Canning brand, made specifically to freeze, as well as some sticker labels for the jars. 

Once you clean the fruit and let most of the water drain (about 10 minutes) cut off the stems and any areas that look too bruised or bad to you. Then either cut the strawberries in half or in quarters. We ended up cutting the medium-sized in half and left the smaller strawberries whole. 

Next, you need to decide how you want to freeze your fruit. We choose to sugar (or Splenda) freeze this batch for sweeter flavor (this also helps to preserve the fruit), but you can also "dry freeze" your fruit. To sugar freeze, add 1/2 cup of sugar per quart of fruit and mix gently until all the sugar is dissolved and the fruit is coated. It almost seemed to turn a bit syrupy because of the water, which is fine. Then put the strawberries in jars and place in freezer. 

To dry freeze, place fruit individually on a tray in the freezer until frozen, then remove and quickly put in freezer bags and return them to the freezer. We plan to do this with our blackberries we pick in May.

The strawberries will be perfect to use to make strawberry crepes, pie, smoothies and I hear they are great semi-frozen. Make sure to use them within the year!

Strawberry Season

I am lucky to live in a town that has farms surrounding it, some are less than ten minutes away. Not only can we get fresh produce regularly, but when in season, we can go pick our own peaches or berries. The weather has been absolutely beautiful lately and on Friday, so my dad and I went early to Marburger Orchard to pick strawberries. 

When you arrive, you get a quick overview of the right way to pick strawberries. Basically, never pull on the plant to get the strawberry, you pinch it off, which results in green fingers and fingernails. So, remember that the manicure should come after this! You also want the berry fully red, except for the tip opposite the stem, which can be a little green. You are allowed one sample or "taster"during the overview, but are not supposed to eat while you are picking. We ended up picking two boxes worth at about $2.75 per pound. 

In May and June, the blackberry bushes will be ready to pick from. We plan to reserve an 8 a.m. spot for the first pick before anyone else has a chance. I am also really looking forward to the peach crop, our mild winter has set us up for a great peach season. The colors of the peach trees blooms and other flowers were so beautiful!

Today we are cleaning and preparing the strawberries to freeze them so we can enjoy them year round. I will be putting together a quick DIY on that for tomorrow!