Category: Cover Stories

Finding the fun in foraging for fungi

On July 7, while walking a trail in Goffstown, mushroom forager Christine Gagnon shared with me her No. 1 piece of advice for foraging beginners.

“Don’t eat anything until you can identify it yourself. [Not] until you’re 100 percent sure,” she said. “The only way to know if a mushroom is safe to eat is if you have learned to 100 percent, confidently, identify that mushroom on your own and you’ve researched edibility. … The only rule is to know your mushrooms before you eat them.”

With about 30,000 different species of mushrooms in New Hampshire, according to Gagnon, it’s no wonder that more and more Granite Staters are joining in on mushroom hobbies from observing, foraging and collecting, to cooking, eating and making dye.

“The interesting thing about the Northeast in general is that I think we have a greater variety of species than a lot of other parts [of the country], or at least the east in general,” she said. “So that kind of makes it exciting.”

Mushroom foraging classes and events

• Mushroom Walk Join Christine Gagnon of Uncanoonuc Foraging Company for a two hour introduction to all things mushrooms and foraging in Dunbarton on Saturday, Aug. 5 at 4 p.m. The cost is $30 and $10 for ages 10 to 13. Children 9 years old and under are free. Email christine at uncforaging@gmail.com to reserve your spot, arrange payment and for the exact location. Find Uncanoonuc Foraging Company on Facebook.
• Friday Night Forage Join New Hampshire Mushroom Co. (153 Gardner Hill Road, Tamworth; nhmushrooms.com) for their Friday Night Forage this month on Aug. 4, Aug. 18 and Aug. 24, from 5 to 7 p.m. Attendees will walk or carpool to a neary trail to collect, observe and identify mushrooms using proper techniques. Tickets are $20.
• Sunday ID Session New Hampshire Mushroom Co. (153 Gardner Hill Road, Tamworth; nhmushrooms.com) will hold their Sunday ID Session on Aug. 6 and Aug. 20, from 1 to 3 p.m. Everyone is invited to bring mushrooms they have found to lay out on a picnic table for Eric to go around and identify. The cost is $15.
• Can you Eat it? Mushroom ID SessionNew Hampshire Mushroom Co.’s next Can you Eat it? Mushroom ID session is on Sunday, Aug. 13, from noon to 4 p.m. starting at the farm (153 Gardner Hill Road, Tamworth; nhmushrooms.com). The class begins at the farm with a brief introduction to mushroom hunting before going to the woods to gather some. Students will enjoy a meal at the farm and discuss their findings.
• Mushroom Walk Join Eric Milligan of New Hampshire Mushroom for a mushroom walk at Weeks State Park (200 Week’s State Park Road, Lancaster) on Saturday, Aug. 19, from 1 to 4 p.m. to observe, collect and learn about mushrooms and their role in the ecosystem. Participants will meet on the porch of the Summit Lodge before the start time. Visit weeksstateparkassociation.org.
• Foraging: Wild Mushroom Walk: Beginner Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center (928 White Oaks Road, Laconia) is holding a wild mushroom foraging walk on Saturday, Aug. 26, from 10 a.m. to noon. New Hampshire Mushroom Foraging Co. will guide you along the trails to collect, identify and learn about the different species of mushroom. The event is recommended for adults and costs $30. Visit prescottfarm.org.
• Mushroom Meander with the Morel Quandary Club in Walpole Naturalist John Benjamin and mushroom enthusiast George Caughey lead this walk through Distant Hill Gardens (507 March Hill Road) in Walpole from 4 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 31. Register at harriscenter.org.
• Women in the Woods: Fun Fungi Foray Society for the Protection of NH Forests mushroom enthusiast Carrie Deegan leads this foray through the Merrimack River Outdoor Education & Conservation Area in Concord (54 Portsmouth St.) on Sept. 28, from 1 to 4 p.m. Learn about mushroom biology and how to collect and identify mushrooms before putting this into practice on the Merrimack River floodplain. Make sure to bring a basket to collect your findings. This event is limited to 25 participants. Register at extension.unh.edu.

Mushroom season

Gagnon founded Uncanoonuc Foraging Co. in 2021. She led me through our walk much like she would lead her foraging classes on local trails where she looks for mushrooms and talks about the different characteristics that can help people identify them. It turns out, the rain and humidity we got in July made for perfect mushroom weather. Gagnon had returned to New Hampshire from California the day before, and told me how she couldn’t wait to get back.

“I saw here that it was exploding [with] mushrooms with all the rain and suddenly, of course, [they] decided to show themselves while I was on the other side of the country,” she said. “I got back yesterday morning … and [by] noon I was in the truck … to go look for mushrooms.”

According to Gagnon, as long as they have adequate rain and moisture, mushrooms can be found and foraged anywhere, from your lawn with full sun exposure, to a shady spot in the woods under a tree.

She says August through October, ending around November, is generally the ideal time for mushroom foraging, but each mushroom has its own season, with morels popping up the earliest, usually any time between April and June.

Corey Fletcher, owner and chef at Revival Kitchen & Bar in Concord, who often cooks with mushrooms, adds that chanterelle season is typically in July and August, chicken of the woods around August and September, and hen of the woods in September and October. The seasons all depend on having the ideal weather conditions.

“A lot of times it’s related to rain,” Gagnon said. “If we have a really dry summer, we’re not going to see a lot of mushrooms until the fall when it starts to get wet again.”

Gagnon administers several groups on social media where she helps people identify mushrooms, and speaks at events where she educates people about mushrooms’ role in the ecosystem and planet.

During our walk, she told me how her fascination for mushrooms sprouted when she was in elementary school while living on her grandparents’ farm in Quebec.

“Down the road there was a log cabin in the woods that a Scandinavian family lived in and they foraged for mushrooms,” she said. “I remember going in and they had all these mushrooms on the table … and I became immediately fascinated. Even though I never did anything with mushrooms for years, that image always stuck in my head.”

Her obsession was reignited about five years ago when hiking the Uncanoonuc Mountains with her family.

“I saw the most bizarre mushroom I had ever seen at the time on the side of a tree. … I got it identified as a Hericium americanum, which is bear’s head tooth, … so that’s when I became obsessed again.”

What are mushrooms?

During our forage, Gagnon and I came across Monotropa uniflora, a plant that is often mistaken for a mushroom. While not a mushroom itself, it does rely on mushrooms to grow.

“It [doesn’t have] chlorophyll, so it can’t convert heat to energy [or] photosynthesize,” Gagnon said. “So it parasitizes the mycelium from the ground to get what it needs to grow.”

Mycelium is the organism for which mushrooms are the reproductive body. The mushrooms emit spores to propagate the organism.

As Eric Milligan puts it, the fruit body we pick, the mushroom, is like the apple on a tree. Milligan is the manager of New Hampshire Mushroom Co. in Tamworth, through which he leads forages and identification sessions. While existing underground, mycelium has a white, cotton-like appearance that he says can be found in the woods underneath logs. According to Milligan, the role of mycelium in ecosystems is critical.

“You could say mycelium is sort of like Mother Nature’s internet,” he said. “If we had four pictures next to each other of mycelium underground, … a picture of the internet and how that sends out information, a picture of the human brain and how that sends out electrical impulses and then a picture of the universe, all four pictures are exactly the same. How they operate are exactly the same.”

Mushrooms, he says, keep ecosystems all over the planet balanced, mycelium being an agent for bioremediation, the process through which biological organisms break down pollutants. He notes that mushrooms have been used to clean up oil spills, a species exists that blocks radiation, and some could potentially be used to digest plastic by turning petroleum-based hydrocarbons into biodegradable hydrocarbons.

“There isn’t an aspect of our lives right now that fungi could not benefit,” Milligan said.

Mushroom Turnovers
6-8 servings. 30 minutes.

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed according to the package instructions
8 ounces black pearl oyster mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 Tablespoon butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons truffle oil
3 Tablespoons balsamic glaze
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Preheat your oven to the temperature indicated on the puff pastry package instructions.
Add the oyster mushrooms to the skillet and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and lightly browned. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme leaves. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together. Remove the skillet from the heat and let the mushroom mixture cool slightly.
In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic, and sauté until the onion becomes translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
On a lightly floured surface, unfold the thawed puff pastry sheet. Roll it out slightly to smooth the creases and create an even thickness. Cut the puff pastry sheet into squares or rectangles of your desired size.
Drizzle a little truffle oil and balsamic glaze over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top. Place a spoonful of the mushroom mixture a few inches apart.
Bake the mushroom puff pastries in the preheated oven according to the package instructions for the puff pastry, usually around 15 to 20 minutes, or until they turn golden brown and flaky.
Once baked, remove the puff pastries from the oven and let them cool slightly before serving.

Recipes from New Hampshire Mushroom Co.’s forthcoming cookbook, Mycophile’s Kitchen: The Culinary Kingdom Fungi

Identifying

When you spot a mushroom, you will notice many characteristics, such as its size, the color of the stem, its cap, gills, and spores, and the location where it is found. Some mushrooms even have distinct scents, like candy caps, which Gagnon says smell like burned sugar or maple syrup. There are various factors to consider, making the identification process very tedious. While people often try to make generalizations on how to identify them, Gagnon says there is no one way to identify any mushroom. The description of one mushroom could match that of a totally different one.

“A lot of mushroom books have a key where you start by saying, ‘Does it have gills, pores, tubes or teeth?’”she said. “‘Does it have a stem or does it not have one? Are there decorations on it? ….’ There are so many things to look at when identifying and the rules aren’t across the board, so you really have to learn each mushroom or least genus of each mushroom.”

While it’s important to be confident in the identity of a mushroom, confidence can be a killer.

“Sometimes when people are new they start to get a little confident,” Gagnon said. “Deadly mushrooms I think make up 0.2 percent of all the mushrooms in the world, so it sounds very small, but they occur a lot. They’re here all the time. There’s a mushroom called Galerina marginata, also called funeral bells or deadly Galerina, and it looks very much like some more edible mushrooms.”

Gagnon cited a time when someone posted a picture on social media announcing that she found what she thought was wild enoki and was going to cook with them for Thanksgiving. Come to find out, it was actually Galerina.

“I [was] desperately trying to reach her and message her not to eat those,” Gagnon said.

Luckily she saw Gagnon’s message before it was too late.

Common edible mushrooms

According to Gagnon, some of the most common edible types in the state are chicken of the woods, hen of the woods, chanterelles and black trumpets. The following descriptions come from Michael Kuo at mushroomexpert.com.

• Chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus and Laetiporus cincinnatus)

Characteristics: Perhaps the most obvious characteristic for this mushroom (Laetiporus sulphureus) is its yellow and orange colors, but the suede-textured caps eventually become dull, sometimes almost white as they age. They can grow to be 90 centimeters across with overlapping clusters and no stem. Their flesh is thick, watery and soft when they are young, but becomes tougher with age.

Where they grow: Chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) is a saprobic mushroom found living on oak trees, dead or live ones, and sometimes on other hardwoods as well. Gagnon adds that Laetiporus cincinnatus has a white pore spore surface with rose and peach colors, and this mushroom appears to grow near hardwoods from the ground.

• Hen of the woods (Grifola frondosa)

Characteristics: Hen of the woods has clusters of brown caps spanning 15 to 40 centimeters across and 10 to 30 centimeters high. Each individual cap is around 3 to 14 centimeters across, can be dark to a pale gray-brown and are usually fan-like in shape.

Where they grow: These mushrooms can be found near the base of oak and hardwood trees.

• Chanterelles

Characteristics: There is an unknown number of chanterelle species, and not all will match any given description. In general, they are usually recognized as being medium or large-sized mushrooms ranging from yellow to orange in color. They are known for their fruity aroma, similar to the smell of apricots.

Where they grow: Chanterelles do not tend to have any specific mycorrhizal relationships. They are usually found in hardwood forests.

• Black trumpets (Craterellus fallax)

Characteristics: The cap and stem of black trumpets are not as clearly defined as in other mushrooms. While they are black, their outer surfaces can turn yellow or orangeish as the spores mature. They stand about 3 to 9 centimeters high and 1 to 5 centimeters wide with smooth, sometimes slightly wrinkled outer surfaces and have thin, brittle flesh.

Where they grow: Black trumpets are mycorrhizal with oaks and possibly other hardwoods as well and are usually found in mossy areas.

According to Gagnon, they can also be found in dead oak leaves. She says they grow in small clusters or scattered loosely down embankments and slopes where water travels after rainfall.

Common toxic mushrooms

These descriptions also come from Michael Kuo at mushroomexpert.com.

• Jack O’Lanterns (Omphalotus illudens)

Characteristics: Jack O’Lanterns, often confused with chanterelles, are bright orange mushrooms with gills that run down the stem and spores that are white or pale yellow.

Where they grow: You will find these mushrooms often growing in large clusters on buried roots or stumps.

• Deadly Galerina or funeral bells (Galerina marginata)

Characteristics: Deadly Galerina are fairly small mushrooms with brown or tawny colored caps

Where they grow: They grow on rotting hardwoods and conifers.

Gagnon adds that they can also be found in mulch.

Cooking with mushrooms

From broth to tea, the possibilities are endless when it comes to cooking with mushrooms. Each mushroom has its own flavor, which is something you likely have not experienced if you’ve only ever had mushrooms from the grocery store.

“In the grocery store, if you buy a button mushroom, a baby bella or a portobello, those are all the exact same mushroom at different stages of growth, so they’re not going to taste much different,” Gagnon said. “If you don’t like mushrooms and that’s all you’ve ever had, I would always suggest trying wild mushrooms because … each mushroom has a completely different flavor.”

One of Gagnon’s favorite mushrooms to eat is chicken of the woods. When it’s young, she says, it has a moist, meaty texture with a hint of lemon flavor, and as the name suggests, can be prepared the same way you would prepare chicken for many dishes.

“Hen of the woods [is] very similar but they have the tendency to be more flaky,” Fletcher said. “They have more of a grain to them so you can almost shred them. Some people will make a pulled mushroom dish with them depending on the size. I’m simpler in my preparation of them [as] I just want the natural mushroom flavor, look and texture to be there, so I’ll just do a quick sauté with oil or butter, salt [and] maybe a little … garlic and let them speak for themselves.”

Gagnon adds that hen of the woods, which she says has an earthy umami flavor, is very versatile, makes for a great chicken marsala, and can be pickled and made into jerky.

Chanterelles, on the other hand, have a fruity aroma according to Kuo. Fletcher, who says their texture is soft and meaty, loves to pair them with corn as the earthiness of the mushroom pairs well with the sweetness of the corn.

According to Fletcher, there are some classic Italian recipes that call for mushrooms. Black trumpets, which have a strong, sweet aroma and nutty, smoky taste according to Gagnon, are often the one of choice for risotto. Mushrooms also offer nutritional value, according to Milligan. He gives the example of king oyster mushrooms, which have five grams of protein, fresh weight, and all 11 essential amino acids.

In order to reap the nutritional benefits, he says almost all mushrooms need to be cooked, as humans do not have enough of the necessary enzymes to break down the mushroom’s cell structure. In fact, some mushrooms are toxic if eaten raw. Button mushrooms, brown mushrooms, baby bellas and portobellos, which are all the same species, contain chemicals that do not flush out of your system but instead build up in your liver when consumed raw. Heat is required to cook these chemicals away.

Buying fresh mushrooms

Two mushroom varieties that you are likely to find at local farmers markets this season are chestnut mushrooms and black oyster mushrooms. These mushrooms are listed on Joyberry Farm’s website as seasonal mushrooms as well as on New Hampshire Mushroom Co.’s website as mushrooms that they cultivate. Joyberry Farms attends the Bedford, Nashua and Salem farmers markets, and New Hampshire Mushroom Co.’s products can be found at the Concord farmers market.

Once you get them home, Fletcher says, it is best to keep them in a cool, dry place, ideally the refrigerator. As far as when to eat them, he says the fresher the better.

“You want to try to eat them as soon as possible because the quality of them is just going to diminish [and] you’re not going to get as much flavor out of them,” he said.

According to New Hampshire Mushroom Co., phoenix oyster mushrooms have a mild flavor that makes for a great addition in creamy soups, over pasta, with eggs or other lighter dishes. This fluffy, woodsy-flavored mushroom, as reported by Joyberry Farms, is very versatile and is also great when sautéed with butter or olive oil, onions and garlic.

Chestnut mushrooms have a nutty flavor that goes well in gravy, stuffing, stir-frys and roasted with chicken, according to New Hampshire Mushroom Co.

Mushroom farms

• Cindy’s Mushroom Farm 189 Route 302, Glen, cindysmushroomfarm.com, 733-7012
• Dunk’s Mushrooms Products and Foraging 313 Route 125, Brentwood, dunksmushrooms.com, 952-7411
• Joyberry Farms 369 Briggs Road, Mason, Joyberryfarms.com, 577-0578
• New Hampshire Mushroom Co. 153 Gardner Hill Road, Tamworth, nhmushrooms.com, 323-0097

Where to buy local mushrooms

Dunk’s Mushrooms Products and Foraging

• Benedikt Dairy (97 Shirley Hill Road, Goffstown)
• Dowie Farm (2 Collettes Grove Road, Derry)
• Johnson Golden Harvest (412 W. River Road, Hooksett)
• Sunnycrest Farm (59 High Range Road, Londonderry)
• Trombly Gardens (150 N. River Road, Milford)

New Hampshire Mushroom Co.

• Brasen Hill Farm (71 Warren Road, Barrington)
• Seaport Fish (13 Sagamore Road, Raymond)
• Concord Farmers Market (Capitol Street., Concord) Saturdays, 8:30 a.m. to noon

Joyberry Farms

• Bedford Farmers Market (393 Route 101, Bedford) Tuesdays, 3 to 6 p.m.
• Nashua Farmers Market (6 Hartshorn Ave., Nashua) Sundays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Salem NH Farmers Market (1 Mall Road, Salem) Sundays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Devriendt Farm (178 S Mast St., Goffstown)

Blueberry and Black Trumpet Mushroom Upside-Down Cake
2 servings. 15 minutes

Ingredients for the topping:
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 cup fresh blueberries
4 to 6 black trumpet mushrooms, sliced

Ingredients for the cake:
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup milk
zest of 1 lemon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350℉ (175℃). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar until it dissolves.
Pour the butter and brown sugar mixture into the prepared cake pan, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle in blueberries and sliced black trumpet mushrooms.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a separate large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla extract.
Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk. Fold in the lemon zest, if using.
Spread the batter over the topping in the cake pan, ensuring it’s even.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, invert the cake onto a serving platter or plate.

Recipes from New Hampshire Mushroom Co.’s forthcoming cookbook, Mycophile’s Kitchen: The Culinary Kingdom Fungi

Dyeing with mushrooms

One of the things I was most surprised to learn during my walk with Gagnon was that mushrooms can be used to make dye. According to Allison Allen, this is a fairly new phenomenon.

“The earliest publication on using mushrooms to get a rainbow of color is from the 1970s from Miriam Rice out of Mendocino, California,” she said. “She was a natural dyer and was drawn to experimentation with it … found mushrooms and threw them into a pot of boiling water, simmered them with wool and, lo and behold, she started getting really promising results of color. We’re still in our infancy of discovery with what fungi can do as far as getting color.”

Allen started her business, Mycopigments, a term she coined back when she started dyeing with mushrooms in 1998, in 2011. From Seattle, Washington, Allen travels where she is requested to hold workshops. Having formerly lived in Massachusetts right on the New Hampshire border, she would often forage mushrooms in New Hampshire, and still comes back to the Granite State to collect mushrooms for dyeing.

“It’s a pretty simple process … and there are some nuances to testing mushrooms for color that I teach in my workshops,” Allen said. “Basically, you boil the mushrooms and you add the fiber and then that mushroom imparts color into that fiber and it’s permanent … brilliant dye.”

When choosing what fiber you want to work with, Allen says that wool, or other protein, animal-based fibers like silk, work best. In some instances you can even add mordant, mineral salts such as aluminum sulfate or ferrous sulfate, to intensify, brighten or darken the colors. For efficiency, Allen prefers to dry her mushrooms before using them for dye due to their high water content.

“It takes away the guessing game of how much mushroom you have to dye your wool,” she said. “When you’re dyeing wool you use one part mushroom to one part fiber by dry weight, so if you have an ounce of wool, you’re going to need an ounce of dry mushroom, which is actually a lot of mushrooms. But if you had an ounce of freshly picked mushrooms, depending on where you are with the rain cycle, they could be 99 percent water and so that ounce isn’t very much mushroom dye material. It’s just water so you can miscalculate and get disappointing results, so by dehydrating them you take away that guessing part.”

One New Hampshire mushroom that is suitable for dyeing is Cortinarius semisanguineus. These are small mushrooms, about 2 inches across with a mustard-colored cap and blood-red gills and result in a bold red when used with aluminum sulfate mordant. Red dye, according to Allen, is historically considered one of the most precious.

Dyer’s Polypore is a fairly common mushroom in New Hampshire that grows with conifers and pine.

“It is one of the strongest dye-makers in the fungal world, so a little bit goes a long way for that mushroom,” Allen said. “If I find it fresh and young … [I] can get away with using one part fungus to five parts fiber. … It will make a brilliant yellow and a deep gold and a nice olive green depending on how you extract the dye and what mordants you add.”

It is fairly simple to achieve yellow according to Allen. She breaks up the fungus into smaller pieces and adds a splash of vinegar to the mix. If you’re more advanced, you can add modants to get the yellows to come out, but vinegar does the trick just fine, she says.

To get a green hue, add iron by using ferrous sulfate power. You can even use iron vitamins, Allen says, after washing off the coating.

The most complicated color to achieve from dyeing with mushrooms is blue. To get a dye this color from mushrooms, Allen says you need identification skills, as very few mushrooms have the potential to make blue, access to pristine forests and a little bit of open-mindedness on the definition of blue.

“Blue is really hard to achieve in the mushroom dye world, especially as a beginner,” Allen said. “You have to have the right mushroom, you have to pre-mordant your fiber … then you have to monitor the pH of the extraction and then you can get, if you’re lucky and the temperature didn’t get too hot, some blue-green shades.”

Mushrooms in New Hampshire that have this potential belong to the Hydnellum, Sarcodon and Feldon genuses.

A mushroom that proves that what you see isn’t necessarily what you’re going to get for dye is Tapinella atrotomentosa, a suede brown-colored mushroom with tan gills that makes purple without any mordants and a deep forest green when iron is added.

According to Allen, the most prized dye species in New Hampshire is the Hapalopilus.

“This mushroom makes a purple dye that is dark and deep and really permanently binds to the fiber, so in that way I think it’s one of the most precious purple dye makers in the world because other purple sources tend to have some fading and some trouble with sticking around.”

According to Allen, mushroom dyeing is a very approachable mushroom hobby.

