For as long as I can remember, summer time has been spelled T-O-M-A-T-O-E-S! All my born days, my Daddy and uncles have carried on the family tradition of growing tomatoes in their gardens continuing to toss around tips of the trade to perfect the art. And after a few years of trying myself, I have come to believe whole-heartedly that growing tomatoes is an art, especially in our Carolina clay during 100* summers that rarely see a drop of rain. 

Strawberries are usually plentiful in the south this time of year, but not so this year. This ruby beauty is happiest with consistent temperatures which is exactly what we have not received in the extreme climate since the year started. Why, even last week we experienced overnight lows in the 30's and this week have consistent daily highs near 90*, heavy rain storms followed by dry heat. It's a wonder any berries have survived . Our local farmer says the season started off early due to the warm weather and has already hit mid-season several weeks early.  So, what does that mean for us? Well, I wonder if we'll see strawberry stands open until July like last year.  Therefore, I'm not waiting until the middle of May for my annual freezer jam session. It's time to catch the third quarter crop while they are ripe for the pickin'! If you're looking for strawberries from local farms this year, get them while they are still selling because they may not be around later.