Strawberry Picking

My annual Strawbery Picking Extravaganza was last Saturday, Day One of strawberry picking at Terhune Orchards in Princeton, NJ. I arrived at the farm around 1:30 after a lazy morning at home in anticipation of a long day of picking, cleaning and jamming. It had been so crowded at Terhune that the strawberry field was closed after we left: it was all picked out! But strawberries have a way of regenerating or ripening overnight, so Sunday and Monday's pickers had plenty to keep them busy.



Strawberry jam is the easiest to make, I think, because strawberries have lots of natural pectin in them that helps the jam set. Some of my recipes that combine strawberries with other fruits require a box of store-bought pectin, but my plain strawberry jam recipe from the original Ball Blue Book does not. Ball is one of the leading jar and lid manufacturers, by the way. I make lots of strawberry and blueberry jam every year mostly to give away as gifts at Christmas, and sometimes for a unique hostess or housewarming gift. I guard my latest stock fiercely, but if you hit me up for a jar of last year's product, I can usually set you up. My most popular flavor, at least with the family, is blueberry-lime, so you probably won't see leftovers of that flavor.

This year I made extra strawberry because I'll be traveling in July when blueberries are ripe. After starting the picking at 1:30, I worked straight through until 8:30 making strawberry, strawberry-banana and strawberry-rhubarb. When I was all finished there were 29 jars, mostly half-pints. They cooled on the counter for two days just as the Ball Blue Book directs, and now they are ready to be stored in a cool, dark place.
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Moravian Tile Works

There are tiles and there are tiles! We visited Henry Mercer's Moravian Tile Works in Doylestown, Bucks County, PA, on Sunday. I had passed this strange looking building (built in 1910-1912) many times on Route 313, but never stopped to check it out until now. From the road it looks kind of spooky, but the opposite side is actually the front. the design is based on California missions with a courtyard and covered walks, lots of arches, and a tile roof. The many chimneys are copied from those at San Juan Capistrano. The entire building is made out of concrete with various materials stuck to the walls on the inside: burlap, sheet metal, and other unidentifiable substances.

Back to the tiles: Henry Mercer studied to be a lawyer and switched to archeology, but he's remembered most for his collection of tools and artifacts and the Moravian Tile Works. Originally he was inspired by Pennsylvania German designs, but through his travels he was exposed to other styles that he would use for his tiles: Aztec, Inca, English, European medieval, Native American, folk, nature, and Bible motives. The Arts and Crafts Movement and Spanish-influenced architecture were both popular when the Tile Works was making tiles, and tile fits into both. There was a large market in Pennsylvania and beyond for mercer's tiles. The state capitol in Harrisburg features an original Henry Mercer tile mosaic that tells the history of Pennsylvania.

Tiles are still made at the Moravian Tile Works, and craftspeople were at work Sunday making tiles from the original Mercer molds. The gift shop has an extensive collection of tiles in the various styles and sizes made through the years at the Moravian Tile Works. Although I dream of a new kitchen backsplash made from these beautifully crafted tiles, I settled for a golden cut-out bee and a square relief of The Flying Dutchman ghost ship.