“You go out and you forage them and you don’t have to worry about if they’re edible or poisonous or anything,” Allen said. “it’s a really accessible way to get your hands on mushroom hunting without taking any risks at all. It’s a way to get engaged with nature and access these colors.”

Featured photo: Chanterelles. Photo courtesy of Christine Gagnon.

Checking in with farmers markets

By Delaney Beaudoin

food@hippopress.com

There are few traditions upheld in the modern day that truly run back to the roots of civilization. The rise of technology in just the past few decades has virtually transformed life past a point of recognition for generations past. But one cornerstone of community has remained throughout: the farmers market.

Being one of the few business models that not only survived the pandemic, but thrived, farmers markets were one of the few opportunities to venture out of the house during lockdown. Taking place outside, with limited required contact, New Hampshire farmers markets saw a record high number of attendees and vendors. According to Richard Stadnick, president of the Bedford Farmers’ Market and owner of Pup’s Cider Co. of the Houndstooth Brewing Co., “When Covid came along, everybody’s sales went through the roof. Farmers markets are viewed as a great way of getting outdoors and supporting local merchants, etc. Everybody’s numbers just skyrocketed. … A lot of people were home and they were looking for side gigs and they were looking for other ways to make money. Lots of vendors came into the market and we probably had more vendors than we had markets to sustain them.”

Although the transition to comply with Covid guidelines wasn’t completely seamless, Stadnick explained that the changes to the overall function of most markets were minimal. Indoor markets were hit the hardest, either having to relocate to an outdoor location or shutting down. Markets which had typically operated outdoors simply implemented masks and social distancing policies. One noticeable change was in the procedures surrounding payment. As contact-free became the norm, more vendors utilized technology for payment, beginning to accept Venmo or card, instead of cash. Stadnick noted, however, that about half of vendors still continue to accept cash only.

“The credit cards were accelerated a little bit by Covid, but not dramatically, I think no more so than the societal in, as younger consumers have entered the market, they’re less likely to carry cash,” he said.

Now three years after summer 2020 Covid-19, according to Wayne Hall, the president of the Concord Farmers’ Market, interest in the markets has sustained.

“There was definitely an increase in business, but we really didn’t see much of a slowdown…. The more interest gathered, the more people come, and it’s just kind of a snowball effect, which is a wonderful thing,” Hall said.

Tom Mitchell, owner of Ledge Top Farm in Wilton, founded the Milford Farmers’ Market alongside Tim O’Connell back in 1978 and has been selling at farmers markets ever since. Mitchell noted that the change in attendance numbers didn’t so much seem to be due to Covid.

“I mean, I’m not so sure really if it is significant in my particular case as to whether or not Covid made a big difference. The sales were still pretty good. They’re actually less now. There may be totally different reasons and so on. I don’t know, maybe there’s more competition and people are getting tired of farmers markets. I think one of the things that hurts farmers markets is there’s so many of them, almost every town has a farmers market,” Mitchell said.

Stadnick pointed out the different experiences among the markets.

“In some cases, they [attendance numbers] declined after Covid waned. But in other cases they didn’t. We had established a new set of customers and people wanted to come out and support. They discovered this was a great venue. Instead of just going to Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods or something, they could get great produce and great products at the farmers market. So there’s not a consistent pattern,” he said.

Stadnick mentioned another interesting shift in the market schedules, not necessarily attributed to Covid, but rather to the changing landscape of producers and the desires of consumers.

“In some cases, in many cases, they’re doing some greenhouse gardening as well. So they’re getting an earlier start. They can offer cherry tomatoes at the end of May. They’ll offer full-size tomatoes by the middle to the latter part of June. You end up seeing that they’ve got produce available earlier. So the markets are shifting. Even the outdoor markets are starting to shift into May,” he said.

Although sickness may not be the daily barrier it once was, a new stressor has taken its place now — rising prices. How have farmers markets fitted into the budget of New Hampshire locals conscious of pricing?

“If you’re in a financial bind, stretching your food dollar as far as you can, the farmers market isn’t necessarily a good place to do that,” Stadnick said. “Strawberries are a great example. Strawberry season is just now over. A few weeks ago, typical prices for a quart of strawberries at the farmers markets was about $10. Now, you can go to Shaw’s or Market Basket and get those same strawberries for about $4. It’s not the same strawberries, they’re not locally grown or they’ve got a lot of food miles on them and everything else…. Farming is not a particularly cost-effective venture. It’s a labor of love as much as anything else.”

Mitchell, who has been selling at markets for 45 years, noted that the prices have always been reflective of the amount of work that goes into local farming.

“We’ve tried to keep our prices fairly consistent over the years. I have increased a few of them here and there, and if we have a new product we price it a little higher. But farmers markets aren’t necessarily, in my estimation, places to go for a real bargain…. We’re all about quality and we try to give people the best possible quality that we can have. But we have to keep the price point high enough that we can actually keep the whole farm going,” he said.

For Hall, the farmers market is a place for shoppers to invest in the quality and freshness of their food.

“They are looking for a reasonable price but they want the quality, the freshness. The value to them is being able to say, ‘Hey, how did you grow those tomatoes?’” Hall said.

Even more, to Hall, the value of the market lies beyond just your weekly grocery shop. It is a place to directly invest in your local community.

“All your markets are going to be fantastic. You’re going to get some of the best products, you’re going to get local, you’re going to get fresh. It’s a good reason to get out. It’s a good event to socialize with your townspeople,” he said.

“I think the interest actually started before Covid. People definitely want to know where their food is coming from and they want to meet the farmers. They’re looking for a small, more personal touch to their farms…. The reason most of the farmers come to market is because of the patrons, because we enjoy engaging with the people,” Hall continued. “I was very proud to hear that it seemed to be the place to be on Saturday morning — at the farmers market,” he said.

Find a farmers market

Here are some of the area markets. If you know of a great local farmers market not listed here, let us know at food@hippopress.com.

Tuesday

• Bedford Farmers Market at Murphy’s Taproom, 323 Route 101, Bedford, on Tuesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. through Oct. 17. Market features flowers, maple, conventional produce, fish, jams, wine, fruits, baked goods, eggs, jellies, specialty foods, etc. See bedfordnhfarmersmarket.org.

Wednesday

• Canterbury Community Farmers Market at 9 Center Road on Wednesdays from 4 to 6:30 p.m. through September, rain or shine. Find vendors selling fresh produce, eggs, baked goods, cheese, milk, maple products, potted plants, meats, seafood, jams, cut flowers, herbs, crafts, etc. See canterburyfarmersmarket.com.

• Derry Homegrown Farm & Artisan Market next to Derry Feed and Supply at 1 West Broadway, Wednesdays from 3 to 7 p.m. through September. Choose from fresh produce, flowers/plants, dairy, maple, baked goods, meat, wine, ice cream, gluten-free items, jams/jellies, body care products, crafts. Events include live music and art demonstrations. See derryhomegrown.org.

• Kingston Seacoast Growers Association Across from the Kingston fire station at the intersection of Church and Main streets on Wednesdays from 2:15 to 6 p.m, through October, rain or shine. Enjoy baked goods, meat, eggs, fresh vegetables, fruits, plants, flowers. See SeacoastGrowers.org.

• Lee Cooperative Farmers Market at the Little River Park on the fourth Wednesday of every month from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. through September. Shop vegetables, fruits, bakery, lamb, pork, beef, elk, flowers, cheese, honey, syrup, canola oil, plants, crafts, soaps, fudge, music, scone overs in many flavors, sunflower oil, corn, berries, variety of breads, muffins, and pies. Find them on Facebook.

Thursday

• Loudon Farmers’ Market at 7039 School St. on Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. through October. Vendors supply vegetables, fruits, flowers/plants, dairy, maple, meat, fish, prepared foods, baked goods, and crafts. Markets will feature live music. See facebook.com/loudonfarmersmarketnh.

Friday

• Francestown Community Market in the Francestown Horse Sheds at the Town Hall. Fridays from 4 to 6:30 p.m. through the end of October, rain or shine. Vendors supply vegetables, fruits, flowers/plants, dairy, maple, meat, prepared foods, baked goods, crafts, mustard, sauces, cider, beer, jams/jellies and honey. See facebook.com/francestowncommunitymarket.

Saturday

• Candia Farmers Market at the Smyth Library Grounds (55 High St.) on the third Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to noon through October. All farmers and artisans bring fresh quality produce, value-added farm products, and crafts to market. See candiafarmersmarket.org.

• Concord Farmers Market on Capitol Street on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to noon through the end of October. Vendors include a regular rotation of fresh produce, flowers/plants, baked goods, maple, wines, beers, meat, dairy, fish, agricultural crafts, etc. See concordfarmersmarket.com.

• Contoocook Farmers Market at the Contoocook gazebo on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon through the end of October, rain or shine. Shop fresh produce, eggs, flowers/plants, dairy, maple, baked goods, meats, herbs, weekly entertainment, etc. See facebook.com/ContoocookFarmersMarket.

• Milford Farmers Market at 300 Elm St. on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Oct. 14. Shop fresh produce, flowers/plants, maple, baked goods, meat, fish, wool, guest chefs, weekly entertainment, etc. See milfordnhfarmersmarket.com.

• New Boston Farmers Market on the corner of Route 13, 7 Meetinghouse Hill Road, on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. through the end of October. Enjoy organic produce, fruits, flowers/plants, soaps, honey, teas, bakery goods, maple, chocolate, barbecue, eggs, wool products and local artisans, plus musicians, demonstrations and education. See facebook.com/NewBostonFarmersMarket.

• Warner Area Farmers Market on the Warner Town Hall Lawn on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through the end of October. Find vegetables, baked goods, art and more. See warnerfarmersmarket.org.

Sunday

• Nashua Farmers Market (Main Street Bridge Farmers Market) on the Nashua Public Library Lot, 6 Hartshorn Ave. on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through Oct. 22. Find fresh produce, meat, eggs, plants, pastries, artisan breads, honey, maple syrup, candy, ice cream, soap and crafts from a variety of vendors. See downtownnashua.org/nashuafarmersmarket.

• Salem Farmers Market at The Mall at Rockingham Park (77 Rockingham Park Blvd.) between Dick’s Sporting goods and Cinemark on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. all year. This year-round market features fresh produce, flowers/plants, dairy, maple, baked goods, meat, crafts, and live entertainment. See salemnhfarmersmarket.org.

Featured photo: Bedford Farmers Market. Courtesy of Cherilyn Bukofske.

Where to find free music in the fresh air

In Summer 2020, al fresco was the only option for fans of live music. One of the pandemic’s few silver linings, however, was mostly sunny weather for shows in parking lots and open fields during that moment of masking and social distancing.

This year, not so much; from May through a stormy Fourth of July and beyond, nature’s fury has remained relentless. To paraphrase Mick Jagger, what can a poor boy do to sing in their rock ’n’ roll band?

Even without a torrent of phone battery-draining AccuWeather alerts like we’ve had this year, seasoned New Englanders always keep an eye out for changing skies. It turns out the folks who fill the gazebos and bandstands in New Hampshire’s cities and towns all got the memo on preparing for the worst.

A quick check with a few of them revealed many well-crafted contingency plans.

For example, Bedford’s Family Concerts in the Park series began June 28 with the Dr. Harp Blues Revue Band, and predicted rain moved it indoors. Jane O’Brien is the Bedford Recreation Department’s sole full-time staffer; she runs the town pool and summer camps along with the weekly gazebo events.

“If we go inside, we go to Bedford Town Hall,” O’Brien wrote in a July 6 email. “My first concert we had inside, but the library happened to have their big room available, so we went there. We do it rain or shine, as I don’t have room to reschedule with everything going on around town.”

Belknap Mill’s biweekly Arts in the Park series happens Fridays in Laconia’s Rotary Park. It moves indoors to the mill’s historic museum for inclement weather. A performance from the Newmont Military band kicked things off on May 26; the series concludes on Sept. 8 with the ’50s-themed Rockin’ Daddios and a classic car show.

When reached by phone the morning of July 6, Belknap Mill Marketing Manager Jill Desruisseaux was in good spirits, as the series’ most recent event, a June 30 performance by the Catfish Howl Zydeco Band, had been a sunny one. “We had finally had some nice weather and a really decent turnout,” she said.

The overall season has been an even mix, Desruisseaux continued. “We’ve had four shows and only two of them have been outside. Normally in past years we’ve maybe had to move the first one inside, and then the weather has been amazing. This summer it’s a little different. Mother Nature is not in the mood to cooperate.”

Holding shows in the museum’s third-floor event space is less than ideal, but other options aren’t much better. Indoor crowds are always smaller, but rescheduling acts is too difficult.

“The Park is the perfect place to … get a little live music and continue on with your night,” Desruisseaux said. “Sometimes you feel a little more pressure to stay when you’re inside.”

Performers face their own set of challenges. A chat with a couple of bands well-acquainted with the summer music season, and a performer who also works as a booker, revealed just how difficult this year has been compared to others.

Studio Two, a Beatles tribute band that’s a mainstay of the summer outdoor concert season, has had to pare down its schedule to protect itself against last-minute, no-pay cancellations. “I know weather is unpredictable, but enough of those can cripple a tour,” founding member Stephen Murray said by phone. “After years of experience of doing this, I’ve come to the conclusion that the only way our band business can run is if the concerts that we play either have indoor venues or a rain date.”

This year’s Henniker Concert Series began on June 16. The Tuesday twilight event showcases local acts like Rebel Collective (July 25), Not Fade Away (Aug. 1) and Nick’s Other Band, a beloved hometown group that closes things out on Aug. 29. The shows are always rain or shine.

Acoustic roots band Peabody’s Coal Train was the first act to perform in Henniker this year. “They asked us to kick off the summer series and sure enough, the thunderstorms were rolling in,” guitarist Jason Teaster recalled in a phone interview. The show was relocated to the town’s community center, right behind the bandstand.

“We still had a packed crowd, but it was a more intimate show,” Teaster said, adding, “people were hungry for live music, and we fed them. It was a hat tip to the committee for having that backup plan ready.”

Guitarist Brad Myrick is both a booker and a performer. Experience has taught him to plan for outdoor shows. Back in 2016, “I had a weekend with seven concerts in three days, and I think six of the seven got rained out,” he said by phone. “I lost like two thousand bucks, which for me at the time was just … I couldn’t do it.” That lesson guides Myrick at NH Music Collective, the booking, artist development and production company he co-runs with two other partners.

Given the seemingly endless precipitation, there’s not been much discussion this year about the other side of extreme weather. Plans are needed, however, not just for rain but also for excessive heat. Every now and then Studio Two’s Fab Faux have a need to remove their vintage Beatles suit jackets.

Another problem is ensuring that expensive acoustic instruments don’t get sun-bleached. It’s one thing to be a hot guitar player, quite another to play a hot guitar.

“We’re asking outdoor venues to have tent cover,” Myrick said, recalling that at one open-air gig, “I had to keep turning out of the sunlight after every song.”

That said, rain is still top of mind for everyone trying to mount or play an outdoor show. Myrick is keeping his fingers crossed for The Sunflower Festival, an August event in Concord that will feature a bevy of NH Music Collective performers. “I think I have 16 musicians over two full weekends,” he said.

Unlike a lot of performers and town music organizations, NH Music Collective has mostly dodged the wet and wild weather thus far. “We’re lucky as a company in that we have not lost too many shows,” Myrick said. “I know a lot of musicians that have had cancellations, just by watching people on social media.”

Music outdoors

Here are some of the places you can find regular (and free!) outdoor (weather permitting) musical performances. Know of any concert series we missed? Let us know at adiaz@hippopress.com.

Multiple days

• Concord Parks and Recreation (concordnh.gov) presents concerts on several days in multiple locations throughout the city.

On Sundays at 10 a.m., acoustic concerts will take place in White Park (in inclement weather Merrimack Lodge, which will be open from 9 a.m. to noon during concerts). Concerts include Andrew North on July 23, Hometown Eulogy on Aug. 6, Paulie Stone on Aug. 13, Steve Blunt on Sept. 10 and Ben Harris on Sept. 17.

The Nevers Band (classic orchestral) has two Tuesday night concerts at 7 p.m. left in a series played around the city: July 25 at the New Hampshire Statehouse and Aug. 8 at Kiwanis Riverfront Park (behind Everett Arena).

Thursday night concerts at 7 p.m. in Eagle Square include Freese Brothers Big Band on Aug. 3, Jah Spirit on Aug. 10 and Club Soda on Aug. 24.

The Concord Public Library also has a live performance on the schedule: David Shore’s Trunk of Funk will play on Wednesday, Aug. 16, at 6 p.m. at Prince Street at the Concord Public Library.

Sundays

• The Friends of Stark Park (550 River Road in Manchester; starkpark.com) have a series of concerts at the Stark Park Bandstand on Sundays at 2 p.m. Upcoming shows include Another Tequila Sunrise (Eagles tribute) on July 23, Love Dogs on July 30, Reminisants on Aug. 6, Swing Times Five on Aug. 13, Wolverine Jazz Band on Aug. 20 and Compaq Big Band on Aug. 27.

Tuesdays

• Amherst’s Concerts on the Green (amherstnh.myrec.com) run on Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at the Amherst Village Green (2 Main St.). Upcoming shows include Bass Quintet on Aug. 1, Glitter and Camo on Aug. 8, and the Amherst Town Band on Aug. 15. A show on Tuesday, July 25, with the Bat Magoon Band will take place at the Baboosic Town Lake Beach (25 Broadway); $5 cover for non-Amherst residents.

• Derry Parks and Recreation’s Summer 2023 Concert Series (derrynh.org) takes place in MacGregor Park (64 E. Broadway) on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. Upcoming shows are Mo Bounce (funky & danceable) on July 25, The Slakas (classic/modern rock) on Aug. 1, PizzaStock presents Second to Last Minute and the Glue Band on Aug. 8, Beatlejuice on Aug. 15, and Brandy on Aug. 22.

• Hampstead’s Meetinghouse Park Concert series (hampsteadconcerts.com), sponsored by Hampstead Cable Television, takes place Tuesdays at 6 p.m. behind Hampstead’s Town Hall (11 Main St.). Upcoming shows are Chickenshack Bluegrass Band (rock & country influenced) on July 25, Tru Diamond (Neil Diamond tribute) on Aug. 1, North River Music (Americana sound of rock, bluegrass and country) on Aug. 8, Mark209 (country) on Aug. 15, Martin and Kelly (country) on Aug 22, and Studio Two (Beatles tribute) on Aug. 29.

• Henniker’s Summer Concert Series (henniker.org) runs Tuesdays at the Angela Robinson Bandstand (57 Main St.) starting at 6:30 p.m. Food trucks and restaurants will attend the concerts to sell eats for the evening, according to a press release. Admission is free (donations accepted). Upcoming shows include Rebel Collective (Irish rock) on July 25, Not Fade Away (Grateful Dead tribute) on Aug. 1, Emily’s Garage Band (funky soul classics) on Aug. 8, Cold Chocolate (folk/funk/bluegrass) on Aug. 15, Kotoko Brass (party music with a global flair) Aug. 22, and Nick’s Other Band on Aug. 29.

• Nashua’s SummerFun (nashuanh.gov/546/summerfun) programming includes concerts at Greeley Park Bandshell (100 Concord St., Nashua). Shows are on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. The upcoming schedule includes Scenes the Band (Billy Joel tribute) on July 25, American Legion Band on Aug. 1, Tru Diamond (Neil Diamond tribute) on Aug. 8, Bel Airs (doo wop) on Aug. 15, and After Hours Big Band on Aug. 22.

• New Boston’s Concerts on the Common series (newbostonnh.gov/recreation/pages/concert-common) has three more shows on upcoming Tuesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Chairs and blankets are welcome, and the Rail Trail Grill concession stand will feature hot dogs, hamburgers, soft drinks and snacks for sale, with proceeds benefiting the New Boston Rail Trail. The town’s community church will offer a dessert table. Upcoming shows include Hickory Horned Devils (old-time, bluegrass, Americana) on July 26, Tattoo (acoustic jam band) on Aug. 8 and The Island Castaways Band (Jimmy Buffett tribute) on Aug. 22.

Wednesdays

• Bedford Parks and Recreation’s Family (bedfordnh.myrec.com) Concerts in the Park run on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. in Bedford Village Common Park. Upcoming shows include Roxanne and the Voodoo Rockers on July 26, Bedford Big Band on Aug. 2 (this show starts at 6:30 p.m.), and the Manchester Community Music School on Aug. 9.

• Hampstead’s remaining concert in the Ordway Park Concert series (hampsteadconcerts.com), sponsored by Hampstead Cable Television, takes place at the Main Street-located park at Route 121 and Depot Road on Wednesday, July 26, at 6 p.m. with Key Elements (classic and soft rock covers from the 1970s and 1980s).

• The Londonderry Arts Council’s (londonderryartscouncil.org) Concerts on the Common series takes place on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, most will take place inside the cafeteria of Londonderry High School (295 Mammoth Road). Upcoming shows include The Linda Ronstadt Experience with Tristan McIntosh on July 26, Delta Generators (blues) Aug. 2, Foreigners Journey (tribute to Foreigner and Journey) on Aug. 9, and Studio Two Beatles Tribute on Aug. 16.

• Merrimack’s Summer Concert Series (merrimackparksandrec.org) will host weekly concerts at Abbie Griffin Park (6 Baboosic Lake Road, Merrimack) on Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. Upcoming shows include Marc Berger & Ride (country folk) on July 26, The Twangtown Paramours (Americana, folk and blues) on Aug. 2, The Slakas (classic/modern rock) on Aug. 9, Will Parker Children’s Concert on Aug. 16 (concert from 6 to 7 p.m.) and Crescendo’s Gate (rock) on Aug 23.

• Milford Recreation (milford.nh.gov) holds its Sounds on the Souhegan concert series on Wednesdays from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Emerson Park. In the event of rain, concerts will be moved inside to the Town Hall auditorium. Upcoming shows include Cover Story (top 40) on July 26, Shana Stack Band (country/Southern rock) on Aug. 2, The Bel Airs (’50s and ’60s) on Aug. 9, Sheepdip Band (classic rock tribute) on Aug. 16, Bedford Big Band (this concert takes place at the Stage at Keyes Memorial Park) on Aug. 23, and Studio Two Beatles Tribute (rock ’n’ roll) at Aug. 30 (also at the Stage at Keyes Memorial Park).

• Pelham Community Spirit’s Summer Concerts (pelhamcommunityspirit.org) on the Village Green in front of the town’s public library will take place on three upcoming Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m.: The Casuals on July 26, 4EverFab (Beatles tribute) on Aug. 9 (evening will also include a Cruise Night, $5 car registration), and Standard Tuning on Aug. 26.

Thursdays

• Auburn Parks & Recreation “Rock This Town” Summer Concert Series takes place at the Circle of Fun Playground (1 Bunker Hill Road in Auburn) on two upcoming Tuesdays from 6 to 8 p.m.: Off Duty Angels on July 20 and Emily’s Garage Band on Aug. 17.

