Time for our Annual Strawberry Jam!

Time for our Annual Strawberry Jam!

strawberry

To celebrate the state’s bountiful strawberry harvest, we will be hosting our annual Strawberry Jam this Saturday! We are “berry” excited!

This Saturday’s market is absolutely jam packed! 

There will be fun activities and celebrations for all, including an appearance from Jazzy the Strawberry, DIY strawberry ice cream kid’s activity, a cooking demo from Yvette Bonanno, special strawberry items, and live music by Queta Cavalier. 

Our local farmers and food artisans have created some special strawberry items for everyone to enjoy. Check our “Strawberry Stops” list below to make sure you don’t miss out on these wonderful strawberry items! 

See you there!


RED STICK FARMERS MARKET HOURS

An outside, producer-only market featuring locally grown fresh produce.

Thursday
8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Pennington Biomedical

Saturday
8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Main Street Market

MAIN STREET MARKET HOURS

Downtown Baton Rouge’s public marketplace featuring breakfast, lunch, and local shopping.

Monday – Friday
7 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Main Street Market

Saturdays
7 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Main Street Market


This Week at the Market…

Music at the Market

Join us this Saturday from 8am – 12pm with live music from market favorite, Queta Cavalier!

Photos with Jazzy

Take your picture this Saturday with Jazzy the Strawberry, the “spokesberry” for the Louisiana Strawberry Marketing Board! She will be at the market from 8:30 am to 11:30 am.

Strawberry Ice Cream Activity

Bring the kids! Join us this Saturday as kids will have the chance to make their own strawberry ice cream from scratch using fresh strawberries, and see firsthand how food goes from farm to table.

Strawberry Cooking Demo

Join us this Saturday with Chef Yvette Bonanno as she showcases her favorite strawberry recipes, giving attendees a chance to learn new cooking techniques!

Strawberry DNA Extraction

Learn how to extract DNA from a strawberry! Students from the LSU Science department will be at the market to demonstrate this fusion of health and science!  

Market Merch

Celebrate Strawberry Jam in style! Stop by our Red Stick Farmers Market yellow tent to pick up one of our Strawberry “Eat Local” t-shirts. We also have kids sizes!

In the Press…

April Hamilton recently wrote a fabulous piece for InRegister titled, “Homegrown Harvest: Out of south Louisiana soil and sawdust comes a fresh bounty cultivated by small family farmers” which featured the Red Stick Farmers Markets and several of its wonderful vendors!
BREADA’s Executive Director, Darlene Adams Rowland, was recently featured on an episode of the Louisiana Ladies podcast. Listen along to hear Darlene discuss all of the fantastic programming put on by BREADA each year!

National Nutrition Month

Eat the rainbow this week and every week! The theme of week 4 for National Nutrition Month focuses on eating from a variety of food groups. MyPlate is a simple guide to eating balanced meals. Follow the tips below for each food group to ensure you are getting the nutrients you need to live healthy and reduce your risk of chronic disease. 
 
 Fruits:Fruits are nature’s dessert! Fruits are low in calories, sodium, and fat and are full of nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, fiber, and folate. Fructose is also found in fruits. Fructose is a natural sugar with a low glycemic index, meaning that the sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream much slower than artificial sugars and sweeteners. Try adding some fruit into your yogurt or smoothie the next time you get a sweet tooth!
 Vegetables:Vegetables are low in calories and fat and full of nutrients like fiber, potassium, folate, and vitamins A and C. In the vegetable food group, there are five subgroups: dark green; red and orange; beans, peas, and lentils; starchy; and other vegetables. Each subgroup generally contains different nutrients, so it is important to eat a variety of vegetables to ensure your body is getting the nutrients you need!
 Grains:Grains contain nutrients such as fiber, several B vitamins, and minerals. The Grains group is further divided into two subgroups: whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains are made with the entire grain kernel, while refined grains are made by removing part of the kernel and adding back B vitamins, but not fiber. Choosing grains such as oatmeal, brown rice, and other whole-grain products will ensure you get the nutrients you need in your diet.
 Proteins:Proteins such as nuts, seeds, beans, meat, poultry, and seafood can provide your body with many nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, zinc, and magnesium. They help to make and repair cells in bones, muscles, skin, and blood. Seafood, eggs, nuts, beans, and lentils are all protein sources that contain healthy unsaturated fats that can be beneficial to your health when eaten in the proper amounts.
 Dairy:Dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cheese, and soy milk provide the body with many vitamins and minerals. Among these nutrients are vitamin A and D and calcium, which are beneficial for bone health at all stages of life.

Strawberry Jam

(3 Ingredient Small Batch)

Ingredients

1-pint strawberries {about a 1-pound container)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

  1. Wash the strawberries and hull them. Discard the caps and stems
  2. Slice or chop the strawberries and put them in a medium stainless steel or enamel-lined saucepan.
  3. Add the sugar and place the pan over medium-low heat.
  4. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then add the lemon juice.
  5. Keep the mixture at a steady boil for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the jam reaches 220 F on a candy thermometer (or 8 F above the boiling point of water at your particular altitude). There are other ways to test for jelling.  
  6. Stir the jam frequently and drag the spoon over the bottom of the pan to make sure it isn’t scorching.
  7. Ladle or funnel into a one-pint jar or container. Cover and refrigerate. Take the jam out to use and refrigerate as soon as possible after each use for the longest storage time {about 3 weeks).

    Recipe by Diana Rattray