A Delicious Sign of the Season
@BelleStarr (61102)
United States
June 21, 2018 5:32pm CST
Local strawberries are showing up at all the farm stands in our area and I can always tell when the time is perfect for strawberry shortcake by the fact that the Third Congregational Church in Middletown has their Strawberry Shortcake Festival.
Today was the day, from 11 am until 4 p.m. the members of the church service up hundreds of delicious strawberry shortcakes along with a cup of coffee or water. We usually go at about 1:30 p.m. when the lunch crowd has calmed down but today we got there at 3:30.
This is the first time I have ever not had to wait for a seat and seen every one of the four 40 foot tables not packed with people. They were winding down but we were still able to get our large serving for $8, small servings are $5.
I asked the man who offered us coffee, how many years they had been doing the festival. He said he thought it was 125. I have been coming here pretty much yearly since about 1985 or 86 so I knew they have been doing it for a while.
The whipped cream is homemade and so are the biscuits. It is the best strawberry shortcake I have ever had, even better than my mom's and that is saying a lot. We look forward to coming here every year.
15 people like this
16 responses
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
26 Jun 18
Oh my, I am actually, salivating while looking at the picture because I love strawberries. Though, I don't eat the fruit plain but with cream or milk. I find it so delicious that way.
Lucky for you because strawberries are indigenous in your place. Here, it is not, though, in a mountain-based cold place here in the Philippines, they really abound.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
28 Jun 18
For a few weeks they are abundant and quite inexpensive, I love this time of year!!
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
26 Jun 18
Oh yes, they have big bowls that they scoop from. She told me there started to hull the strawberries at 6 am.
1 person likes this
@YrNemo (20255)
•
26 Jun 18
@BelleStarr 
Just to show you, I am a lazy type! That life is not for me...
Just to show you, I am a lazy type! That life is not for me...
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
28 Jun 18
It is such a treat to have fresh warm strawberries and cream, even without the biscuit!!
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471356)
• Switzerland
28 Jun 18
@BelleStarr You are right, strawberries and whipped cream are good without the biscuit too.
@sallypup (61009)
• Centralia, Washington
22 Jun 18
I love festivals like what you describe. Yes, its strawberry and raspberry season at my house- berries fresh from our garden. I made a home version of strawberry shortcake last night. It was biscuit dough but made with rough oat flour and white flour. I sliced home strawberries over that then put a date sweetened sauce over the whole thing. Very very tasty.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
28 Jun 18
Sounds delicious but I think I would miss the whipped cream, I love cream, it doesn't need to be whipped, I pour it!! On everything!! lol I always say that is my English side coming out!! Thanks grandma!!
1 person likes this
@sallypup (61009)
• Centralia, Washington
28 Jun 18
@BelleStarr I love whipped cream, too. When I was a kid we got the cream straight from the cow.
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
28 Jun 18
I do look forward to it, I can't believe that last year I was in Vermont visiting my brother, really bad timing.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
28 Jun 18
lol Yes I always feature it on my local blog, they do an amazing amount of business. I heard someone say $14,000 that is a lot of strawberries!!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (339583)
• Rockingham, Australia
29 Jun 18
@BelleStarr And a lot of picking! My back is aching just writing about it. 
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
22 Jun 18
oh i would too. looks yummy. my daughter in Ohio just put the one she made on FB yesterday . made me miss Ohio even more
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
26 Jun 18
We are in prime local strawberry season here, people are picking them everywhere. I am much too lazy, I buy them at the farm stand.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (136099)
• India
22 Jun 18
That photo is tempting and inviting. And you got to taste it
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
28 Jun 18
I did get to taste it, right to the last drop lol
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (50208)
• United States
27 Jun 18
Oh my goodness. it looks so good.
it looks so good.1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
28 Jun 18
lol and if you can believe it, it tastes even better than it looks. I look forward to it every year.
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
22 Jun 18
It was a delicious interlude that is for sure lol
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
27 Jun 18
That is so cruel. I would love that! I love strawberries.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
27 Jun 18
It is that time of the year here, we had a strawberry shortcake at the senior center yesterday for $2, a great bargain but not quite as good as this particular one which is the best.
@Courtlynn (67085)
• United States
22 Jun 18
So glad you were able to enjoy that, and didn't have to wait for a seat.
My mom makes her own too, but uses coolwhip instead of whipped cream.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
26 Jun 18
I am a purist, I always have real whipped cream but I know many people like cookwhip these days.
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (67085)
• United States
27 Jun 18
@BelleStarr only time people have whipped cream that I know, is when they have sundaes. otherwise everyone around here uses coolwhip.
@mlgen1037 (29886)
• Manila, Philippines
21 Jun 18
Hi Belle. Yummy! I love to eat those strawberry shortcakes!
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
22 Jun 18
Thank you Louise, it really was delicious.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
28 Jun 18
We get them all year but these are locally grown so the taste is vastly superior. We will have them for about a month locally and then raspberries and blueberries.
@BelleStarr (61102)
• United States
22 Jun 18
Thanks Dolly, it was sooo delicious. Now we will have to wait for next year to have it again.
1 person likes this