• Raymond’s Summer Concert Series (raymondnh.gov/programsforeveryone) runs Thursdays at 6 p.m. at the Raymond Town Common. Upcoming shows include The Singing Trooper Daniel M. Clark on July 20; Keith Belanger (piano bar sing-along) on July 27; a “surprise night” on Aug. 3; Kitchen Party on Aug. 10, and EP Rock (Elvis Prestley tribute) on Aug. 17.

• Salem’s summer concert series at Field of Dreams Community Park (48 Geremonty Drive, Salem; fieldofdreamsnh.org) runs on Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. except for Fridays, July 21, and July 28. Admission is free and open to the public and chairs and blankets are welcome. Upcoming shows include 4EverFab (Beatles tribute) on July 21, Salem Boyz on July 28, North River Music (Americana sound of rock, bluegrass and country) on Aug. 3, Something Else on Aug. 10, and B-Street Bombers on Aug. 17.

Friday

• Manchester (manchesternh.gov) has two upcoming concerts at Veterans Park in the city’s downtown on Elm Street on two Fridays at 6:30 p.m. Food trucks will be available to purchase food from. Marc Berger and the band Ride will perform on July 21. Roots of Creation will perform on Aug. 11.

Daily

• Hampton Beach has a nightly Sea Shell stage series (hamptonbeach.org) with performances from 7 to 8 p.m. and 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. most nights. Performances are weather-dependent. Upcoming shows include Caroline Gray (country) on Thursday, July 20; Maddi Ryan (country pop) on Friday, July 21; The Shakerz Band (’60s through ’90s rock) on Saturday, July 22, and The Bel Airs (doo wop and vintage rock ’n’ roll) on Sunday, July 23. On Sunday, Aug. 13, catch the Polka Festival from 3 to 9 p.m. On Saturday, Aug. 19, a Reggae Fest runs from 3 to 9 p.m. The shows continue through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 4, when GemsTones (’50s music) finish up the season.

Artist in residence programs bring artists, musicians & more into the community

PLUS Meet the artists at the Currier’s Block Party

Come to a party, meet the artist

Resident artist at the Currier shows off zero-waste creations

By Mya Blanchard

mblanchard@hippopress.com

While running a ceramics studio after studying ceramics and art history at the Kansas City Art Institute, Calder Kamin felt that clay was no longer the ideal medium to create her art.

“[It] was a very difficult medium to continue without the school’s facilities,” Kamin said. “I started to feel less attachment to the material because it started to feel very arbitrary and heavy. It’s expensive [and] demands all these facilities, all this energy [and] all these toxic chemicals.”

Instead, she started making art from post-consumer materials and has involved the community in her efforts during her residency at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester.

Kamin will be running activities and displaying her work at the museum’s free summer block party on Saturday, July 15, from 4 to 9 p.m.

“It’s a major celebration … for people to come and bring their friends and family and explore the museum,” said Courtney Starrett, the press contact for the Currier. “We’re super excited to have Calder on board doing her activity as well, because it really ties in with our overall theme of nature and the environment.”

Originally from Austin, Texas, Kamin has been traveling to different residency programs, having started at the Currier in April. During her time there, she has been working on constructing two 12-foot-long quilts that will become a pair of wings for a plush pegasus. She has enlisted the help of the community to hand-sew feathers for the wings. In each feather will be a dream written on a piece of paper. All of the scraps from the feather-making workshops will be used to form the body of the quilt.

“I make all my art out of garbage,” Kamin said. “Everything [used] has to be from post-consumer materials. I try to use very little, [or] nothing, new.”

Kamin became inspired to recycle material for her art after she took up birding as a hobby.

“I started observing the birds in my neighborhood, and the most interesting behavior to me was watching the birds collect trash to build their nests,” Kamin said. “I thought, ‘Oh, I need to be more like a bird. Nature never wastes. … Everything is used for new energy or new life.’”

Kamin started using trash, mostly plastic bags, which usually take the shape of animals or fantastical creatures.

“It became a real passion to reuse these materials, support the folks that are getting these materials out of the waste stream, and then show the value of these materials to the public by transforming them into beautiful objects,” she said.

During her residency, Kamin has also been holding workshops with activities influenced by other artists. One craft, inspired by Louise Nevelson, involves gluing wood scraps together and painting them black. Another project incorporates the work of Josef Albers, an abstract painter whose work often took the shape of squares, and Anni Albers, a fiber artist. This results in square felt patches.

Kamin also drains the pigment from old markers to make an ink wash, using the caps to make flowers or beads for a curtain. She was inspired to make the pegasus from her prior residency work.

“I was making art for children’s museums that they couldn’t touch and it started to not make sense,” she said. “[I thought,] ‘Why am I making art you can’t touch for a children’s museum that is purely about interaction?’ So this is my attempt to not only make a project that brought the community in to build, but a piece … that children can touch and play [with].”

Once completed, the pegasus will be part of an exhibition in April 2024 in Texas. From there, it will travel to New Orleans, then to Mobile, Alabama. At the block party, Kamin will show what she has done so far.

The outdoor event will be headlined by Kamin as well as Vermont artist Mark Ragonese, and will include live music, food trucks and many environmental-themed activities and projects.

“We see [the artists in residence] program as a leading way to really create more access points,” Starrett said. “For people to be able to enter the museum when they otherwise feel as though it might not be for them or it’s something they need to pay for. We really want to break down those barriers and let people know it’s … for everyone.”

Summer Block Party
Where: Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; 669-6144, currier.org)
When: Saturday, July 15, 4 to 9 p.m.
The event features free gallery admission, art activities, food trucks, face painting, a beer and wine tent, community art projects and more, according to the website. This year’s theme is nature and environmentalism, the website said.

More Currier events

Where: Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; 669-6144, currier.org)
Hours of admission: are Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Admission: $20 for adults, $15 for seniors ages 65 and older and for students, $5 for youth ages 13-17, children younger than 13 are free.

• The next Expressions through Art is on Thursday, July 13, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. This program provides an outlet for cancer patients, survivors and their families. The museum uses art in the galleries as well as art workshops to help visitors form connections.
• The program Looking Together will highlight Giovan Angelo Montorsoli’s painting “John the Baptist” from the 1530s on Saturday, July 16, at 11 a.m. or noon. Visitors to the museum will have a chance for a close look at the painting with a member of the museum’s teaching staff to educate them on the work of art.

Reflections of memory

The Factory on Willow’s artist explores community

By Mya Blanchard

mblanchard@hippopress.com

According to Marlana Trombley, the head of marketing and special projects at Orbit Group, Liz and Jeremey Hitchcock created the Artists in Residence program at The Factory on Willow to give artists an opportunity to draw inspiration from the Manchester community.

“The whole program is really just an opportunity to integrate more art into the Manchester community, and for artists from all over the world to get an opportunity to see what a gem the city is and how much we all love it,” she said.

The 12-week residency program provides housing, a food stipend and an art supply stipend, and ends in a capstone exhibition.

“We’re very customized in how we work with each artist,” Trombley said. “Every artist has a different opportunity depending on what is going on in the community. … The whole thing gets shaped while they’re on site.”

The residency has welcomed artists from as far away as the United Kingdom. One of the current artists, Jay Goldberg, comes from New York City. His exploration of memory will be showcased as a multimedia project titled “The Memory of America – Manchester: Remember Your First Baseball Game.” This entails conducting interviews with members of the Manchester community about their first time going to a baseball game.

“For me, it’s all about getting out into the community,” Goldberg said. “I’m really enjoying that in Manchester. … I threw myself right into the community because if I don’t meet people there is no art project.”

Goldberg has been working on other versions of this project centering around other communities for a couple of years, but his interest in the link between baseball and memory is a theme that he feels has been embedded in him since his childhood.

In 2000 Goldberg and a partner owned a design studio company where they made handmade baseballs. On the gift box of each one, Goldberg wrote a paragraph about someone’s memory of going to their first game.

“It touched a nerve with a lot of people. I got such positive feedback,” he said.

Years later, while cleaning out a storage locker that held inventory for a gallery shop, Goldberg rediscovered a letter from his late father.

“He wrote me this note … [and asked] could I do him a favor [and] go to the library and check the microfilm,” he said. “He had this memory [of] the first time he went to a baseball game and he wanted to see if his memory was still good.”

Goldberg intends to showcase the stories and memories of the people he’s talked to via multiple media forms. One of these forms will be an interactive film projection of an interview transcript that will look like it’s being written by a typewriter, the writing becoming slower the longer it takes the story to unfold.

Another will involve a video projection with a looping graphic. With it there will be two lines from different interviews about the same topic but from opposite perspectives.

“Somebody asked me once to describe what the project is in one word, which is almost impossible, but as I thought about it, I realized I can describe what it’s really about in one word, and it’s about love,” Goldberg said. “The stories go in all different directions but part of why I enjoy it so much is no matter what direction they go in [it] always gets down to love in one way or another.”

Upcoming Factory on Willow events

Here are some of the artist in residence events scheduled in July and August, according to factoryonwillow.com. The Factory on Willow is at 252 Willow St. in Manchester.

• Justin Tyler Tate, artist in residence showcase, on Thursday, July 27, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Free.
• Artist in Residence Workshop: Cup-o-soup with Justin Tyler Tate. Learn how to “remake products such as homemade medicines, balms and other remedies in the form of consumable art-objects,” according to the website. Event is Saturday, July 29, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Admission costs $10 per person. See website for tickets.
• Artist in Residence Workshop: The Atomic Balms with Justin Tayler Tate on Sunday, July 30, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Admission costs $10 per person; see website for tickets.
• Artist in Residence Workshop: Lost and Found First Aid with Justin Tyler Tate on Saturday, Aug. 5, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Admission costs $10 per person; see website for tickets.
• Artist in Residence Workshop: Bath Bomb and Carry On with Justin Tyler Tate on Saturday, Aug. 12, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Admission costs $10 per person; see website for tickets.
• Jay Goldberg, artist in residence showcase, on Thursday, Aug. 17, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Free.

MacDowell Medal Day
MacDowell (100 High St. in Peterborough; macdowell.org, 924-3886), which provides artists in a variety of fields a residential environment to work in and is billed as the nation’s first artist residency program, will hold its 63rd awarding of the MacDowell Medal on Sunday, July 23, from 12:15 to 4 p.m. The Medal, awarded to an artist who makes outstanding contributions in their field, goes this year to Alanis Obomsawin, a filmmaker who is Abenaki, was born in New Hampshire and “is known as a clear-eyed chronicler of the lives and concerns of First Nations people and explores issues of universal importance,” according to the MacDowell website. The event is free and open to the public, though you can order a picnic basket (the deadline for online ordering has passed but call for information). The day will include the medal ceremony at 12:15 p.m. and open studios from 2 to 4 p.m., when visitors can see the work of current artists in residence, according to the website.

Standing ovation

Londonderry-based theater company gives students the chance to learn and lead

By Mya Blanchard

mblanchard@hippopress.com

Meg Gore, a theater producer and director with more than 35 years of experience, founded Ovation Theatre Company in Londonderry in 2019 with the intent to focus on education.

“It’s always my goal that when someone enters any of our programs … that by the time they finish they’ve learned something,” Gore said.

At Ovation, students are involved in every step of the production process through their artists in residency program. Unlike other artists in residency programs, Ovation does not offer housing and funding for artists, but instead gives high school and college students the opportunity to take on a role in production under the guidance of mentors. This includes positions lasting anywhere from around one to six months, such as student director, stage manager and choreographer, that are tailored to the goals and needs of the artist.

“We don’t necessarily have a set program … but at whatever level we can, whenever we can, we do involve the students,” Gore said.

Ryan Kaplan, a soon to be sophomore at Windham High School, has been doing theater since he was 8 years old, working specifically with Ovation for the past three to four years.

“I got started from a pretty early age for theater and it’s always something I’ve been really passionate about,” he said. “I really believe in the power of art to heal people … and I think that theater is such a powerful way to do that, because you’re putting real humans in a space with people that they’re presenting their art to and just that added layer of human connection. It’s a really powerful way of storytelling.”

While at Ovation, Kaplan has had the opportunity to be an assistant director and stage manager of Ovation’s production of Glynn Cosker’s show, Masked. He was also then invited to work on the production of The Little Mermaid, Ovation’s first completely student-run production. He is now working as an assistant director for the summer camp.

“I would love to have some sort of career in theater, or to have it be a major part of my life in some way,” Kaplan said. “I’ve been given so many avenues to explore different branches of theater and different jobs in the theater. I’m actually really not sure right now if I would want to be a theater educator or go into directing or performing or what specifically that is, but I definitely know that theater and performance art is definitely the path that I want to go down.”

Upcoming Ovation Theatre shows

• Newsies Friday, July 21, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 22, at 2 p.m. at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway in Derry). Tickets cost $20 ($25 after July 15). See ovationtc.com.
• The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical Friday, Aug. 11, and Saturday, Aug. 12, at 7 p.m. at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway in Derry). Tickets cost $17 ($20 after Aug. 5). See ovationtc.com.

Culinary Artist in Residence
The Capitol Center for the Arts has a Culinary Artist in Residence program, a position currently held by Batulo Mohamed. She serves up Somali-inspired cuisine, such as the sambusa (a Somali meat pie) she was known for before opening Batulo’s Kitchen at the Cap Center’s Bank of New Hampshire Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord). The eatery is open Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. See batuloskitchen.com.

Blending passions

Artist combines passion for music and nature at Avaloch Farm Music Institute

By Mya Blanchard

mblanchard@hippopress.com

Avaloch Music Farm Institute, set on the grounds of what used to be an apple orchard in Boscawen, offers artists a rural respite to focus on their craft.

“What makes us so unique is [while] there are many residency programs in the U.S. and abroad, very few of them are geared toward performing artists,” said Ashley Bathgate, the director, and six time former resident, at Avaloch. “I think it allows the performing touring artist to find a home and be able to work together which is a luxury.”

Located near the mountains, Avaloch was the ideal venue for musician Payton MacDonald to work on his project, Sonic Peaks, which blends his passions for music and nature through the creation of graphic scores.

“A graphic score is a piece of music that has a mixture of notation styles,” MacDonald said. “It has traditional notation, it has text, it has pictures, diagrams, all kinds of things … It also functions as visual art in a way.”

Originally from Idaho, MacDonald has always loved the outdoors, enjoying endurance sports, triathlons, hiking, camping and mountain biking. His interest in music also dates back to his early years. He started taking drum lessons when he was 9 years old and eventually branched out into other percussive instruments, such as the marimba and xylophone.

“I’ve just been passionate about music ever since I can remember,” MacDonald said.

He heard about the residency program through Bathgate, and having wanted to hike the White Mountains, took the opportunity. During his residency in June, MacDonald completed three graphic scores, two of which were inspired by hiking Cannon and North and South Kinsman in the White Mountains during his time at Avaloch.

“Avaloch is incredible. I can’t say enough good things about it,” MacDonald said. “I just had an absolute blast. I didn’t want it to ever end, honestly.”

According to Bathgate, the completion of Avaloch’s new concert barn gives musicians a new venue to share their art, expanding Avaloch’s community engagement by bringing the community to the farm with the Evenings at Avaloch concert series, which features a wide variety of music from musicians all over the world.

“This is going to change the possibility and programming for the future because we’ll be able to share what these artists are working on with the surrounding communities,” Bathgate said. “Just the fact that we have jazz and early music, classical music, experimental music, electronic music, it’s just a wealth of genres, [and] also these artists who are coming from the West Coast, the Midwest, from Israel, South America and all sorts of different countries, I think is an incredible resource and win for this community.”

Upcoming events

Avaloch Farm Music Institute, 16 Hardy Lane, Boscawen, avalochfarmmusic.org

Evenings at Avaloch, on Friday, July 14 and July 21, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. $10 donation is suggested.

• Composers Conference Ensemble Concert #1: Lighting, Wednesday, July 26, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. $10 donation is suggested.
• Composers Conference Guest Composer Spotlight: Michelle Lou, Thursday, July 27, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Composers Conference: CMW Artists-in-Residence Concert #1. Friday, July 28, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. $10 donation is suggested.
• Composers Conference Ensemble Concert #2: Ethos, Saturday, July 29, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. $10 donation is suggested.

Therapy through theater

Using theater to teach social emotional skills

By Mya Blanchard

mblanchard@hippopress.com

For Corrie Owens-Beauchesne, a company artist at New Hampshire Theater Project in Portsmouth, theater has always been an outlet to access and process emotions. Now she is able to help others experience this themselves through the artists in residency program at NHTP.

NHTP was established in 1988 as an artists in residency program, eventually becoming a theater, when founding executive director Genevieve Aichele began going into schools and introducing them to story theater.

“Story theater utilizes these stories that don’t have a main character,” Owens-Beauchesne said. “The kids work together and they learn through this [that] theater [is a] group process where it takes a whole village to create a story.”

Today, NHTP acts as a liaison to form connections between artists and organizations, sorting out the budgeting and creating the contracts for each to sign. The artists then run theater-related programming at the organization.

“[The artists] have such a broad, diverse range of specialties, but a lot of them have improv expertise and use theater as a tool that can help people in other areas of life,” Owens-Beauchesne said.

These organizations include elementary schools, universities and senior living homes. Through these tools, people are taught skills in areas such as public speaking or social emotional learning.
Owens-Beauchesne started taking classes at NHTP when she was around 6 years old. At the theater, she found a safe haven to express and process her feelings.

“[My family was] pretty poor, and I think because of that there was a lot of distress in my family,” she said. “Theater really gave me this outlet and I remember it totally changed how I felt like I could express myself. I would come to the theater and I would have all these feelings inside me, like anger or frustration or sadness, and I would have a place [where] it was OK to share those and people around me had tools for processing [them].”

Owens-Beauchesne has received a degree in theater education and has her license in elementary education in Massachusetts. Though she has experience in the public school system, she feels she has more freedom through her work as a company artist. She is able to design her own curriculum, which implements, improv, modified theater games, and is influenced by her study of Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed.

“I see it really helping these kids gain better skills about how to be in community with each other and how to help themselves when they’re feeling bad,” Owens-Beauchesne said.

Through this work, she is able to give children the tools that she was given as a child at NHTP.

“Honestly, I really believe that theater is pretty therapeutic,” Owens-Beauchesne said. “It was a huge tool in my life I’d say, and then as I got older I just learned more and I saw it transforming other people’s lives, and I knew that [was] something I wanted to continue to be a part of.”

New Hampshire Theatre Project

959 Islington St., No. 3, in Portsmouth; nhtheatreproject.org, 431-6644

• NH Theatre Project will be holding auditions for its 2023-2024 season on Tuesday, July 25, from 5 to 8 p.m. Find the signup and registration forms on its website.
• Preview the new season, which starts with the production Thirst for Freedom on Sept. 22, on the website, where you can find a list of shows and see a video preview.

Artist at Canterbury Shaker Village
The Canterbury Shaker Village’s artist-in-residency program is hosting visual artist Ellen Friedlander from Los Angeles through Saturday, July 15, and then again Sunday, Oct. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 8, according to a press release. According to the release, while at the Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road in Canterbury; 783-9511, shakers.org), Friedlander planned to experiment with her pinhole lens and a new neutral density filter. “In addition to photographing the Village itself, I plan to work on sequencing a book that I have been working on for about a year,” Friedlander said in the release.

Building a community

The Art Center in Dover puts the emphasis on artists

By Katelyn Sahagian

arts@hippopress.com

The residency program at The Art Center provides a built-in community of artists and art-lovers. Rebecca Proctor, the owner and founder of The Art Center, said that she wanted to give artists of varying disciplines a space to work and also to be inspired and to receive feedback.

“To be able to be in a space where you can learn from other artists and be inspired by other artists is exciting and beneficial to artists who maybe don’t have a studio,” Proctor said.

There are two programs at The Art Center, one for miscellaneous visual arts, and one specifically for printmakers, and both are four months long. At the end of the residency, Proctor said, the artists will have completed a small collection of work that will be displayed in the center’s gallery

Several former artists in residence now rent studio space, including the first artist in residence for the printmaking residency, Diane St. Jean. St. Jean teaches printmaking classes and helps the printmaking resident with their projects. Part of why St. Jean stayed with the Art Center is the community built there.

“The other artists give their opinions and encouragement, even if they aren’t printmakers,” said St. Jean. “Everyone is supportive and friendly.”

The current artist in residence, Pep Manalang, has already completed several works. “It’s free from pressure that you get at galleries and from buyers to develop art,” Manalang said. “Here, I can spend lots of time thinking.”

The Art Center

1 Washington St., Suite 1177, Dover, 978-6702, theartcenterdover.com
The deadline for applications for the next residency, Oct. 1 through Jan. 31, is on Sept. 19. Submit applications via email to theartcenterdover@gmail.com.
Find works by the Art Center’s residents and member artists via the website.

How to make ice cream with bold flavors

PLUS a look at how the pros do it

Making homemade ice cream isn’t all that difficult. It’s pretty much as complicated as baking — if you follow directions, you’ve got about a 92 percent chance (a statistic I just made up) of pulling off any recipe.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind, though:

1. Don’t believe anyone who tells you that making ice cream is cheaper than buying it. Even if you have any exotic ingredients already on hand, the cream alone will cost you as much as a pint of the high-end store stuff. Also, reconcile yourself to the fact that the ice cream you make might be as good as ice cream made by professionals, but it will probably not be better. The people who make ice cream for a living have it literally down to a science. They wouldn’t be able to stay in business otherwise.

The only good reason to make your own ice cream is to get something that you can’t find easily. Good luck finding a vegan rhubarb-ripple sorbet in the store, but it would not be too difficult to make yourself.

2. Almost all of us have been given the advice to never read the comments at the bottom of any article online. This is especially true of recipes posted there. Of course, I’m not terribly bright, and I tend to ignore that advice when I’m looking for a new recipe.

“I know people can be awful,” I’ll say to myself, “but who could be awful about banana bread?”

Dian from Tulsa apparently, who posts a response to the recipe that goes something like: I thought I would try this, but my husband doesn’t really like bananas, so I replaced them with ketchup, and we’re trying to cut back on the amount of sugar we eat, so I left that out. Also, I’m not really sure what gluten is, but I worry about it, so I replaced half of the flour with sand. Really, I’m disappointed with how this turned out. I won’t be making it again. One Star.

A lot of us are used to playing around with recipes, and making adjustments and substitutions as we go when we are cooking, but have learned the hard way not to mess too much with the ingredients when we bake. Eggs, flour, fat and baking powder perform specific jobs, chemistry-wise, and most of us eventually learn not to play around with a baking recipe until we know it well and understand what each ingredient does.

Ice cream is much the same. Sugar is not just there for sweetness; it plays a role in how hard the ice cream will freeze and at what temperature. The same goes for the dairy, or lack of it. If you decide on a whim to replace heavy cream with fat-free oat milk, the finished ice cream will be very different from what the writer had in mind when she developed the recipe. Until you have made a particular ice cream or sorbet a few times and are really comfortable with it, it’s best to follow the recipe. With that said, many of the recipes here are inspired by ones from David Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop (2007, Ten Speed Press). He is a genius, and his recipes are bulletproof.

So why are certain ingredients included in a recipe in particular ratios?

Let’s make some ice cream while we talk about that. Again, one of the best reasons for making your own ice cream is to get a finished product that you won’t be able to buy easily. I like this combination of brown sugar and sour cream.

Brown Sugar Sour Cream Ice Cream

• 1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
• 1 cup (150 grams) brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon molasses (optional)
• pinch of salt
• 5 egg yolks
• scant 2 cups (480 grams) full-fat sour cream
• 1 chocolate chip Clif Bar

Step 1: Combine the milk, brown sugar, molasses and salt in a small saucepan.

The milk provides a base to suspend other ingredients in. A lot of flavors bond themselves well to fat or alcohol. In this recipe we don’t want to mess around with alcohol, because that will affect how the ice cream freezes, but the fat in the milk (about 4 percent) will not only grab hold of the flavor of the brown sugar at a molecular level; it will also help keep the ice crystals small when you freeze it, giving the finished product a creamier consistency. The molasses amplifies the flavor of the brown sugar.

Step 1.5: At this point you need to make a choice: What will you do with the egg yolks?

Egg yolks play a couple of roles here. One is to add fat and protein, which gives the finished ice cream a richer, creamier mouth-feel (an actual industry term). The other is to act as an emulsifier; it helps bond the fat in the recipe — and let’s face it, there’s a lot of it — to the other ingredients. You know the saying that oil and water don’t mix? That’s actually true, so in recipes where you need to use something fatty and something watery — salad dressing, for instance — an emulsifier is used to pull everything together. In the salad dressing, it might be mustard. Here it’s the egg yolks.

The problem with using egg yolks is that they need to be cooked but not too cooked. Nobody wants chunks of scrambled eggs in their ice cream.

There are two ways around this.

The traditional way is something called “tempering.” (If you already know about tempering, skip down to No. 2.) You might have seen this in other sorts of recipes. You heat up a liquid — the milk and sugar, in this case — to just below boiling, then spoon a tiny bit of the liquid into a small bowl with the egg yolks, stirring vigorously. You repeat this several times, simultaneously diluting the egg yolks and gradually bringing them up to temperature. After doing this four or five times, you stir the egg mixture into the milk mixture and whisk it enthusiastically. You keep stirring it until — and here’s the kicker — “the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.” It is an instruction that you get in almost any traditional custard recipe, but it can be tricky; I mess it up maybe 40 percent of the time.

The other option is to cheat. Whisk the egg yolks into the milk mixture while they are all still cold, then, whisking constantly, heat them over medium-low heat until they reach 175° F, monitoring the temperature with a probe thermometer or a whisk with an integrated thermometer. The yolks will do their job; if you stir conscientiously, there will be very little cooked egg. You will be covered from a food-safety point of view — the USDA recommends cooking raw egg yolks to 160° for at least 24 seconds, which you will definitely do.

Step 2: Remove the custard mixture — that’s what you’ve done; you’ve made a custard — from heat, and pour it through a fine-meshed strainer. With any luck you’ll only have a few little yellow globs left in the strainer and a little bit around the bottom edges of the pan. Don’t worry about them; the Ice Cream Police will not come after you for this.

Step 3: Let the mixture cool down, then whisk in the sour cream. Chill the mixture in your refrigerator — or an ice bath, if you’re in a hurry — for a few hours. The cooler the mixture is, the faster it will turn into ice cream in your machine.

Step 4: Once the mixture is cold, churn it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Here’s what the ice cream maker is doing:

If you’ve ever accidentally melted ice cream and then put it back in the freezer, you’ve learned that ice cream is not the same as frozen cream. Frozen cream is rock-hard and more or less inedible. An ice cream churn stirs the mixture as it freezes, keeping it from setting up with large, interlocked ice crystals. It also mixes air into the mixture. The industry term for this is “over-run.” The more air that is trapped in the frozen matrix, the fluffier and easier to scoop the final ice cream will be. Have you ever bought a large tub of ultra-discount ice cream from the supermarket and noticed how light and silky it is? That’s because it’s about 50 percent air by volume. The ultra-premium stuff that you buy by the pint has less over-run and is denser and creamier. When you make ice cream at home you are aiming for that denser consistency.

(You may have watched a cooking competition on television and seen a contestant use an industrial ice cream maker only to have a judge tell them that it is “over-churned,” that the cream has been beaten into butter. That’s a danger with an industrial machine; you don’t really need to worry about that with a home model.)

How long you churn your ice cream depends on a variety of factors that you don’t need to worry about. Just churn it until it is done. This could be anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. Often, when it’s finished, it will freeze up enough to jam up your ice cream maker, which will whine and complain loudly enough to get your attention and call you over to it. In any case, you are not trying to freeze the ice cream to a scoopable consistency. It should be the same texture as a stiff soft-serve from a roadside ice cream place.

Step 5: While the mixture is churning, chop the Clif Bar into small chunks.

Step 6: When the ice cream is done churning, use a large spoon to layer it with Clif Bar chunks into a container that you will put in the freezer. I like to use one-pint plastic takeout containers or paper ice cream cups that I’ve bought on the internet. A one-quart Tupperware container will work just as well.

Step 7: Label the container and leave it in your freezer for several hours to harden up.

Step 8: About 10 minutes before serving, remove it from the freezer to soften up a little on the kitchen counter.

This is definitely not a flavor that you’re going to find at the supermarket. The sour cream makes this very creamy but adds a background sourness that makes it mouth-watering. The brown sugar and molasses are comforting. That would be satisfying on its own, but the addition of chewy chunks of Clif Bar gives it a contrast in texture that makes you pay attention to what you’re eating and actually think about the flavor and texture of the Clif Bar.

Could you use crumbled-up oatmeal cookies instead of the Clif Bar? Yes, but they would get soggy — which is great if you like that. The Clif Bar is high enough in fat and sugar that it won’t freeze completely solid, doesn’t dissolve into the ice cream, and stays chewy, with little crisp bits that you don’t normally notice.

What’s With the Metric Measurements?
Measuring ingredients by weight instead of by volume is a good habit to get into when you are baking or doing some other food preparation that requires precision. Flour, for instance, can vary in weight a great deal depending on whether you use a measuring cup to scoop it out of the bag, or sift it and spoon it carefully into a recipe. When you’re making ice cream and you need to keep track of the ratios of your ingredients, measuring remains important. How finely you chop an ingredient will affect its volume, for instance.
If you decide to weigh your ingredients, metric measurements make a lot of sense. Because grams are much smaller units than ounces or pounds, it is easier to get a precise measurement of how much milk or mango puree or Tabasco you are adding to a recipe. Most kitchen scales toggle easily between metric and imperial measurements.
Note: For home cooks, milliliters and grams are more or less the same for liquids. If you were a pharmacist, the difference in weight might be significant; the rest of us can use them interchangeably.
King Arthur Flour’s website has an excellent conversion chart that is useful for these sorts of measurements at kingarthurbaking.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart.

How to Make Ice Cream Without a Machine

“This is all great,” I hear you say, “but what if I don’t have an ice cream machine? Am I supposed to buy one and try it out, just to find out if I even like making ice cream?”

Actually no. There is a work-around.

For any recipe for ice cream or sorbet, make the mixture, pretending that you have a machine to put it into. Act innocent. Maybe look at the ceiling and whistle a little. This is to fool the ice cream mixture into a false sense of security.

At the last minute, pull a large plastic freezer bag out from behind your back, and pour the mixture into it. “Sorry, pal,” you might say to the ice cream base, “but we’ve had to make some cutbacks.”

Before it has a chance to complain, seal the plastic bag, squeezing as much air out of it as possible, and put it in your freezer to freeze solid. If you aren’t entirely confident about the seal, you might want to put the bag in a cake pan or something, to make sure it doesn’t leak all over your broccoli.

“Hey, wait a second!” I hear you saying, “I thought we weren’t supposed to freeze it solid. I believe the term you used was ‘rock-hard and more or less inedible.’”

Thank you for paying attention. That would be true if you were planning on gnawing on frozen chunks of cream, but that’s not what you’re going to do.

After a couple of hours, remove the rock-hard frozen slab of cream and peel it out of its bag. Put it on a large cutting board and, using a large knife or a cleaver, cut it into medium-sized chunks, about the size of a hamster or a deck of cards.

Blend the frozen ice cream chunks in your blender, starting on its lowest speed, eventually moving it up to medium speed. If you have a high-end, ultra-powerful blender — the kind that they grind up hockey pucks with on the internet — this will go very smoothly. Your blender will feel totally validated and chuckle smugly. Even if you have a cheap, iffy blender that you picked up at a yard sale, it will take a deep breath, and say, “I got this, Boss.”

After a minute or so the frozen ice cream base will take on a stiff soft-serve consistency, at which point you treat it just as if you’d used a machine.

Here are two batches of Brown Sugar Sour Cream ice cream, one made in a blender and the other using a traditional ice cream maker. They taste identical. There is a small difference in texture: The batch on the left, the one made in the blender, is a little creamier, presumably because the blender beat slightly more over-run (air) into the mixture. It is a subtle difference, though, and if you didn’t taste them side by side you probably wouldn’t notice it. As you can tell, they both scoop well.

The Difference Between Ice Cream and Sorbet
Ice cream enthusiasts tend to get hung up on the technical differences between different types of frozen desserts. There are times when the differences are important, but for most of us, most of the time, it is just a matter of word choice. Most of the differences in terms come from the type and amount of dairy that is used.
Ice Cream – Almost all the liquid in the recipe is high-fat dairy: whole milk, half & half, or heavy cream.
Gelato – This still uses dairy, but mostly whole milk, and no cream. This leads to a denser, more intense ice cream experience.
Sherbet – Most of the liquid is water or fruit-juice based, with just a little dairy to make it creamy.
Sorbet – There is no dairy at all. It might be zesty and fruity, a lot like a popsicle who knows someone, or it might use coconut milk or a dairy substitute to replace the cream and milkfat. It might be almost indistinguishable from a traditional ice cream.

Passion Fruit Sorbet

• 1-quart carton Goya Passionfruit Cocktail – look in the bottled juice aisle at your supermarket
• 1/3 cup (66 grams) sugar
• zest and juice of two limes

Step 1: Shake the carton of passion fruit cocktail thoroughly, then add all three ingredients to a blender. Blend for 30 seconds or so.

Step 2: Chill for several hours.

Step 3: Blend again, then churn according to your ice cream maker’s manufacturer’s instructions.

Step 4: Transfer to one or more freezing containers, label, and harden in your freezer.

This is a full-blown sorbet, without a hint of dairy. It’s not creamy, but it is scoopable and looks beautiful when you serve it.

Warning: This particular sorbet lends itself to ice cream headaches. I’m not sure why, but self-restraint is your friend here. You might want to pace yourself.

Passion fruit is one of those flavors that you don’t think you’ve ever tasted before, but when you finally do taste it, it will seem really familiar. Actual passion fruits are pretty expensive in the supermarket — about $5 each in our area — but the juice is used in a lot of “tropical” juice mixes, the same as guavas. It is sour and perfumy, utterly delicious. Again, the sourness gives it a mouth-watering quality. It goes very well with lime. This is refreshing. Children tend to really like it.

Could you use the blender method to make this, then add eight ounces of dark rum to the mixture and call it a day and drink it?

Yes. Yes, you absolutely could.

But you would probably lose that day. Again, self-restraint is your friend.

Chocolate-Mango Swirl, a Secret Sorbet

So, you know how you’ll be watching a cooking show, or even a cooking segment on a morning news show, and someone will make a big point of cooking “healthy” and after making some yes-I-suppose-I-could-eat-it-if-I-was-forced-to, non-fat, cholesterol-free, Very Sad dish, they will take a bite of it, force a smile and tell you that it is “just as satisfying as the real thing”?

You know — and they know, and they know that you know that they know — that whatever they just made is probably fine for what it is, but it is in no way as satisfying as what you actually want.

This isn’t that.

David Lebovitz’s chocolate sorbet is richer and more chocolatey than any actual ice cream could ever be. In fact, because just about its only ingredients are different forms of dark chocolate, dairy could only bring it down. It might be the most pure, intensely decadent form of chocolate you might ever have.

And yet—

Contrast can help bring even the best flavors into focus. Fruit might help here. Orange and raspberry are classic fruits to pair with chocolate, but what about something a little unexpected?

The Chocolate Half of the Sorbet

• 1½ cups (375 ml) water
• 1 cup (200 grams) white sugar
• ¾ cup (75 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder – Dutch process, if you have it (see below)
• pinch of salt
• 6 ounces (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips (For a completely vegan recipe, read the ingredients on the back of the package carefully. Many semisweet chocolates have trace amounts of milk in them. It is totally OK to substitute dark chocolate.)
• ¾ cup (180 ml) water
• 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Step 1: Combine 1½ cups of water, the sugar, and the cocoa powder in a small saucepan. Ordinary, plain, run-of-the-mill cocoa powder — which is not the same as hot chocolate mix — is a little acidic. It doesn’t feel completely silky in your mouth. It might even irritate the roof of your mouth a little — something I call the Captain Crunch Effect. In baking recipes, that acidity is balanced by other ingredients, such as baking soda, or egg whites, which are slightly alkaline, but here, you might want to use Dutch Process cocoa, which has already been adjusted to have a neutral pH.

In either case, dry cocoa is what chefs like to call hydrophobic, which under other circumstances can refer to rabies, but in cooking means that it doesn’t like to mix with water; it will float stubbornly on the top of the pot, unless you force it into solution by whisking it vigorously.

Do that.

Step 2: Cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking fairly often – once a minute or so – until it comes to a boil. Whisk it energetically for a minute or so, then remove it from heat. This short boiling will allow the starch in the cocoa powder to form a matrix that will thicken the mixture.

Step 3: Stir in the chocolate chips until they have melted completely, then whisk in the water.

Step 4: Add the vanilla, then whisk the mixture one more time, this time for about a minute. You are whipping in some extra air (over-run). The cocoa-thickened liquid will hold the air in suspension pretty well.

Step 5: The reason many recipes ask you to add vanilla last is that many of the flavor-carrying chemicals in vanilla are volatile and evaporate easily. You want to bring the temperature down — the water did this for you, in this case — before you add the vanilla to keep as much of its flavor intact as possible.

Step 6: Chill the mixture for several hours or overnight before churning it.

The Mango Half of the Sorbet

• 12.5 ounces (350 grams) frozen chopped mango. This is available with other frozen fruit in your supermarket and is cheaper and easier than using fresh mangoes for this recipe. Because you will be pureeing it, preserving the texture of fresh mango isn’t an issue here.
• ¾ cup (155 grams) canned coconut cream. This is not the pre-sweetened stuff with the parrot on the label that you used in your youth for dorm-room piña coladas; it is coconut milk with a higher than usual fat content (at least 20 percent), about the same as light cream.
• ¾ cup (150 grams) vegan half & half. This is usually made from a combination of coconut and almond milks, with a slightly lower fat content.
• ¾ cup (150 grams) white sugar
• pinch of salt

Step 1: Combine all ingredients in a blender. Make sure you shake or stir the coconut cream before measuring it.

Step 2: Blend until thoroughly combined. Toward the end, turn up the speed on your blender to add air to the mixture.

Step 3: Chill, as above.

Combining the Two Sorbets

If your ice cream machine has two canisters, start freezing the chocolate sorbet first; with my machine, I start churning it half an hour before starting the mango.

If your machine only has one canister, or if you are using the “Freeze, Chop, Blend” method, make each of these sorbets separately.

When it’s time to mix them, alternate scoops or large spoonfuls of each in your freezing container. If you are scooping finished sorbets, make sure to mash them together. You aren’t trying to blend them with each other, but to bond the two types of sorbet, so you will get multi-colored scoops when you serve the finished product.

Freeze for a couple of hours before serving.

This is a real show-stopper. The decadence of the chocolate is perfectly set off by the perfumy fruitiness of the mango. It is easy to imagine a scenario where a vengeful monster is about to destroy a city — it looms overhead, crackly with eldritch power, cackling in triumph — when a small child totters forth and offers it a bowl of this sorbet. The creature tastes it, and its evil heart melts, or grows three sizes or something. It kisses the child on the head and heads back to sea, or wherever it came from.

It’s that good.

Even More Decadent – Fooling Around with Alcohol

Alcohol is a tricky addition to ice cream.

Because ice cream is so cold, it turns down the flavor of whatever base you use to make it. Your taste buds are numbed, and the volatile flavor compounds we talked about earlier are less enthusiastic about floating around your palate. If you want a particular flavor to shine through in the finished ice cream, you have to add a fairly aggressive amount of it to the recipe.

This presents a bit of a problem when it comes to alcohol. Because it freezes (or melts in this case) at a very low temperature — about 150 degrees below zero — adding too much of it to a recipe will keep an ice cream from freezing properly. If you don’t add enough of it, you won’t be able to taste it in the finished ice cream.

So what we’re looking for is an alcohol with a strong, boozy flavor, but as low a proof (percentage of alcohol) as possible. Bourbon is a good choice for this. There aren’t many low-proof bourbons out there — they bottom out at about 80 proof (40 percent alcohol), but bourbon carries such a distinctive flavor that a little can go a long way. Because it has its own sweetness, and the barrel-aging process gives it some vanilla and caramel notes, bourbon matches well with sweet flavors, notably milk chocolate.

Bourbon-Milk Chocolate Ice Cream

• 8 ounces (230 grams) good milk chocolate – I like Cadbury Dairy Milk for this.
• 3 cups (750 ml) half & half
• ¾ cup (150 grams) white sugar
• pinch of salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 3 Tablespoons (1½ ounces) 80-proof bourbon — Jack Daniel’s works well for this.

Step 1: Combine all the ingredients except the bourbon in a small saucepan. Whisk continually until the mixture reaches 175° F, or temper the egg yolks traditionally (see Brown Sugar Sour Cream Ice Cream, above), then remove from heat.

Step 2: Let the mixture cool thoroughly, then stir in the bourbon.

Step 3: Chill the mixture as much as you can, probably overnight in the coldest part of your refrigerator, then churn according to your machine’s manufacturer’s instructions.

This recipe pushes the alcohol content to its absolute limit. It will not want to freeze; you will have to force the issue. Let it churn for as long as your machine will put up with it (a full hour in my case), then very quickly transfer it to your freezing container and get it into the freezer immediately. Leave it for several hours, perhaps even 24.

What you will end up with is a very rich, milk-chocolatey ice cream with a boozy backbone. It’s very, very good, but it’s very soft. Even at its coldest it will have a pudding consistency, and it will dissolve into a puddle if you look at it too intensely. It is to be served and eaten immediately. Serve all the other ice creams to your dinner party guests before you break this one out. Do not wait until someone has blown out the candles.

Eat it immediately.

Or, hypothetically, you could serve the dish in an ice bath.

A Grownup Ice Cream – Fresh Mint

We all know what to expect from something mint-flavored. It will probably be a lovely green color. It might be shockingly minty, like a peppermint patty, or sweet and a little spicy, like a candy cane.

What we don’t usually expect is for it to taste herbal, which is odd when you think about it, because that’s what mint is — an herb.

This is a mint ice cream for a grownup, for someone who has just made two pool runs and gone to soccer practice and done a load of laundry and gotten eye-rolled for their trouble. This is a find-a-spot-in-the-shade-and-take-five-minutes-to-yourself-while-listening-to-Air-Supply adult ice cream with no M&Ms or cookie dough. It is. Mint. Ice. Cream.

Fresh Mint Ice Cream

• ¾ cup (150 grams) sugar
• 3 cups (750 ml) half & half
• pinch of salt

A large bunch of fresh mint – a double handful. At least 100 grams. Perhaps two packed cups. It doesn’t need to be picked or chopped. The stems and leaves are both fine for this, but you probably want to rinse it off. More is better.

Step 1: Heat the cream, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan until just before it boils, 175° to 190° F, stirring occasionally.

Step 2: Remove from heat.

Step 3: Add the mint to the hot cream mixture. Squash it down into the cream with a wooden spoon, until it wilts a little and is almost completely submerged. Cover the pot with a lid or a plate and let the mint steep for one hour, squashing it with your wooden spoon from time to time.

Step 4: Strain through a fine-meshed strainer, chill, and churn, either in your machine or using the “Freeze, Chop, Blend” method, and transfer to a freezing container.

Depending on how much mint you use, this will probably not be an intense Altoid-y ice cream. It will be an ice cream that tastes like actual mint. It has a slightly icy texture, which in this case is an asset; it adds to the refreshment.

Could you smooth it out to make it creamier? Yes, by replacing half of the cream with heavy cream, but try it this way your first time.

Could you add in something to make it a little more family-friendly? You know the plain chocolate wafers your mother used to make icebox cake? You could crumble some of those in layers when you move the ice cream to a container. It will taste like a more sophisticated Girl Scout cookie.

But, you know, ice cream.

Impressing People at a Dinner Party – Lemon Ricotta, Blueberry Swirl Ice Cream

Chocolate has better PR, but if pressed, a surprising number of people will tell you that lemon is their favorite sweet flavor; it’s tangy and floral and its slight sourness has a mouth-watering quality that is a little bit sparkly and magical.

But lemon ice cream has a problem. Lemon sherbet? Totally doable. Lemon sorbet? Piece of cake. But ice cream?

The problem is chemical. Lemon juice is very acidic. On a pH scale of 0 to 7, it has a score of 2. When the proteins in dairy are exposed to acid, you get something delightful, but not necessarily what we’re looking for here — cheese. Getting a finished product that is both lemony and creamy runs the risk of cheesiness. We can lower the cheese factor by not heating this ice cream base, starting with cold ingredients, and by churning it immediately, without leaving it to chill in the refrigerator, but we will still end up with a slightly chewy texture, which leaves us with a couple of options:

We could turn this into a sorbet, by replacing the dairy with coconut cream and almond milk, which would change the flavor slightly.

Or we could really lean into the cheesiness. Lemon has a well-known affinity for ricotta, the cheese you use in lasagna. (Ricotta with a little lemon syrup makes for a really good breakfast, by the way.) Why not go in that direction?

And add blueberries. Blueberries get along really well with lemon and ricotta. Think blueberry cheesecake.

Lemon Ricotta, Blueberry Ripple Ice Cream

• zest of 3 lemons
• ½ cup (100 grams) white sugar
• ½ cup (125 ml) fresh squeezed lemon juice, chilled
• 1 cup (250 ml) half & half, chilled
• 1 cup (250 grams) full-fat ricotta, chilled
• pinch of salt

A jar of blueberry preserves — store-bought is perfectly fine. The sugar and pectin will keep the preserves from freezing solid.

Step 1: Combine everything but the blueberry preserves in a blender, and blend thoroughly.

Step 2: Churn immediately. If you are using the “Freeze, Chop, Blend” method, freeze the mixture quickly as possible, in the coldest part of your freezer. If you have a stand-alone or chest freezer, this is the moment it has been waiting for its whole life.

Step 3: When you transfer the frozen lemon ice cream to its freezing container, layer it with large spoonfuls of blueberry preserves.

This is a delicious — dare I say it? — fancy ice cream. It will have a dense, slightly chewy consistency, but also an unusually pronounced dairy flavor. Often the dairy in ice cream is used largely as a flavor delivery device; in this case it is the flavor. I won’t say that it is an adult ice cream — children like it very much, thank you — but it is a sophisticated one.

Finally, a Cautionary Tale About Making Promises, and Involving Ice Cream Cake

But first, a short story:

Susan knew she was in trouble.

She had promised her daughter Lulu that she would be back from her business trip in time for Lulu’s Orange Belt Test in Taekwondo. She would be gone all week, but she would for certain be back by 6 p.m. on Friday.

Lulu had given her a hard look, then thrust her little finger out at Susan.

“Pinky-swear!” she demanded.

In spite of a slight fluttering in her stomach, Susan pinky-swore. She knew she would make it home in time; her last meeting was supposed to wrap up at 10:30 on Friday. She would have her carry-on bag with her at the meeting and she’d go directly to the airport. What could possibly keep her in Toledo?

A baggage-handlers’ strike, as it turned out, combined with high winds and hail. It was 2 a.m. on Saturday before she staggered through the door at home. She knew she’d be exhausted when Lulu woke her up at 6.

As it turned out, that wasn’t a problem. When she finally got up around 11 and went into the kitchen for some coffee, Lulu got up and walked away into the living room.

As often as she wished for a little peace and quiet, Susan quickly learned that the hostile silence of a 6-year-old grew increasingly soul-crushing as the day went on. She didn’t get any sympathy from her wife, either.

“Hey, you promised me, too. This is a You Problem.”

After a few hours, though, even Carmen started to feel a chill in the air and she took Lulu to spend the afternoon at her mother’s house, giving Susan a few hours to come up with a plan to salvage the tattered remains of her family’s love.

Which, somehow, is how she ended up at the dollar store. Not that she had any actual hope of finding a miracle there, but the dollar store is where Susan went when she needed to be inspired, creatively.

She found her answer in a display by the door, even before she went inside. Ten dollars and five minutes later, she had what she needed.

Susan wasn’t much of a baker, but she did have a strawberry cake mix in the cupboard at home, and half a gallon of strawberry ice cream in the freezer, so it seemed like a no-brainer to use a sandcastle mold from the dollar store to make a Pink Princess Ice Cream Cake.

It turned out to be a little harder than she anticipated.

It can’t be denied that this was a disappointing setback, but Susan’s father had always said that God hates a coward, so she refused to give up.

She still had a couple of hours to work with, so, stopping only to give the Gloppy Castle Cake to the heavy metal band who practiced in the garage next door — who subsequently declared her to be the Awesomest Chick Ever and asked her if she wanted to join the band (an idea she decided to put a pin in until she saw how the rest of the afternoon panned out) — Susan made another run to the dollar store and the supermarket, and tried again.

This time she used a more traditional sand bucket with sloped sides, which worked pretty well. By the time she added pink balloons, pink ribbons, a pink tablecloth and pink utensils, she had a credible Pink Bribe to offer Lulu when she got home, who decided to forgive her, even though she had decided that she didn’t like pink anymore and really wanted zebra stripes.

Carmen agreed that Susan had more or less redeemed herself, but wondered why she had used a children’s sand bucket as an ice cream mold, instead of a spring-form pan.

“A what, now?” Susan asked.

“A spring-form pan. You know, the pan with the ski-boot buckle on the side that I use for making cheesecake?’

“That’s just for cheesecake, though, isn’t it?”

…

“I’m not really very bright, am I?”

“That seems to be the theme of the weekend. Let’s make some strawberry margaritas.”

Triple Strawberry Ice Cream Cake

• 1 half-gallon carton of strawberry ice cream
• 1 box of strawberry cake mix, and the ingredients to make it
• 1 large jar of strawberry preserves

Step 1: Line the bottom of a large spring-form pan with parchment paper, then bake a strawberry cake in it, according to the directions on the box. Allow it to cool.

Step 2: Remove the cake from the pan, and chill the pan in your freezer. Meanwhile, use a bread knife to slice the cake in half across the middle, so you have two thinner cakes, not two semi-circular ones.

Step 3: Remove the strawberry ice cream from the freezer to soften slightly.

Step 4: Reline the bottom of your spring-form pan with more parchment paper.

Step 5: Scoop half the ice cream into the bottom of your pan, and smash it down with a spoon to completely fill the bottom section.

Step 6: Add a layer of cake. Because you baked it in this pan, it should fit perfectly. If you didn’t think things through, and used a child’s sand bucket, you will have to do some measuring.

Step 7: Use a large spoon to spread strawberry preserves across the cake. How much you use is up to you.

Step 8: Spread more preserves on the other half-cake.

Step 9: By this time the rest of your ice cream should have softened enough to add it to the cake in the pan without having to squash it too much. Do that, then flip the remaining half-cake, jam-side down into the pan, on top of the ice cream.

Step 10: Cover the final cake layer with plastic wrap, then put everything in the freezer to firm up.

Strawberry Margarita
2 to 3 frozen strawberries – approx. 50 gram, or 2 ounces
1½ teaspoons white sugar
2 ounces blanco tequila – I like Hornito’s for margaritas
1 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice

Step 1: Thoroughly muddle the strawberries and sugar in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. I use a large pestle from a mortar and pestle; the handle of a hammer would work well for this.
Step 2: Add the tequila, then dry-shake the mixture. This means without ice. The tequila will do a good job of bonding with the fruity compounds in the strawberries.
Step 3: Add lime juice and ice, then shake again, until very cold.
Step 4: Strain into a cocktail glass, and drink while it is still blisteringly cold.
Unlike traditional Mexican Restaurant Strawberry Margaritas, this tastes strongly of actual strawberries and lime. It is best very cold, but not frozen. Haven’t you had enough frozen treats, already?

Compiled and reported by
Mya Blanchard

As the sun shines brighter, summer in New Hampshire provides the perfect backdrop for getting lost in the pages of a good book.

The Hippo’s summer reading guide brings you a diverse collection of recommendations of recently published books from local bookstore and library staff, who shared how these books resonated with them and captured their hearts and minds.

Dive deeper into the stories behind the stories with our series of Q&As with local authors, who discussed the inspirations and writing processes behind their latest works.

Whether you crave thrilling adventures, heartwarming tales or captivating journeys through time and space, our guide has something for you.

Grab a book, find a cozy spot and let your imagination soar.

Contemporary fiction

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, published March 2023.
Recommended by: Diane Hathaway, director of Goffstown Public Library.
Sylvie marries tragic William, and the book travels through time to describe the challenges of their relationship as a result of their backgrounds and personalities. A beautiful book with unique characters, despite the parallels to Little Women in the four sister characters.
“All readers look for certain features that are common in their favorite books. Mine is that I need to like the characters, and Hello Beautiful fits that requirement,” Hathaway said.

The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore, published March 2023.
Recommended by: Elisabeth Jewell, events coordinator at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord.An “uplit” (uplifting literature) about a collection of lonely strangers who accidentally form a book club, and about the truths we avoid telling ourselves.
“Our bookstore devoted a podcast to the idea of uplit earlier this year — these are non-romance happy-ever-after stories — the classic example is A Man Called Ove,” Jewell said.

Maame by Jessica George, published January 2023.
Recommended by: Tricia Ryden, adult services librarian at Wiggin Memorial Library in Stratham.
In this tender, quiet coming of age novel, 25-year-old Maddie George’s life seems to be permanently on hold. The daughter of Ghanaian immigrants, Maddie is a self-described people-pleaser — the dependable person in all aspects of her life. The book traces Maddie’s struggle to claim her place in the world as she deals with grief and depression, microaggressions, dating and roommate issues.
“Maddie is a lovely character, big-hearted and funny and kind, and I really found myself rooting for her. Maame is a compassionate, intimate debut novel and I look forward to reading more from this author,” Ryden said.

Thirst for Salt by Madelaine Lucas, published March 2023.
Recommended by: Diane Hathaway, director of Goffstown Public Library.
“Sharkbait” is the only name by which we know the narrator. Jude, her nearly 20 years older lover, gives her the nickname, and the book is the memory of their relationship from when Sharkbait is a decade older. We relive the heady days of love with the narrator, as well as the deterioration of the relationship.
“This may be my favorite book so far in 2023. This is an eloquent, rich book with lyrical writing, full of feeling. A must read!,” Hathaway said.

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, published May 2023.
Recommended by: Alexa Moore, circulation and reader services librarian at Amherst Town Library.
June Hayward steals and publishes her “best-friend’s” literary masterpiece after her tragic death. June will stop at nothing to keep the fame she believes she deserves.
“This darkly humorous satire is a departure from fantasy for Kuang, but still has her strong voice throughout. I loved it. It expertly shines a light on the faults within the publishing industry, and is extremely readable and hilarious. I can’t wait to see what Kuang writes next,” Moore said.

Cookbook

Blueberries for Sal Cookbook: Sweet Recipes Inspired by the Beloved Children’s Classic by Robert McClosky, published June 2023.
Recommended by: Katharine Nevins, owner and manager of MainStreet BookEnds of Warner.
Celebrate blueberries all year with 30 wonderful recipes of muffins, pies, smoothies and more.
“Includes the glorious illustrations from the children’s classic throughout. Fun for all!,” Nevins said.

Fantasy

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean, published August 2022.
Recommended by: Tricia Ryden, adult services librarian at Wiggin Memorial Library in Stratham.
A kind of a twist on vampire stories, The Book Eaters is a dark, gritty, contemporary fantasy that tells the story of Devon Fairweather, a Book Eater. Secluded from human society, Book Eaters survive by consuming books, and to maintain their social order, Book Eater girls are fed a strict diet of fairy tales. Devon, however, finds herself increasingly unable to accept what turns out to be the nightmarish reality of life as a Book Eater princess.
“At times harrowing, the book is written with an enormous amount of compassion for the impossible choices that Devon has to make. It’s a book about power, knowledge, survival, social norms, morality and love,” Ryden said.

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross, published April 2023.
Recommended by: Alexa Moore, circulation and reader services librarian at Amherst Town Library.
Two writers, Iris Winnow & Roman Kitt, compete for the top spot at a local paper, the Oath Gazette. Iris loses her family, and finds connection through a magical exchange of letters with a mystery person. The ongoing war between the gods finds both Iris and Roman, and causes them to reevaluate their lives.
“This historical fiction meets fantasy romance novel focuses on the relationships of its characters, with the backdrop of the gods at war. It has an enemies to lovers romance, incredible worldbuilding with a sprinkling of magic, and some mystery as the reader discovers all the elements to this world,” Moore said.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, published May 2023.
Recommended by: Alexa Moore, circulation and reader services librarian at Amherst Town Library.
Violent Sorrengail is forced to enter the Riders Quadrant at Basgiath War College. Will she survive long enough to become a dragon rider, or is she too “fragile” to make it?
“This fantasy romance lives up to the hype, and it sucked me in from the first moment! Yarros perfectly executes the enemies to lovers element of the story without taking away from the fantasy worldbuilding. (Plus I am a sucker for a competition novel.) Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas,” Moore said.

Graphic novel

Dungeons and Dragons: Dungeon Club — Roll Call by Molly Knox Ostertag, illustrated by Xanthe Bouma, published November 2022.
Recommended by: Sean Sherwood, patron assistant at Hooksett Public Library.
Jess has always only needed her best friend Olivia by her side through their lives, and their love of fantasy role-playing games has been their special thing forever. But when Olivia starts a new Dungeons & Dragons club in middle school, can Jess cope with sharing her Dungeon Master with other players?
“This is a graphic novel that explores the trials of starting middle school and the challenges that come from trying to expand your social circles. I enjoy all of Molly Knox Ostertag’s previous works, such as The Witch Boy, so this was more of the same excellent writing from a stellar author!” Sherwood said.

Sunshine by Jarrett Krosoczka, published April 2023.
Recommended by: Christopher Larochelle, patron services librarian at Hooksett Public Library. The author reflects back on a summer he spent as a high school camp counselor at a camp for children with severe illnesses.
“Krosoczka’s honesty is a strength. Though the story tackles some very tough subject matter, there is a focus on the positives and a hopeful tone weaves through this moving graphic novel,” Larochelle said.

Historical fiction

All the Broken Places by John Boyne, published November 2022.
Recommended by: Dianne Hathaway, director of Goffstown Public Library.
Gretel is the protagonist in this book by Boyne, and it is kind of a sequel to his bestseller The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. This book is full of sadness and guilt, as Gretel travels between World War II memories and the present day. When we meet her, Gretel is in her later years and as the book progresses we hear her full story until the conclusion that we see coming.
“This is a poignant, unforgettable book about the horrors of war and what is left behind,” Hathaway said.

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, published October 2022
Recommended by: Tricia Ryden, the adult services librarian at Wiggin Memorial Library in Stratham.
A modern-day adaptation of David Copperfield set in Appalachia during the early days of the opioid crisis. Damon Fields, known by the nickname Demon Copperhead, is a young orphan navigating the foster care system after his mother overdoses. He is a smart, funny, angry, hurting kid with a talent for drawing and a powerful survival instinct.
“It is such a smart idea to transplant the Dickens story to this particular time and place. While it is specific to the struggles of this community that Kingsolver comes from, it also drives home the universal toll of poverty and inequity. A beautiful, heartbreaking book,” Ryden said.

A Girl Called Samson by Amy Haron, published April 2023.
Recommended by: Jamie Litalien, patron services and technical services assistant at Hooksett Public Library.
This novel, set during the American Revolution, follows the real life story of Deborah Samson., a woman who disguised herself as a man to fight in the war for American Independence. This book addresses the challenges of war and one woman’s fight for personal liberty.
“If you are looking to be transported back in time, this is the story for you!” Litalien said.

Go as a River by Shelley Read, published February 2023.
Recommended by: Paula Frank, a bookseller at Balin Books in Nashua.
Against the harsh realities of life in the 1940s a teenage girl finds forbidden love in a small provincial town in Colorado, where loss, prejudice and rage prevail.
“As beautiful as it is devastating. The words never felt wasted. Fiercely independent Victoria (Torie) follows her own path. She leaves her broken family behind and deals with many hardships on her own, building a life worthy of the legacy of her past,” Read said.

Homecoming by Kate Morton, published April 2023.
Recommended by: Katharine Nevins, owner and manager of MainStreet Bookends of Warner.
Full of suspense, this is an epic story that spans generations, asking what we would do for those we love, how we protect the lies we tell, and what it means to come home.
“Mix up historical fiction with a woman sleuth, and that spells great summer reading,” Nevins said.

Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane, published April 2023.
Recommended by: Michael Herrmann, owner of Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord.
Set in the same universe as Mystic River — Boston in the 1970s — Small Mercies is a story of the impact of integration and busing on traditional Irish communities, with mysterious disappearances and the constant threat of violence.
“Lehane has a great ear for dialogue and is one of our best writers in creating truly memorable scenes. This was the world Lehane grew up in, so this is a very personal story for him,” Herrmann said.

Weyward by Emilia Hart, published March 2023.
Recommended by: Heather Weirich Roy, manager and buyer of the children’s section at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord.
Weyward is a multi-generational story following a line of witches and their daughters.
“It is a feminist POV that touches on the historical importance for a woman’s right to choose safety in remaining independent. For fans of Kate Morton, Diane Setterfield and Sarah Perry,” Roy said.

Horror

Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca, published June 2023.
Recommended by: Ryan Clark, social media manager at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord.
“If you like your horror to leave you battered and raw, buckle up, I have your next read. Everything the Darkness Eats is bursting with malevolence, desperation, trauma and love. At times you will feel utterly consumed by the darkness, and at other times you will catch a glimpse of the light. This novel may be small, but it is a beast in its own right. Do not underestimate it. Eric LaRocca’s writing is gorgeous and addictive,” Clark said.

Mystery

All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay, published March 2023.
Recommended by: Jan Locke, a buyer at Balin Books in Nashua.
Has the perfect murder been committed, or not? How does a family, ripped apart by doubt, take sides against one of its own? This is a companion volume but not a sequel to previous bestseller Finding Jacob by the same author
“This story really gets under your skin!” Locke said.

Dirt Creek by Hayley Scrivenor, published August 2022.
Recommended by: Jan Locke, a buyer at Balin Books in Nashua.
Small-town secrets are easily buried in this close-knit community representative of the new mystery genre, rural Australian noir.
“Heart-wrenching, evocative and beautifully written, this still manages to be a very good police procedural,” Locke said.

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson, published January 2023.
Recommended by: Heather Weirich Roy, manager and buyer of the children’s section at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord.
This is a cheeky Australian murder mystery that breaks the fourth wall to address the reader frequently.
“Narrated by the author of several ‘how to write a mystery’ books, but not a novelist himself, in this book we get a play-by-play account of one family’s disastrous family reunion weekend and a dirty laundry list of how each member has, as the title suggests, killed someone,” Roy said.

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai, published February 2023.
Recommended by: Beth Nerbonne, patron service assistant at Hooksett Public Library.
A successful film professor and podcaster returns to the New Hampshire boarding school she attended where her former roommate was murdered [during] the spring of their senior year. While she’s teaching a class as an adjunct there, interest in the case resurfaces and forces our protagonist to reconsider what she and everyone else has presumed was the truth.
“After reading Makkai’s Pulitzer Prize finalist, The Great Believers, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book, and it didn’t disappoint. Filled with twists and turns and of course its connection to New Hampshire boarding schools, this title is one heck of a ride,” Nerbonne said.

Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes, published February 2023.
Recommended by: Ryan Clark, social media manager at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord.
After unsuccessfully trying to murder his boss, instead of being arrested, Cliff Iverson is recruited to the McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts, the very fancy, well-rounded school for learning the art of homicide.
“Darkly funny, a bit like if A Series of Unfortunate Events was written for adults. This is by the same man who wrote ‘The Pina Colada Song’ way back when!” Holmes said.

Nonfiction

Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska by Warren Zanes, published May 2023.
Recommended by: Michael Herrmann, owner of Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord.
Warren Zanes writes about what this album meant to musicians at the time (he, with his brother Dan, were core members of The Del Fuegos), where it lands in the personal journey of Springsteen as an artist, and its enduring legacy.
“This is an in-depth and fascinating study of Bruce Springsteen’s album Nebraska, which took the world by surprise with its darkness and ragged simplicity in 1982,” Herrmann said.

Monster: A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederer, published April 2023.
Recommended by: Michael Herrmann, owner of Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord.
This book had its beginnings as an essay in the Paris Review that went viral — “What Do We Do with the Art of Monstrous Men?,” a question that also goes to the heart of professional bookselling.
“Claire Dederer, author of the memoirs Poser and Love and Trouble, has expanded her essay into a broad and fascinating study of the issue, and also a radical self-examination that is highly valuable. You’ll read about Picasso, Woody Allen, Miles Davis, Michael Jackson and many other well-known figures whose work endures even as their reputations are re-evaluated,” Herrmann said.

Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs by Jamie Loftus, published May 2023.
Recommended by: Jo Swenson, lead bookseller at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord.
Part travelog, part culinary history, part quirky memoir.
“Raw Dog is the horny socialist hot dog book you didn’t know you needed. If that alone doesn’t immediately sell you on this book, I’m not sure I can help you,” Swenson said.

Rough Sleepers: Dr. Jim O’Connell’s Urgent Mission to Bring Healing to Homeless People by Tracy Kidder, published January 2023.
Recommended by: Katharine Nevins, owner and manager of MainStreet BookEnds of Warner.
From the streets of Boston, this wonderful writer of Mountains Beyond Mountains now brings us the story of Dr. Jim O’Connell, who invented ways to create a community of care for a city’s unhoused population, including those who sleep on the streets — the “rough sleepers.”

Woman, Captain, Rebel: the Extraordinary True Story of a Daring Icelandic Sea Captain by Margaret Wilson, published January 2023.
Recommended by: Mark Glisson, assistant director at Hooksett Public Library.
The title of the book tells it all: depicting Iceland’s famous female sea captain who not only succeeds against all odds in a sea-faring world dominated by men, but also solves one of the country’s most notorious robberies.
“This engaging story provided an eye-opening glimpse into a very unforgiving world of climate and culture faced by women,” Glisson said.

Picture books

The Book of Turtles by Sy Montgomery and illustrated by Matt Patterson, published May 2023.
Recommended by: Katharine Nevins, owner and manager of MainStreet BookEnds of Warner.
“The Book of Turtles has amazing illustrations, is emotionally engaging with fact-filled text, and speaks to the wisdom these long-lived animals can lend. … From Soul of an Octopus to The Good Good Pig, this best selling Hancock author has now produced another treasure in children’s books,” Nevins said.

Once Upon a Fairy Tale House: The True Story of Four Sisters and the Magic They Built by Mary Lyn Ray and illustrated by Giselle Potter, published May 2023.
Recommended by: Katharine Nevins, owner and manager of MainStreet BookEnds of Warner.
“This beloved children’s author from Wilmot has just released another glorious picture book, based on the true story from the 1930’s of four talented sisters who combined their efforts to create fairy tale cottages for themselves and others. … Childhood dreams can become adult realities,” Nevins said.

Romance

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood, published June 2023.
Recommended by: Katharine Nevins, owner and manager of MainStreet BookEnds of Warner.
“If you loved Lessons in Chemistry (by Bonnie Garmus), check out the latest STEM-based romcom, this time about rival physicists, academic feuds and fake dating shenanigans. This follows the earlier Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain. Guilty pleasure beach reads all around,” Nevins said.

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld, published April 2023.
Recommended by: Tricia Ryden, the adult services librarian at Wiggin Memorial Library in Stratham.
Sally Milz is a writer for The Night Owls, a late night Saturday Night Live-type sketch comedy show. When she falls for that week’s guest host, a handsome and slightly aging pop star, she approaches the relationship with the same ironic detachment she brings to her sketches.
“There are fun Saturday Night Live insider references, and plenty of romantic comedy tropes to enjoy in the novel. However, the relationship develops in 2020 in the shadow of the pandemic, which underscores that there are bigger and more important things going on, even in the world of this book, than this relationship. It also highlights the importance of embracing a chance at happiness when it comes your way. … A funny, smart, enjoyable read.” Ryden said.

Science fiction

The Measure by Nikki Erlick, published June 2022.
Recommended by: Paula Frank, a bookseller at Balin Books in Nashua.
This is a thought-provoking story that follows the lives of eight individuals navigating a new reality when every adult on Earth learns how long they will live.
“I like to refer to this book as a philosophical thriller; as it unspools how individuals, governments and society wrestle with having this knowledge. The eight protagonists each have a different perspective and the way Erlick weaves the story and connects the characters is brilliant,” Frank said.

Youth and young adult

Live Your Best Lie by Jessie Weaver, published January 2023.
Recommended by: Heather Weirich Roy, manager and buyer of the children’s section at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord.
When a famous teen Instagram influencer winds up dead at her own Halloween party, it becomes a locked room mystery for her friends to find the enemy in plain sight. Everyone is hiding something, and all were being blackmailed by the not so perfect off-camera Instagram darling.

Opinions and Opossums by Ann Braden, published May 2023.
Recommended by: Katharine Nevins, owner and manager of MainStreet BookEnds of Warner.
The latest Opinions and Opossums is about how women are portrayed in religion.
“I can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoy the books from this Vermont middle-grade writer. She writes about kids trying to stand up for themselves even when things are tough, starting with The Benefits of Being an Octopus, and then Flight of the Puffin,” Nevins said.

The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro, published May 2023.
Recommended by: Amy Lemelin, teen librarian at Rochester Public Library.
Nico and his boyfriend, Will, go on a quest to Tartarus to save a reformed Titan named Bob. The quest takes them on many adventures, where they meet interesting characters that change both kids in profound ways.
“Fans of the Percy Jackson books will appreciate the referencing to previous but not overdone plotlines. The book contains stories of friendship, growth, understanding, and trust, while also taking the reader on a thrilling adventure,” Lemelin said.

Conversations with Authors

Margaret Porter, author of The Myrtle Wand

Published in October 2022, the historical fiction novel is Porter’s latest release.

What is The Myrtle Wand about?

The Myrtle Wand is a retelling and a reimagining of the classical ballet Giselle and it was inspired by seeing a production a few years ago. … Taking in information about the way the ballet had been originally written, [I decided to explore characters.] I’d also wanted to set a book in 17th-century France so I decided to transfer this version of the background and history and future of the characters from the ballet to 17th-century France, to the period of Louis XIV at an early part of his reign. It was a mashup of ballet lore and French history and it includes some real historical characters and then the characters who were fictional from the ballet.

What inspired you to write a retelling?

There’s been a lot of retellings in novel form … and it was a form that I’ve never tried before. … You’re using an established storyline to some extent but there’s a lot of freedom to interpret it the way you want and to develop the characters in a way that’s based on imagination. … I was able to rely on imagination a great deal and just sprinkled in the history where it served my story.

What is Giselle about?

Giselle is … in love with the stranger who has arrived in the village. What she doesn’t know is that he is a duke in disguise who’s … already engaged to a princess. … When she discovers this, her grief is so great that she goes mad and … then she abruptly dies. The second act … takes place in the forest … where the ghosts of girls who’ve been betrayed by their lovers rise from their graves … and hunt down men and make them dance until they die. Giselle, having just died, is raised up from the dead by the queen of these girls’ spirits. The duke comes into the woods … and Giselle’s ghost has to figure out a way to save him from certain death.

Why did you decide to move back the time period of the setting? What interests you in the time period and the setting?

I have an interest in King Louis XIV of France but particularly his earlier years when he was a young king. [The] novel’s main character is the princess, [who] I decided to make … a friend of his. The whole aspect of arranged marriages for the nobility and the royalty of that time is very much explored in the story.

How did the research and writing process look for this novel?

I wrote this novel I think faster than any other novel I’ve written, and I think partly because there wasn’t quite as much research required. I did a lot of research into Louis XIV … and then I did research into convent life … and agricultural life. The daily life aspect was very heavily researched.

What about this story do you think will resonate with readers today?

It shows how women of today have so many more choices, agency and control of their lives. It gives a view of women of the past; what they couldn’t do but what they managed to do and how they could be successful. It’s also the glamorization of the past.

What do you hope readers take away from this story?

To hold on to hope. That when things seem at their worst … there’s always a brighter day ahead, and that companionship and friendship are crucial.

Anita Oswald, author of Brother Where Art Thou

Oswald, a California native and longtime New Hampshire resident, published her latest release in July 2022.

What is this book about?

Brother Where Art Thou is a psychological thriller. It’s kind of a whodunit. Is it the rich heiress? Is it the brother who hasn’t been around? Is it the estranged sister? It is a tale of revenge and why they’re seeking their revenge. Someone is killing women who resemble a certain kind of likeness. It takes you along those adventures with the main characters. It’s kind of a mystery as to who the actual murderer is until you get to the end of the book and figure it out.

What inspired you to write this story? How did you come up with the concept?

I came up with the concept of the book during a family reunion in Kentucky. It has nothing to do with my family, but we were in rural Kentucky and … came across this kind of abandoned location and it just seemed kind of fitting for something like this. If you’re looking at this location it would be one of those that you say, ‘Wow, this could be a crazy place for a thriller suspense movie of some sort.’ Then I took a lot of concepts from the Kentucky area, so there’s a bourbon heiress, there’s horse racing and it takes place during the Kentucky Derby season.

What was the writing and publication process like for this book?

This was my fourth book [to be] published but it was my first being published from a traditional publisher and not [being] self-published. … It’s very different from the self-publication methods because with that you have to do everything yourself. I decided not to go that route with this book because I felt it was time to put it out there [and] give it a greater audience. Psychological thrillers have become such a big part of people’s viewing history [and] the fascination that people have with serial killers, so I thought this was the best opportunity to get it out there and maybe have it become something bigger.

What about this story do you think will resonate with readers and what do you hope that they take away from this story?

Well, it’s a work of fiction so I hope they take away an enjoyment for what I’ve written and a genuine curiosity to read the second book because it does conclude in a second installment. … I really hope that the right person picks it up and it just explodes everywhere. It was a fun book to write [and] it was definitely a labor of love. I put a lot of work [and] research into it. Pulling out a psychological thriller isn’t the easiest thing to do.

What did the research process look like?

Well, I’m probably on an FBI watchlist for everything that I’ve Googled. I Googled everything from non-extradition countries to how you can hide your assets and get away with it. I got probably as close to the dark web as you can go without actually going onto the dark web to find information. I had to Google ways to get rid of a body untraditionally [to] as far as how much lye would it take to dissolve a body, how many hours [it takes and] what the right conditions [are]. That kind of stuff. It seems very grotesque but in order to give the character life that’s kind of what you have to do.

Do you have any idea of when we might hear more about the second installment?

I am hoping within the next year that book will be finished. It is going a little bit slower right now. I am hoping that once I am at a point where I can pitch it to my editor that they will also want to publish the second installment as well. But I am hoping within the next year I can start that process. I’ve already got about five chapters done so it’s definitely on its way.

Linda Kulig Magoon, author of Live Free and Hike: Finding Grace on 48 Summits

Magoon, an environmentalist living in Warner with her two cats, published her debut in June 2023.

What is this book about?

In my mid 50s after I recently divorced my husband, I rediscovered my love for hiking. I had time to myself to focus on my own healing, so I took to hiking Mount Moosilauke on a whim on a sunny Saturday afternoon and just absolutely loved it. There’s something magical about being above tree line, and Mount Moosilauke has an extensive trail system above tree line. You just feel like you’re on top of the world. When I came down from the mountain I discovered that there’s a list of 48 4,000-footers … so I set a goal to hike all 48. I didn’t have a lot of hiking or high summit experience, so I wrote the book because I thought it would be good to share something like that, and spoiler alert: I didn’t die.

Where does your interest in hiking and the outdoors come from?

I grew up in rural Massachusetts and my interest for the outdoors was from my mom and dad. My dad liked to hike, hunt and fish and my mom liked to garden. She was also the queen of house work, so to avoid getting sucked into house work we would all run outside and hide.

Why did you decide to share your story?

I originally set out to write a book about my exploits fumbling across the summits, and my original theme was ‘If an old lady in her mid 50s can do it you can too.’ But about a third of the way through the hikes I got some terrible news that my ex-husband had been arrested for child molestation. So the next three years during the criminal process was probably the most difficult of my life. … Suddenly I had mountains much bigger to climb than any 4,000-footer. So it’s a little bit about that and how at the time I was engaged with a life coach and a therapist and how they became my support system along with my friends and my family. It’s a book that I think anyone who has had some traumatic experience in their life that they can relate to would be able to find some inspiration and some examples of resilience from it.

What was the writing process like?

It really came from journaling. Journaling was a way to help me cope with the events that were going on. Plus I enjoyed journaling and writing anyway so it was very easy for me to go on a particular hike and then come home and write some notes about it very quickly and a lot of the book came from my journals.

What do you hope readers will take away from this story?

Well, I hope that they can find some inspiration. That you can achieve a goal that you set out to do, no matter what the obstacles. Help is available if you need it. Action is rewarded. … I’d like people to understand that it’s never too late to start over. It’s never too late to say, ‘You know what? I’m not happy, I’m better off with a new life.” It’s for people who maybe are struggling in unhealthy relationships and not sure how to get unstuck from that, or people who maybe want something and just don’t feel worthy or know how to take that first step.

What about this story will resonate with readers?

I think everyone’s had some cross to bear at some moment in their lives where things didn’t quite go as planned. That takeaway I want readers to have is that you can come out the other side a different person, maybe stronger, more resilient, or maybe you discover that you are stronger than you think you are.

Brinda Charry, author of The East Indian

Charry, an India native and New Hampshire resident, published the novel — her first U.S. release — in May 2023.

What brought you to the United States, and more specifically, New Hampshire?

I came as a graduate student and then I finished my Ph.D. at Syracuse and I got a teaching job at Keene State College in Keene. I’ve lived in Keene almost 18 years now.

How did your journey begin as a novelist?

I’ve always written fiction on the side and I did publish some books in India and in the U.K. … but The East Indian is really the first novel that was published in the United States. I came across a reference to the first person of Indian descent to come to colonial America. I was very moved and inspired … and decided to write a novel based on that.

What is The East Indian about?

It’s a fictionalized account of this person. The historical record indicates that [he] came to Virginia in 1635 and seems to have been brought over by an English settler. The Indian’s name is listed as Toni Easton. Really nothing much beyond that is known about him. What I do in the novel is I sort of imagine what his journey might have been like. What I try to do is talk about the struggles and the triumphs that this young man might have been through. I wanted to write a coming of age story, but it’s not just any coming of age story because … [it] happens in the context of this huge movement that he’s made across the world. I also wanted to write an adventure story because surely this must have been an adventurous life, so it’s a little bit of both is how I approached the novel.

What was the writing and the research process like?

The research process really took up a lot of time because I do take that part of it very seriously. I got my doctorate in Shakespeare so I know quite a bit about the 1600s in England … but I didn’t really know much about Virginia in the 1600s, so I really had to do a lot of research, and of course I had to make sure there really was an East Indian. Once I had all that it really inspired me to sit down and I wrote the novel. And of course when you’re writing a novel you’re not being a historian even if you’re writing historical fiction … but you let the research form your characters and the plot.

Where did you draw inspiration from to create this character and his life experiences?

I don’t know if I drew from anything in particular. It’s not quite clear whether the Indians who came here in the 1600s were slaves or indentured workers. For the novel I decided to make him an indentured laborer. Some of the inspiration came from reading about the experience of these young people. As a writer, what you try to do is put yourself in someone else’s shoes, and I tried to imagine what life must have been like in what is such a completely new scenario.

What about this story do you think will resonate with readers today?

It is a story of a lot of loss because this is someone who has left a lot behind and it’s not like he was voluntarily brought over, but I hope in addition to the loss and the tragedy of this person’s life, I want people to take away the sense of hope and survival … because I think in even the darkest of places people do find hope, and ultimately I did want to write a story of someone who survives and makes it.

A look at the region’s entry int the craft beer canon

By Matt Ingersoll and Mya Blanchard

mingersoll@hippopress.com

On the tap list of just about every local craft brewery across the state is a New England IPA, the hazy, floral and citrusy brew that has taken the craft beer scene by storm in recent years.

“You can’t have a brewery these days, especially in this area, without having a very solid New England-style IPA,” said Aaron Share, co-founder and brewer at To Share Brewing Co. in Manchester. “I mean, our Gold Civic New England IPA probably makes up 40 percent of our sales. … We brew it about every three weeks.”

At Feathered Friend Brewing Co. in Concord, owner Tucker Jadczak estimates more than two-thirds of the beers they’ve put out since opening their doors in March 2022 have been New England IPAs. The brewery has a rotating roster of options available throughout the course of the year. Even currently, four out of their 12 taps, Jadczak said, are of that distinctly hazy variety.

In Londonderry, Pipe Dream Brewing keeps around 20 different IPA options in rotation, according to assistant brewer and can artist Curtis Dopson, several of which are New England-style.

Share said he views the New England IPA as a sort of gateway beer for many people.

“I get this a lot, where people come into the brewery and they say, ‘Oh, I don’t like IPAs,’ and a lot of times what they’re thinking of is the IPAs from the ’90s or the 2000s, where there was this race to get the highest IBUs [International Bitterness Units], so the most bitterness you can get out of it,” Share said. “And then so I’ll say, ‘Well, try this instead,’ and I’ll hand them our Gold Civic, [which] has flavors of mango and tangerine and things like that. Then they’re kind of wowed because it’s not this bitter bomb. Instead, you’ve got these nice fruit flavors.”

Indeed, the New England IPA is a relatively new concept within the overall craft beer landscape. Here’s a look at how this juicy beer has come to dominate tasting rooms in New Hampshire and beyond, as well as how it differs in flavor, aroma and color from other popular IPA pourings.

What’s in a name?

The term “IPA” stands for India pale ale, although the style did not originate in India, but rather in England. According to Share, the story goes that, during the height of the British colonization of the Indian subcontinent in the 18th and 19th centuries, shipping merchants would brew strong, heavily hopped beers designed to survive the long voyages between England and what is now India. The pinecone-like hop plant, also known as humulus lupulus, has many varieties and is an essential ingredient in craft beers, especially IPAs.

“They realized that adding more hops to the beer actually preserves the beer, because there are some antimicrobial and antibacterial properties that the hops help,” Share said. “So, they started adding more hops to their beer to ship it to India, and that’s where the term IPA came from.”

The popularization of the style would eventually migrate to the United States, and it became prominent by the mid- to late 1990s and early 2000s, especially in California and the Pacific Northwest — the latter continues to be one of the largest hop-growing regions in the country, said Brian Parda, sales and marketing manager for Great North Aleworks in Manchester.

While the term “IPA” has been muddied over the years since, Parda said that today it generally refers to any type of hop-forward beer.

“[The hops] are kind of the main feature of the beer, the star of the show, in an IPA. Every IPA that we make has more than one variety. It’s usually a combination of varieties,” Parda said. “Then when you get into what is ‘hoppy,’ I think that means different things to different people. Hops can be anywhere from kind of spicy, earthy and grassy all the way to fruity. … New hops are being developed all the time from all kinds of breeding programs … to create new expressions.”

Ali Leleszi, who has owned Rockingham Brewing Co. in Derry with her husband, Rob, since February 2015, said that while all beers are made with hops, it is their flavor profiles that set them apart from other beers.

“There’s only like one big change for an IPA versus any other beer, and it’s the amount of hops you add and when,” Leleszi said.

Hops are grown all over the country and the world today, including even New Hampshire. Share said part of the fun of being a craft brewer involves experimenting and playing around with different hop varieties, not only for IPAs but for a wide array of other beer styles.

“The vendors that sell hops, their sales reps will come around and give you little sample packs of the hop so you can try them out,” he said. “What you can do is you can open the package up and kind of crush it in your fingers and you can smell it, and then get kind of an idea of what the aroma is going to be.”

Concord Craft Brewing Co. brews several IPA options, according to owner Dennis Molnar — they are perhaps best known for Safe Space, a New England IPA that is available in more than 500 stores and 300 restaurants and bars across New Hampshire.

Concord Craft also pours brews, like Conquered (a single New England IPA), Finding NEIPA and Safer Space (session IPAs, defined by their lower alcohol by volume), and Double Safe Space (a double IPA, popular over the last 15 years and characterized by its higher ABV).

“West Coast and other IPAs tend to be filtered or packaged without most of the hops and yeast,” Molnar said in an email. “It is actually quite challenging to brew and package a beer with haze that stays consistently suspended over time.”

Traditionally, and especially prior to the rise of the New England IPA, Parda said, the bitterness of added hops served as a balancing agent to the sweetness of a beer’s malt.

“A perfectly balanced beer has the best of both of those, where you’ll go, ‘Oh, wow, this is really smooth and really refreshing.’ All of that comes from the back and forth between the bitterness and the sweetness,” Parda said.

Not only the varieties of the hops themselves but the combinations of certain varieties, and even at what point they are added in the brewing process, aid in creating different flavor profiles of a beer. These, Share said, are all among the factors for how the New England IPA would eventually be created.

The haze craze

A New England IPA is commonly characterized by several factors — its hazy, opaque appearance, milky yellow or straw-like color, soft mouthfeel and juicy, fruity or citrus flavors.

“You get very strong, juicy aromas from the hops, and typical flavor notes include anything from sweet citrus to tropical fruit like pineapple, guava or mango,” Dopson said in an email. “[They have] little to no bitterness and little to no malt profile; all you taste is the hops.”

One of the earliest brews credited with popularizing this style is known as Heady Topper, an IPA produced by The Alchemist, a brewery that originally opened in Waterbury, Vermont, in 2003.

“What they revolutionized in the beer market is something that we call dry-hopping, or more specifically, adding hops at the peak of the fermentation of a beer,” Jadczak said.

Hops can be added in at various times of the brewing process, according to Scott Karlen, a former firefighter and the current head brewer at TaleSpinner Brewery in Nashua, but dry hopping is key to the creation of a New England IPA. The first step in making beer, Karlen said, is putting the wheat through a mill, and opening the shell of the grain, exposing the endosperm. The endosperm is then broken down into fermentable sugars by mixing the grain and hot water in a mash tun.

“The different temperatures in the mash create different sugar contents,” Karlen said. “If we go at a higher mash temperature, we create a sweet beer. At a lower mash temperature we create a drier beer.”

The mash is then circulated, rinsed, boiled, and spun during what’s called the whirlpooling process. Karlen prefers to do this at a cooler temperature, in order to extract more hop oils and for flavor and less bitterness. Once the mixture is cooled, it goes into a fermenter and yeast is added. It is at this point that hops would be added for the dry hopping method.

“We add them in at warmer temperatures, so about 68 degrees, where a lot of dry hopping back in the older days of brewing used to be at like 30 degrees,” Karlen said. “At warmer temperatures we found a thing called biotransformation occurs and the yeast and the hops start to interact, creating … those tropical fruit flavors. This is really to me [where] all that big hop flavor comes from in a New England IPA.”

Different hops known for imparting more of a fruity flavor, Share said, are also commonly used.

“A traditional hop for a New England-style IPA is one that’s called Citra. It’s kind of known for that. You see Citra hops and a lot of times it’s going to be in a New England-style IPA,” Share said. “Galaxy is another one. That’s an Australian hop that gives a distinct pineapple flavor.”

To Share Brewing Co.’s flagship beer, the Gold Civic New England IPA, is dry-hopped with Mosaic and Azacca hops, Share said, two other varieties known for imparting fruity notes.

While it’s named for its place of origin, a New England IPA does not necessarily need to be brewed in New England; in fact, its popularity has spread all over the country. As recently as 2018 the Brewers Association officially recognized the juicy or hazy IPA as its own separate beer style for the first time.

“You go to any brewery, almost anywhere in the country now, and they’re going to have at least one hazy IPA on,” Share said. “Back then, people expected clear beers, but now, the haze is what people look for. They want to see their hazy IPAs, and so it’s really evolved since then.”

Among the craft brew offerings at Great North Aleworks are a series of New England IPAs called Hazy Rotation — each features a distinct combination of hops.

“Every three months we release a new batch of Hazy Rotation with a new blend of hops,” Parda said. “It’s an opportunity for us to experiment with different hop blends and combinations.”

At Feathered Friend, Jadczak similarly features a rotating lineup of options, starting with Second Sun, its flagship IPA, before then introducing Let It Be and So Says I around the middle part of the year — Let It Be is a hazy New England IPA made with Cashmere and Citra hops, while So Says I utilizes Nelson Sauvin, a hop known for pulling a white wine-like flavor profile.

Because of the amount of hops that are often used and when they are added to the beer, Jadczak said New England IPAs are best enjoyed as fresh as possible.

“After a certain amount of time the flavors from the hops start to fall off of the beer,” he said. “You want to keep it stored cold, as well. That’s how you preserve the flavor of the beer.”

Where to enjoy New England IPAs

Here’s a list of craft breweries in southern New Hampshire that offer their own IPAs, with styles that run the gamut from New England to West Coast. Check out their tap lists for the most up-to-date details on the availability of each brew.

603 Brewery & Beer Hall
42 Main St., Londonderry, 404-6123, 603brewery.com
Try this brew: Scenic Session, a New England IPA dry-hopped with Mosaic and Azacca hops

Able Ebenezer Brewing Co.
31 Columbia Circle, Merrimack, 844-223-2253, ableebenezer.com
Try this brew: Glory Not the Prey, a hazy IPA dry-hopped exclusively with Citra hops

Backyard Brewery & Kitchen
1211 S. Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-3545, backyardbrewerynh.com
Try this brew: Full Send, a New England IPA and collaboration beer with the New England Mountain Bike Association

Blasty Bough Brewing Co.
3 Griffin Road, Epsom, 724-3636, blastybough.com
Try this brew: Boonie-Cruiser, a juicy New England IPA dry-hopped with Centennial hops

Border Brewery & Barbecue
224 N. Broadway, Salem, 216-9134, borderbrewsupply.com
Try this brew: Border Brewery’s New England IPA bears the juicy aromas of grapefruit and pineapple, and also features bright citrus notes

Candia Road Brewing Co.
840 Candia Road, Manchester, 935-8123, candiaroadbrewingco.com
Try this brew: Tree Streets, a New England IPA featuring Ella and Belma hops

Canterbury Aleworks
305 Baptist Hill Road, Canterbury, 491-4539, canterburyaleworks.com
Try this brew: Galaxius Maximus, a New England IPA featuring Galaxy hops

Concord Craft Brewing Co.
117 Storrs St., Concord, 856-7625, concordcraftbrewing.com
Try this brew: Safe Space, a New England IPA with a full mouthfeel and bursting flavor of tropical fruit

The Czar’s Brewery
2 Center St., Exeter, 583-5539, theczarsbrewery.com
Try this brew: Flabbergasted and Bewildered, two popular New England IPA options

Daydreaming Brewing Co.
1½ E. Broadway, Derry, 965-3454, daydreaming.beer
Try this brew: Awareness, a New England IPA with passion fruit, orange and guava flavors

Feathered Friend Brewing Co.
231 S. Main St., Concord, 715-2347, featheredfriendbrewing.com
Try this brew: Let It Be, a New England IPA featuring Cashmere and Citra hops

The Flying Goose Brew Pub & Grille
40 Andover Road, New London, 526-6899, flyinggoose.com
Try this brew: Rags to Riches, a hazy IPA brewed with Galaxy and Enigma hops

From the Barrel Brewing Co.
1 Corporate Park Drive, No. 16, Derry, 328-1896, drinkftb.com
Try this brew: Back on the Train, a New England IPA with Citra and El Dorado hops

Great Blue Brewing Co.
84 N. Water St., Boscawen, find them on Facebook
Try this brew: Fire Tail Finch, a New England Double IPA featuring a blend of Australian and New Zealand hops like Galaxy, Nelson Sauvin and Vic Secret

Great North Aleworks
1050 Holt Ave., No. 14, Manchester, 858-5789, greatnorthaleworks.com
Try this brew: Hazy Rotation, a rotating series of New England IPA varieties featured throughout the year. Available right now is a New England IPA with a blend of Mandarina Bavaria and Simcoe hops.

Henniker Brewing Co.
129 Centervale Road, Henniker, 428-3579, hennikerbrewing.com
Try this brew: Granite Trail, a piney New England IPA with a citrus-sweet aroma

Kelsen Brewing Co.
80 N. High St., No. 3, Derry, 965-3708, kelsenbrewing.com
Try this brew: Battle Axe, Kelsen’s flagship beer, is an IPA featuring a variety of American and Australian hops that create notes of pineapple and citrus fruits

Kettlehead Brewing Co.
407 W. Main St., Tilton, 286-8100, kettleheadbrewing.com
Try this brew: The Agent, Kettlehead’s flagship beer, is double dry-hopped and features orange and grapefruit flavors and a malty backbone

Liquid Therapy
14B Court St., Nashua, 402-9391, liquidtherapynh.com
Try this brew: Light Therapy, a New England Double IPA with notes of cream, citrus and gentle oak tannins

Lithermans Limited Brewery
126B Hall St., Concord, 219-0784, lithermans.beer
Try this brew: Misguided Angel, Lithermans’ flagship New England IPA, is brewed with Golden Promise, Oats, Vienna and Wheat malt, and double dry-hopped with Citra, Simcoe and Mosaic hops

The Loft Brewing Co.
241 Union Square, Milford, 672-2270, pastaloft.com/brewery
Try this brew: Weekend Hangover, a New England IPA dry-hopped with Mosaic, Citra and Amarillo hops

Long Blue Cat Brewing Co.
298 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 818-8068, longbluecat.com
Try this brew: Latchkey is a New England IPA known as Long Blue Cat’s flagship beer, while other options include Big Blue, a New England-style Double IPA; and Hopical Island, a West Coast and New England-style hybrid IPA

Martha’s Exchange Restaurant & Brewery
185 Main St., Nashua, 883-8781, marthas-exchange.com
Try this brew: Green Dragon, an IPA brewed with “monstrous amounts” of aromatic Citra hops

Millyard Brewery
25 E. Otterson St., Nashua, 722-0104, millyardbrewery.com
Try this brew: Karaka, a hazy New England IPA featuring a mix of New Zealand hops and a juicy orange and fruit punch flavor

Mountain Base Brewery
553 Mast Road, Goffstown, 935-7132, mountainbasebrewery.com
Try this brew: South Peak, a New England Double IPA, is Mountain Base’s flagship beer, featuring juicy grapefruit notes and lemon and honey flavors.

Northwoods Brewing Co.
1334 First New Hampshire Turnpike, Northwood, 942-6400, northwoodsbrewingcompany.com
Try this brew: Preservation Line, an IPA brewed with Mosaic and Citra hops and featuring notes of mango and guava fruits

Odd Fellows Brewing Co.
124 Main St., Nashua, 521-8129, oddfellowsbrewery.com
Try this brew: Vision, a citrusy, fruity New England IPA

Oddball Brewing Co.
6 Glass St., Suncook, 210-5654, oddballbrewingnh.com
Try this brew: Ignition, a New England IPA double dry-hopped with Azacca and Idaho Gem hops and boasting juicy pineapple and mango flavors

Ogie Brewing
12 South St., Milford, 249-5513, find them on Facebook @ogiebrewing
Try this brew: Good Blaster, Ogie Brewing’s newest hazy, citrusy IPA

Out.Haus Ales
442 1st New Hampshire Turnpike, Northwood, 942-6036, outhausales.com
Try this brew: NúDIPA, a New England-style Double IPA with juicy mango flavors

Pipe Dream Brewing
49 Harvey Road, Londonderry, 404-0751, pipedreambrewingnh.com
Try this brew: Straight Outta Quarantine, a New England IPA with a unique tropical hop blend

Rockingham Brewing Co.
1 Corporate Park Drive, No. 1, Derry, 216-2324, rockinghambrewing.com
Try this brew: Hammer Time, an easy-drinking New England IPA heavily hopped with El Dorado, Citra and Cashmere hops, producing notes of candied orange, melon, tangerine and lemon lime

Sawbelly Brewing
156 Epping Road, Exeter, 583-5080, sawbelly.com
Try this brew: Eastbound Galaxy, a New England IPA featuring Citra and Galaxy hops

Spyglass Brewing Co.
306 Innovative Way, Nashua, 546-2965, spyglassbrewing.com
Try this brew: Binary Stars, a New England IPA featuring Citra and Galaxy hops

TaleSpinner Brewing Co.
57 Factory St., Suite B, Nashua, 318-3221, ramblingtale.com
Try this brew: Coosane, a New England IPA featuring Citra and Mosaic hops

To Share Brewing Co.
720 Union St., Manchester, 836-6947, tosharebrewing.com
Try this brew: Gold Civic, a New England IPA featuring Mosaic and Azacca hops

Topwater Brewing
748 Calef Hwy., Barrington, 664-5444, topwaterbrewingco.com
Try this brew: Simple Life, Topwater’s flagship beer, is a New England IPA featuring Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe hops

Twin Barns Brewing Co.
194 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-0876, twinbarnsbrewing.com
Try this brew: Palmer’s Town, one of Twin Barns’ flagship New England IPAs, features a tropical and citrusy flavor, while the other, Lake Cruiser, is known for its piney character.

Vulgar Brewing Co.
378 Central St., Franklin, 333-1439, vbc.beer
Try this brew: Mill City, a juicy New England IPA with tropical notes of papaya, pineapple and creamy peach and a citrus finish from a mix of Ekauanot, Mosaic and an experimental hop.

Find your IPA

Here’s a short glossary of IPA terms commonly found on the tap lists of local breweries, defined by owners and brewers themselves.

• American IPA: The term “American IPA,” according to Aaron Share of To Share Brewing Co. in Manchester, is generally used as a catch-all for a wide range of hop-forward pale ales. “We have one on tap right now that we call an American IPA which is Not an Exit,” Share said. “We’ve made it with kind of a West Coast-style malt bill, but the hops that we use and the way that we use them are more of a New England-style.”
• Black IPA: Rather than the straw-like golden color of its New England-style cousin, a black IPA is known for being very dark brown, almost black, in appearance. “A black IPA … would be an IPA made with some dark malts, so it’s almost got a darker appearance like a stout or a porter, but it’s still very hoppy,” Share said.
• Brut IPA: This IPA is known for being very dry, with a mouthfeel almost like that of a Champagne, according to Tucker Jadczak of Feathered Friend Brewing Co. in Concord.
• Cold IPA: Brian Parda, sales and marketing manager for Great North Aleworks in Manchester, said a cold IPA is a kind of IPA and lager hybrid that was born out of the Pacific Northwest. “The temperatures are a little cooler than [what is] typical of an IPA fermentation,” he said.
• Double IPA: Also known as an Imperial IPA, this a stronger version of any kind of regular IPA with a typically higher alcohol by volume. “The term ‘imperial’ just denotes very high alcohol, [it] doesn’t matter what beer style,” Curtis Dopson, assistant brewer and can artist of Pipe Dream Brewing in Londonderry, said in an email.
• English IPA: Unlike the hoppiness of its New England counterpart across the Atlantic, Jadczak said an English IPA tends to be more malt-forward.
• Milkshake IPA: An offshoot of the New England IPA, the milkshake IPA adds lactose and occasionally fruit to give it a creamier flavor, Jadczak said.
• New England IPA: It’s generally accepted that this style of IPA originated in Vermont in the early 2000s. Share said this brew is best characterized by its hazy, opaque appearance, milky yellow or straw-like color, soft mouthfeel and juicy, fruity or citrus flavors.
• Session IPA: Like double or imperial, “session” is a term that can be applied to any style of IPA. “It just means they are lighter in alcohol,” Share said. “It’s sessionable, meaning you can drink multiple ones in a drinking session. That’s where that came from. … We do a New England-style session IPA every now and then.”
• Triple IPA: A Triple IPA is characterized by a high ABV, even higher than what would be considered a Double IPA. “As a general rule of thumb, an IPA goes up to anywhere from 5 to, say, 7, 7-and-a-half [percent ABV] and then once you get over 7-and-a-half, you’re getting into the Double IPA range,” Share said. “You get over into like 9 or 10 percent, then it would be more like a Triple IPA.”
• West Coast IPA: West Coast IPAs are typically more balanced between their malt and hop profiles. “They tend to be much, much less opaque, almost clear, with little to no haze in appearance,” Dopson said. “They typically last much longer before the hops diminish, due to when hops are added to the beer. You … get much softer and more floral aromas and a much more bitter flavor profile.”

Featured photo: Tree Streets New England IPA from Candia Road Brewing Co. in Manchester. Courtesy photo.

Festivals, theater, Nature adventures and More during this season of fun

School’s out forever — OK, maybe not forever but when you’re facing a dozen weeks of summer vacation, it can feel a little like forever. If you need to fill up the calendar with some kid-friendly summer fun, here are some of the events you can look forward to between when your kids’ school’s out for summer and when they have to pick up those backpacks in the fall.

And, if you’re still filling out your summer camp schedule, check out our listing of area day camps in the Feb. 23 issue of the Hippo (find the e-edition at hippopress.com).

Fairs & festivals

Catch a local festival or old home day celebration.

• The Somersworth International Children’s Festival is back for its 41st year. Enjoy live music, food, wildlife encounters, a petting zoo, vendors and more on Saturday, June 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Main Street and at Noble Pines Park in Somersworth. A trolley will transport attendees to and from the two locations. A pre-festival celebration will take place at Somersworth High School (11 Memorial Drive, Somersworth) on Friday, June 16, at 6 p.m. with fireworks to end the night. Visit nhfestivals.org.

• Join the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire for its annual Father’s Day weekend Fly-In BBQ, happening Saturday, June 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Nashua’s Boire Field (83 Perimeter Road, Nashua). Attendees are welcome to enjoy a barbecue buffet lunch and get a close look at visiting aircraft on the ramp. Tickets, including the barbecue, are $30 for adults and $10 for kids ages 6 to 12. Tickets are $10 for adults and free for kids ages 12 and under without the barbecue. To purchase tickets visit nhahs.org to access the Eventbrite link.

• Plaistow’s Old Home Day returns on Saturday, June 17. It will include local vendors on the Town Hall green (145 Main St., Plaistow), as well as a beard contest, a baby contest, raffles, entertainment booths, a parade and more. This year’s theme is “Gather on the Green.” Follow the event on Facebook @plaistowoldhomeday for updates.

• American Legion Riders, Chapter 37 (5 Riverside St., Hooksett), is having a Father’s Day Festival in the Village of Hooksett on Sunday, June 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. In addition to having a “Dunk Your Dad” tank, there will be a chili cook-off, a farmers market, food, vendors, and activities for kids. See “Father’s Day Festival in the Village” on Facebook.

• Intown Concord’s 49th annual Market Days Festival runs from Thursday, June 22, to Saturday, June 24, in downtown Concord from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The event includes a wide array of local vendors, live entertainment, family-friendly activities and more. Visit marketdaysfestival.com to see the full schedule, or follow Intown Concord on Facebook @intownconcord.

• Join the Wilton Main Street Association for its annual Summerfest on Saturday, June 24, starting at 10 a.m. and featuring an arts market, live music, food, street vendors, a pancake breakfast and a fireworks display in the evening. Rain date is June 25. See visitwilton.com/summerfest.

• Join the New Hampshire Farm Museum (1305 White Mountain Hwy., Milton) for Fourth on the Farm, happening Saturday, July 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Activities include a tractor ride to see farm animals, as well as demonstrations, reenactments, a scavenger hunt, lawn games, lunch and strawberry shortcake, and live performances of songs from the 1700s and 1800s. Admission is free for members and children under 4, $12 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for children ages 4 to 17. A family pass can be purchased for $30. Visit nhfarmmuseum.org.

• The Raymond Town Fair returns for its 48th year from Friday, July 7, to Sunday, July 9, at the Raymond Town Common (Epping and Main streets, Raymond). It will feature live music, family-friendly entertainment, a children’s parade, a fireworks display and more. See “Raymond Town Fair” on Facebook to keep up to date on details as they become available.

• The next New England Reptile Expo is scheduled for Sunday, July 9, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (700 Elm St., Manchester). The show features more than 200 vendor tables full of reptiles, pet supplies and more. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids ages 7 to 12 and free for kids ages 6 and under. Visit reptileexpo.com.

• The Hillsborough Summer Festival is back again this year at Grimes Field (29 Preston St., Hillsborough) from Thursday, July 13, to Sunday, July 16, with live entertainment, carnival rides, a fireworks show on Saturday night, a 5K road race on Friday, a parade on Sunday and more. Festival hours are 6 to 10 p.m. on Thursday; 5 to 11 p.m. on Friday; noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free. Visit hillsborosummerfest.com.

• Returning to the grounds of the American Independence Museum (1 Governors Lane, Exeter) for its 33rd year is the American Independence Festival on Saturday, July 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Be transported back in time with a live reading of the Declaration of Independence, and enjoy historical reenactments and colonial artisan demonstrations as well as colonial games, music and dances. Visit independencemuseum.org.

• After a successful inaugural year, the Stratham 4-H Summerfest returns on Saturday, July 15, at the Stratham Hill Park Fairgrounds (270 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham). The work of 4-H volunteers and members will be on display in the 4-H building, show rings and livestock barns from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Exhibits include shows and displays on gardening, cooking, environmental stewardship, hiking and much more. Visit extension.unh.edu/event/2023/07/stratham-4-h-summerfest.

• The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire’s (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry) annual car show is set for Saturday, July 15, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. See vehicles of all makes and eras as well as the student-built two-seat RV-12iS light sport aircraft completed in August 2022 by students at Manchester School of Technology. Vehicle registration is $10, or you can come as a spectator for $5 (cash only; kids ages 12 and under are free). A rain date of July 22 is planned. Visit nhahs.org.

• Have a magical day with the Royal Princess Ball at LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111, Derry) on Sunday, July 23, at 2:30 p.m. Kids will get the chance to meet their favorite princesses, eat delicious treats, and sing and dance to their favorite songs. Tickets cost $35 for adults, $29 for children ages 2 through 12, free for kids 1 and younger. Visit labellewinery.com for more information or to reserve spots.

• Come to the Fairytale Festival at Greeley Park (100 Concord St., Nashua) on Saturday, July 29, at 10 a.m. as part of Nashua’s 2023 Summer Fun. Get a chance to meet with classic fairytale characters. There will be a stage show, a meet and greet with the characters afterward, and activities, vendors, food, games and book events. Visit nashua.gov for more information.

• The Canterbury Fair is celebrating its 65th year — join the fun on Saturday, July 29, at Canterbury Center (Baptist and Center roads) with live music, demonstrations from local artisan and antique vendors, children’s activities and more. Admission is free. Visit canterburyfair.com.

• From Friday, Aug. 4, through Sunday Aug. 6, the skies will be full of color for the 41st Suncook Valley Rotary Hot Air Balloon Rally at Drake Field (17 Fayette St, Pittsfield). In addition to the colorful aeronautic vessels, there will be vendors selling arts and crafts, options for different food, and the annual road race at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 6. At the time of this article, there were no official times listed for the rally on the website. More information can be found at nhballoonrally.org.

• The Belknap County Fair is set to return on Saturday, Aug. 5, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 6, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 174 Mile Hill Road in Belmont. The fair features live entertainment, food, exhibits and animal shows. Admission at the gate is $10 for adults, $5 for senior citizens 65 and older, police, fire and EMS personnel, and free for kids under 10 and for military service members. Visit bcfairnh.org.

• Hudson’s Old Home Days return from Thursday, Aug. 10, to Sunday, Aug. 13, on the grounds of the Hill House (211 Derry Road, Hudson). There will be carnival games, live music, fireworks, food and more. Event times are Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m., Friday from 5 to 11 p.m., Saturday from noon to 11 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. See hudsonchamber.com or visit their Facebook page @HudsonNHOldHomeDays for updates.

• The Hampton Beach Children’s Festival runs from Monday, Aug. 14, through Friday, Aug. 18. The event includes ice cream, dancing, balloons, storytelling, a magic show and a costume parade. All activities are free and open to the public. Visit hamptonbeach.org.

• Londonderry’s Old Home Days is set for Wednesday, Aug. 16, to Saturday, Aug. 19. The four-day event promises concerts, fireworks, a parade, a 5K road race, a baby contest, children’s games and more. See londonderrynh.gov or follow the event page on Facebook @townoflondonderryoldhomeday.

• The fifth annual History Alive event will be on Saturday, Aug. 19, and Sunday, Aug. 20, at Jones Road in Hillsborough. This year’s event will center around battle reenactments and village life experiences and will include activities, crafts, musicians and more. Tickets are $8 for adults when purchased ahead of time, and $10 on the days of the event. Kids ages 16 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. Visit historyalivenh.org.

• The New Hampshire Farm Museum (1305 White Mountain Hwy., Milton) is hosting its annual Truck and Tractor Day on Saturday, Aug. 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Trucks, wagons, antique cars and tractors dating back to the mid 1900s will all be on display, and the event will also feature demonstrations on things like the two-man saw and the butter churn treadmill. Attendees will have a chance to take a tractor ride around the farm to see various farm animals. Admission is $12 for adults, $8 for seniors 65 and older, $6 for children ages 4 to 17, and free for members and children under 4. A family pass is also available for $30. Visit nhfarmmuseum.org.

• Join Field of Dreams Community Park (48 Geremonty Drive, Salem) for its annual Family Fun Day on Saturday, Aug. 26, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A wide variety of activities is planned, from circus acts and face-painting to bounce houses, photo opportunities with superheroes and princesses, food trucks, local vendors and more. Visit fieldofdreamsnh.org.

• Candia’s Old Home Day will return on Saturday, Aug. 26, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Moore Park (74 High St., Candia). The event starts with a parade after a firemen’s homemade breakfast. Local crafters and artisans, town community booths, games, a wildlife exhibit, food and music will also be featured. Visit candiaoldhomeday.com.

• Pembroke and Allenstown’s Old Home Day returns on Saturday, Aug. 26, starting with a parade that goes down Main Street in Allenstown and ends at Memorial Field (Exchange Street) in Pembroke. A fun-filled day is planned at the field, featuring two stages of live entertainment, antique cars, children’s games, a craft area, bounce houses and a fireworks display at dusk. Admission and parking are free. See “Pembroke & Allenstown Old Home Day 2023” on Facebook, or join its group page, for details.

• Don’t miss this year’s Hopkinton State Fair, a Labor Day weekend tradition happening from Thursday, Aug. 31, to Monday, Sept. 4, at the fairgrounds (392 Kearsarge Ave., Contoocook). There will be livestock shows, a demolition derby, carnival rides, monster trucks, live entertainment, food and more. The fair hours are 5 to 10 p.m. on Thursday; 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday. Tickets are $9 for all fairgoers ages 3 and up on Thursday night. Day passes for Friday through Monday are $14 for adults, $12 for seniors and $8 for youth ages 3 to 12. Children 35 months and under are free. Five-day passes are also available for $39. Visit hsfair.org.

• The Exeter UFO Festival returns to downtown Exeter on Saturday, Sept. 2, and Sunday, Sept. 3 — the event commemorates the anniversary of the “Exeter Incident” (an alleged UFO sighting on Sept. 3, 1965) with in-depth talks and presentations from experts on UFOs, along with a variety of “intergalactic” children’s games and food, all to benefit the Exeter Area Kiwanis Club. See exeterkiwanis.com/exeter-ufo-festival.

Live entertainment

Find live music for a family night out at town greens and theatrical performances for kids and teens.

• The Disney musical Newsiesat the Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St., Portsmouth, seacoastrep.org) premiered last month and continues through Saturday, July 8. Shows run Thursday through Sunday, with showtimes at 2 p.m. or 7:30 p.m. that vary every day. Tickets start at $35.

• Henniker’s Summer Concert Series started on Tuesday, June 13, and has music at the Angela Robinson Bandstand (57 Main St.) starting at 6:30 p.m. Next up on the schedule is Dancing Madly Backwards performing on Tuesday, June 20. Food trucks and restaurants will attend the concerts to sell eats for the evening, according to a press release. Admission is free (donations accepted). See henniker.org for the summer’s lineup.

• Hampton Beach’s nightly Sea Shell Stage series continues with a performance by Angela West and Showdown on Thursday, June 15 — unless otherwise noted on the online schedule, all shows are held from 7 to 8 p.m. and from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. and are weather dependent. Visit hamptonbeach.org to view the full schedule.

• Stop by the Greeley Park Bandshell (100 Concord St., Nashua) for free summer concerts, featuring performances by Studio Two: A Beatles Tribute Band, American Legion Band, Belairs: Doo Wop and Vintage Rock n’ Roll and more. Performances are on Tuesdays at 7 p.m., dates offered June 20 through Aug. 15 (except July 4). Visit nashuanh.gov/546/summerfun to view the full schedule.

• Palace Teen Co. is serving up all that jazz with Chicagoon Tuesday, June 20, and Wednesday, June 21, at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org). The shows are at 7 p.m. and tickets cost $12 to $15.

• The Londonderry Arts Council’s Concerts on the Common series continues with a performance on Wednesday, June 21, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. by Bruce Marshall and the Shadow Riders. Performances continue every Wednesday evening on the Town Common (265 Mammoth Road, Londonderry) through Aug. 16. In the event of inclement weather, most will take place inside the cafeteria of Londonderry High School (295 Mammoth Road). Visit londonderryartscouncil.org.

• Merrimack’s Summer Concert Series will host weekly concerts at Abbie Griffin Park (6 Baboosic Lake Road, Merrimack) on Wednesdays, starting with a performance by children’s musician Steve Blunt on Wednesday, June 21, from 6 to 8 p.m. Performances will continue through Aug. 16 and will include Crescendo’s Gate, Scenes: a Billy Joel Experience, The Reminisants, Marc Berger, The Twangtown Paramours, The Slakas and Will Parker. Visit merrimackparksandrec.org.

• The Prescott Park Arts Festival’s annual outdoor production at Prescott Park in Portsmouth is Little Shop of Horrors and it starts Friday, June 23. Shows will run most Thursdays through Sundays at 7 p.m. through Sunday, Aug. 13. See prescottpark.org for information on reserving a blanket or table for a performance.

• The Martin School of Dance presents Sleeping Beauty at the Capitol Center for the Arts (44 S. Main St., Concord) on Sunday, June 25, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $38.75 per person and are available online at ccanh.com.

• New Boston Parks & Recreation’s Concerts on the Common series returns on select Tuesdays from 6 to 7:30 p.m., starting with a performance by Jamdemic on June 27. Shows take place in the gazebo on the New Boston Town Common (corner of Route 13 and Meetinghouse Hill Road in New Boston) and continue for select weeks through Aug. 22. Chairs and blankets are welcome, and the Rail Trail Grill concession stand will feature hot dogs, hamburgers, soft drinks and snacks for sale, with proceeds benefiting the New Boston Rail Trail. The town’s community church will offer a dessert table. Visit newbostonnh.gov.

• Pelham Community Spirit will once again host its Summer Concerts on the Village Green in front of the town’s public library. Concerts will be held on Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m., beginning June 28, followed by July 12, July 26, Aug. 9 and Aug. 23. Lawn chairs or blankets are welcome. Visit pelhamweb.com.

• The 2023 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org) begins with magician BJ Hickman Wednesday, July 5, through Friday, July 7. Children’s Series productions have shows Wednesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Friday at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $10. The series includes Beauty and the BeastJuly 11 through July 14; RapunzelJuly 18 through July 21; Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Aug. 1 to Aug. 4; The Little Mermaid Aug. 8 to Aug. 11; Frozen KidsAug. 15 through Aug. 18, and Finding Nemo Jr. Aug. 22 through Aug. 25.

• This year’s Meetinghouse Park Concert series, sponsored by Hampstead Cable Television, is happening Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m. behind Hampstead’s Town Hall (11 Main St.). Performances are scheduled weekly from July 4 through Aug. 29 — see hampsteadconcerts.com for the full schedule. Wednesday night concerts are also planned at 6 p.m. at Ordway Park (Depot Road and Main Street), starting with a performance by children’s musician Steve Blunt on Wednesday, July 5, at 6 p.m.

• The creepy and kooky musical The Addams Familyis coming to Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com) on Friday, July 7, and Saturday, July 8, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15.75 for students and seniors and $18.75 for adults.

• Camp Encore presents Disney’s 101 Dalmatians Kids and The Artistocats Kids at the Prescott Park Arts Festival (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth) on Saturday, July 8, and Sunday, July 9, at 11 a.m. Other scheduled performances include Meredith Willson’s The Music Man Jr. on Saturday, July 22, and Sunday, July 23, at 11 a.m.; and Into the Woods Jr. on Saturday, Aug. 5, and Sunday, Aug. 6, at 1 p.m. See prescottpark.org.

• Up, up and away at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org) for the Palace Youth Theatre’s version of Peter Panon Friday, July 14, at 7 p.m. Tickets begin at $12.

• See Mary Poppins Jr.at the Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com) on Friday, July 14, and Saturday, July 15, at 7 p.m. Tickets for the show cost $18.75 for adults, $15.75 for seniors and students.

• The Franklin Footlight Theatre presents Beauty and the Beast at the Franklin Opera House (316 Central St., Franklin) from Friday, July 14, through Sunday, July 16; and from Thursday, July 20, through Saturday, July 22 — showtimes are at 2 p.m. on Sunday and at 7:30 p.m. for the rest of the nights. Tickets are $18 for adults and $16 for seniors, students and children. Visit franklinoperahouse.org.

• On Saturday, July 15, at 2 p.m., RB Productions is putting on Annie Kids at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com). The show starts at noon. Tickets cost $10 for adults, $8 for students.

• Head Into the Woods with RB Productions at the Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com) on Friday, July 21, and Saturday, July 22, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $18.75 for adults, $15.75 for students and seniors.

• See the Kidz Bop Kidz on Sunday, July 23, at 4 p.m. at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion (72 Meadowbrook Lane, Gilford, banknhpavilion.com). Tickets start at $29.

• Circus Smirkus comes to the High Mowing School (222 Issac Frye Highway in Wilton) with “A Midsummer Night’s Circus” on Monday, July 24, at 1 and 6 p.m. and Tuesday, July 25, at 1 and 6 p.m. Tickets cost $35 for ages 13 and over and $20 for children ages 2 to 12. See smirkus.org.

• The youth performers with RB Productions are putting on a production of Disney’s Newsies Jr. at the Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com) on Friday, July 28, and Saturday, July 29, at 7 p.m. Tickets to the shows start at $15.75.

• The Kids Coop Theatre’s Teen Company will present a production of The Wedding Singer at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway, Derry) from Friday, July 28, through Sunday, July 30 — showtimes are at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased in advance online. See kids-coop-theatre.org.

• Celebrate Christmas in July with Elf Jr. performed by the Palace Youth Theatre on Friday, July 28, and Saturday, July 29, at 7 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org). Tickets range from $12 to $15.

• See Snow White at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org), performed by the Palace Youth Theatre on Friday, Aug. 4, at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $12.

• The Peacock Players (14 Court St. in Nashua; peacock players.org) will presentLegally Blonde Jr.on Friday, Aug. 4, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 5, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 6, at 2 p.m.

• The Palace Youth Theatre presents High School MusicalJr.at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org) on Friday, Aug. 18, and Saturday, Aug. 19, at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $12.

• Disney cover band The Little Mermen has a scheduled show on Sunday, Aug. 20, at 7 p.m. at the Sea Shell Stage on Hampton Beach. Admission is free. See thelittlemermen.com.

• See the Palace Youth Theatre’s performance of Winnie the Pooh Jr.at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org) on Saturday, Aug. 26, at noon. Tickets for the show start at $12.

At the movies

Find kid-friendly screenings indoors and out.

• Join Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road, Manchester; 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua; 150 Bridge St., Pelham) for a special “Little Lunch Date” screening of Madagascar (2005, PG) on Friday, June 16, at 3:45 p.m. Purchase tickets in advance online to receive a $5 off food voucher to be used toward your lunch during the show. See chunkys.com.

• Regal Cinemas, which has locations in Concord (282 Loudon Road) and Newington (45 Gosling Road), is holding its Summer Movie Express series, featuring discounted movie screenings on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for $2 per ticket, now through Sept. 6. Next up are Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022, PG) on Tuesday, June 20, and The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie (2004, PG) on Wednesday, June 21. See regmovies.com for the full schedule.

• Cinemark Theatres, which has a location in Salem (15 Mall Road, near the Mall at Rockingham Park), is once again running its Summer Movie Clubhouse program, featuring an eight-week schedule of previously released children’s and family-friendly films for $1.50 per ticket. Showtimes run on Wednesdays, beginning June 21 and through Aug. 9. See cinemark.com for the full list of films, which includes Sonic the Hedgehog (2020, PG), The Bad Guys (2022, PG) and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022, PG), among others.

• Catch a family-friendly theater candy Bingo night at Chunky’s Cinema Pub, either on Friday, June 23, at 6 p.m. or on Friday, July 21, at 6:15 p.m. — both events are happening at Chunky’s Manchester location (707 Huse Road). Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased in advance online at chunkys.com.

• Join Chunky’s Cinema Pub at its Manchester theater (707 Huse Road) for a family-friendly trivia night featuring Disney villains on Sunday, June 25, at 6 p.m. Chunky’s gift card prizes will be awarded to the first-, second- and third-place winning teams. Tickets are $6 per person and are available for purchase online at chunkys.com.

• Mondays and Wednesdays in July and August, O’neil Cinemas (24 Calef Hwy., Epping, 679-3529, oneilcinemas.com) hosts its annual summer kids series, featuring a schedule of children’s and family-friendly films for $3 per ticket. The screenings begin Monday, July 3, and Wednesday, July 5, with Minions: Rise of Gru and continue weekly through the week of Aug. 14. The theater will be offering an $8 popcorn-and-drink combo as well.

O’neil also holds regular sensory-friendly screenings, when the house lights are higher and there are no loud noises, according to the website, where you can find the full schedule of upcoming screenings. Movies in June include Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (PG, 2023) on Saturday, June 10, at 10 a.m. and the new Pixar film Elemental (PG, 2023) on Saturday, June 24, at 10 a.m.

• Movie Night Mondays on Hampton Beach (next to the playground) return on July 10 at dusk (approximately 8:25 p.m. for the first movie and then a few minutes earlier for each subsequent film). The films run weekly through Aug. 28, and admission is free. Bringing chairs or blankets are welcome. The lineup of family-friendly films kicks off with Hotel Transylvania: Transformia (2022, PG) on July 10. See hamptonbeach.org for the full schedule and the approximate dusk times; rain dates are on Tuesdays for all films.

• Another element of Nashua’s SummerFun programming is the “Pic in the Park” series, which starts Friday, July 14, at dusk with a screening of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982). On Friday, Aug. 4, the film is High School Musical (G) and on Friday, Sept. 8, it’s National Treasure.

• Chunky’s Cinema Pub of Manchester (707 Huse Road) will host a Taylor Swift-themed family-friendly trivia night on Sunday, July 16, at 6:15 p.m. Teams of up to six players are welcome, and Chunky’s gift cards will be awarded to the first-, second- and third-place winning teams. Tickets are $6 per person and can be purchased online at chunkys.com.

• Join Merrimack Parks and Recreation for its annual Movies in the Park series, which returns on Saturday, July 29, with a screening of Top Gun: Maverick (2022, PG-13) at 8:30 p.m. The lineup also includes Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022, PG) on Saturday, Aug. 26, at 7:30 p.m. and Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (2022, PG) on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free and open to Merrimack residents and non-residents. Screenings are held in Wasserman Park (116 Naticook Road, Merrimack). In the event of inclement weather, a decision will generally be posted to Merrimack Parks & Recreation’s website or Facebook by 1 p.m. as to whether or not it will be postponed. Visit merrimackparksandrec.org.

• Red River Theatres continues its annual summer movie series with a special outdoor screening of The Rescuers Down Under (1990, G) on Wednesday, Aug. 9, at Rollins Park (116 Broadway St., Concord), starting at dusk. Admission is free and open to all ages. See redrivertheatres.org.

Arts & museum

Find new experiences and maybe even sneak in a little learning at area museums.

• The American Independence Museum (1 Governors Lane, Exeter, 772-2622, independencemuseum.org) is a place for people of all ages to learn about America’s revolutionary history. It provides access to historic buildings and interactive, historically accurate depictions of what life was like during the American Revolution. Museum tours are offered Wednesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission costs $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, students, educators and first responders, and $4 for children ages 6 to 18. Tickets are free for children under age 6 and for active or retired military veterans.

• The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, 669-4820, aviationmuseumofnh.org) is dedicated to the science, technology, history and culture of aviation and features interactive exhibits and educational programs. It’s open Friday and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission costs $10 for adults, $5 for seniors age 65 and over, veterans, active duty and kids ages 6 through 12, and is free for kids age 5 and under, with a $30 maximum for families.

• Travel back to a simpler time at Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road, Canterbury), a restored Shaker village and history museum with historic buildings, interactive exhibits and activities, educational programs and more. The Village grounds and trails are open every day from dawn to dusk with no admission fee. Guided indoor and outdoor tours with different themes are offered Tuesday through Sunday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Tour tickets cost $20 to $25 for adults, depending on the tour, and are free for visitors age 25 and under. Call 783-9511 or visit shakers.org.

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St., Dover, 742-2002, childrens-museum.org) is a family museum featuring unique interactive exhibits with a focus on art, science and culture. Summer hours are Tuesday through Sunday, from 9 a.m. to noon, with an additional session from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Masks are required on Tuesday and Sunday, but optional Wednesday through Saturday. Tickets are available for either the morning (9 a.m. to noon) or afternoon (1 to 4 p.m.) sessions and cost $12.50 for adults and children over age 1 and $10.50 for seniors over age 65. Participants must register online.

• The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester) offers Creative Studio, a themed art-making project for families, every second Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., free for New Hampshire residents. On the third Saturday of every month it hosts Art for Vets Family Days, where veterans and active military members and their families get free admission to the museum and can enjoy art-making activities and a complimentary lunch. The museum also has many interactive exhibits on display at a time and art kits families can take home. Registration is required for all special events. Current gallery hours are Wednesday and Friday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission costs $15 for adults, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, $10 for students, $5 for youth ages 13 to 17 and free for children age 12 and under and museum members. General admission to the museum is also free for New Hampshire residents on the second Saturday of the month. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• Mariposa Museum & World Culture Center (26 Main St., Peterborough, 924-4555, mariposamuseum.org) is a museum of art and artifacts from around the world that includes hands-on exhibits with costumes, puppets, instruments and more for children to explore. It’s open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission costs $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $5 for kids ages 3 through 16.

• The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive, Concord, 271-7827, starhop.com) is a museum focused on astronomy and aviation, offering interactive exhibits, simulations, an observatory, a planetarium and more. During the summer it’s open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission costs $12 for adults, $11 for students and seniors and $9 for kids ages 3 through 12. The museum also features a variety of planetarium shows, with daily showtimes on the hour from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., for an additional cost of $6 per person.

• The Millyard Museum (200 Bedford St., Manchester, 622-7531, manchesterhistoric.org/millyard-museum) is dedicated to educating the public about Manchester’s history, particularly the history of the Amoskeag Millyard. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission costs $10 for adults, $8 for seniors 62+ and college students, $5 for youth ages 12 through 18, free for kids under age 12.

• The New Hampshire Telephone Museum (1 Depot St., Warner, 456-2234, nhtelephonemuseum.com) features nearly 1,000 telephones, switchboards and other telecommunication memorabilia and history, and has an interactive kids’ room. Its summer hours are Tuesday and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission costs $7 for adults, $6 for seniors age 65 and up and $3 for students in grades 1 through 12. There is a guided tour available for an additional $3 per admission ticket.

• Learn about New Hampshire marine life and science with live animals, hands-on exhibits and educational programs at the Seacoast Science Center (Odiorne Point State Park, 570 Ocean Blvd., Rye, 436-8043, seacoastsciencecenter.org). Summer hours are Wednesday through Monday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission costs $12 for ages 12 and up, $8 for ages 3 to 11, and $10 for seniors age 65 and up. Children under age 3 are free. The Center recommends that attendees book ahead, since availability may be limited.

• SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St., Manchester, 669-0400, see-sciencecenter.org) is a museum focused on technology, engineering, mathematics and more, featuring interactive exhibits, demonstrations and educational programs. It’s home to the Lego Millyard Project, the largest permanent minifigure scale Lego installation in the world, depicting Manchester’s Amoskeag Millyard circa 1900. During the summer the museum is open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission costs $12 per person and is free for kids under age 3.

• Strawbery Banke Museum (14 Hancock St., Portsmouth, 433-1100, strawberybanke.org) is an outdoor museum preserving more than 300 years of the history of New Hampshire’s oldest neighborhood to be settled by Europeans. Visitors can tour historic buildings preserved on their original foundations, meet costumed roleplayers, see traditional craft demonstrations and more. For June and September, the museum is open weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. In July and August it’s open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission costs $23 for adults, $21 for seniors ages 65 and up and $10 for children ages 5 to 17. Children under age 5 are free. Family and group rates are also available.

• Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5597, 550arts.com) offers an all-ages family clay sculpting workshop on select Fridays at 4:45 p.m., for $20 per person, and a family pottery wheel workshop for kids ages 9 and up every Friday at 4:30 p.m., for $35 per person.

• You’re Fired (25 S. River Road, Bedford, 641-3473; 133 Loudon Road, No. 101, Concord, 226-3473; 264 N. Broadway, Salem, 894-5456; yourefirednh.com) is an all-ages walk-in pottery studio, open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Mondays are “Mini Mondays,” when studio fees for kids age 12 and under are half off all day, and Fridays are “Teen Fridays,” when teenagers have half off studio fees from 5 to 9 p.m.

Outdoor fun

See a baseball game or discover wildlife right in your backyard. There’s something for everyone to enjoy outside this summer.

•​ The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (23 Science Center Road, Holderness) recently reopened its live animal exhibit trail and hiking trails — daily hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the last trail admission at 3:30 p.m. According to the Center’s website, the live animal exhibit trail winds through open meadows, mature forests and marsh boardwalks along a packed gravel path. Tickets are $24 for adults, $22 for seniors ages 65 and up, $18 for kids and teens ages 3 to 15 and free for kids ages 2 and under. Tickets grant attendees check-in access anytime between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Plan about two and a half hours to walk through the trail. See nhnature.org for more details.

• The six-time champion Nashua Silver Knights, members of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League, will play their next home game at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St., Nashua) on Thursday, June 15, against the Brockton Rox, with first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m. They will then take on the Norwich Sea Unicorns on Sunday, June 18, followed by the Worcester Bravehearts on Tuesday, June 20. Their last home game will be on Sunday, Aug. 6, at 3 p.m., when they will take on the Vermont Lake Monsters, before the playoffs begin later that week. Visit nashuasilverknights.com.

• The New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the Double-A minor-league affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball, are currently in the middle of a homestand against the Akron RubberDucks at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive, Manchester), with the next few games scheduled for Thursday, June 15, through Sunday, June 18 (first pitch is at 6:35 p.m. on Thursday, 7:05 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 1:35 p.m. on Sunday). Their season wraps up in mid-September with a series at home against the Somerset Patriots. Visit nhfishercats.com.

• New Hampshire Audubon and New Hampshire Fish and Game will host a free field training session on New Hampshire butterfly monitoring and conservation on Thursday, June 15, at 11 a.m. at the McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road, Concord). Participants will learn how to identify butterflies in various habitats and contribute to long-term data collection to monitor changes in species’ ranges. The training will prepare participants for the first July Butterfly Survey in Concord. No prior experience is necessary, and all skill levels are welcome. Space is limited, and registration is required. Visit nhaudubon.org.

• View sand sculptures crafted on Hampton Beach at the 23rd annual Hampton Beach Master Sand Sculpting Classic, happening Thursday, June 15, through Saturday, June 17, at Hampton Beach (180 Ocean Blvd.). The event includes award ceremonies and prizes for the greatest sand sculptures built. The competition is by invitation only, but the sculptures will be illuminated for viewing at night until June 26. Visit hamptonbeach.org.

• Don’t miss the 100th annual Loudon Classic Middleweight Grand Prix, a 1.6-mile road race happening at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1122 Route 106, Loudon) on Saturday, June 17, as part of Laconia Motorcycle Week. General admission is $40 and VIP admission is $70. Visit nhms.com.

• Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (23 Science Center Road, Holderness) will hold its annual StoryWalk Kickoff Reception on Friday, June 23, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Stroll along the Squam channel while reading Look and Listen by Dianne White, posted one page at a time along the trail. The story is a guessing game in a book that celebrates the curiosity and delight of a jaunt through a garden, meadow and alongside a brook, according to nhnature.org. After the kickoff reception, the trail will be open daily through Sept. 4.

• Dozens of high school football players from across the state will participate in the 11th annual CHaD NH East-West High School All-Star Football Game, scheduled for Friday, June 23, at 6 p.m. at Grappone Stadium at Saint Anselm College (100 St. Anselm Drive, Manchester). General admission tickets are $15, with all proceeds benefiting Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock (CHaD). Visit chadkids.org.

• As part of Nashua Parks & Recreation’s annual SummerFun schedule of events, the Nashua Silver Knights game scheduled for Tuesday, July 4, at 11 a.m. will also feature an expanded kids’ zone and activities. Children ages 12 and under, in addition to the first 500 adults that reserve tickets, get into the game for free. The game will be followed by a full evening’s worth of live entertainment at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St., Nashua), including a free concert by The Slakas at 5:30 p.m., the Spartans Drum & Bugle Corps at 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Nashua Hall of Fame inductions at 8 p.m. and a fireworks show at dusk, according to the SummerFun event brochure. See the full schedule of events and happenings at nashuanh.gov/summerfun.

• Pumpkin Blossom Farm (393 Pumpkin Hill Road, Warner) is due to host Lavender U-Pick events in its lavender fields on various dates between July 5 and July 23, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Everyone is invited to wander the fields and cut and harvest bundles of lavender. Attendees are welcome to relax and have a picnic on the lawn, walk the shaded trail and visit the baby chicks. Lavender plants, products and treats will also be for sale. Discount bundles are $15 during the weekdays and $20 on weekends. Visit pumpkinblossomfarm.com.

• The annual summer concert series at Field of Dreams Community Park (48 Geremonty Drive, Salem) returns on Thursday, July 6, and will continue weekly at 6:30 p.m. through Aug. 17 (all dates, except for Friday, July 21, and Friday, July 28, are on Thursdays). Admission is free and open to the public and chairs and blankets are welcome. Visit fieldofdreamsnh.org.

• It’s NASCAR Weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1122 Route 106, Loudon) from Friday, July 14, through Sunday, July 16 — weekend happenings include Friday Night Dirt Duels on Friday; a doubleheader on Saturday featuring the Ambetter Health 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series race, followed by the Mohegan Sun 100 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race, and the Crayon 301 race on Sunday. Tickets vary in price, depending on the race. See nhms.com.

• Head to Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center (928 White Oaks Road, Laconia) for Forest Trail Games for Kids and Adults on Saturday, July 22, from 10 a.m. to noon. Discover ways to make nature time enjoyable and captivating for the whole family through immersive games that spark children’s imagination and sense of adventure. The cost is $15 per person. Visit prescottfarm.org.

• The inaugural New Hampshire Butterfly Survey will take place on Saturday, July 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at New Hampshire Audubon’s McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road, Concord). The collaborative effort between New Hampshire Audubon and New Hampshire Fish and Game is aimed at gathering long-term butterfly data in the Concord region and beyond to understand the changing ranges of butterfly species over time and support statewide butterfly conservation efforts. Visit nhaudubon.org.

• Prescott Farm Environmental Education Center (928 White Oaks Road, Laconia) presents an educational program, “Animals of New Hampshire: Monarch Butterflies,” on Saturday, Aug. 5, at 1 p.m. Learn about monarch butterflies, from their habitat and life cycle to their annual migration, as well as ways to contribute to conservation efforts in your own backyard. Explore the farm’s pollinator field and search for signs of the butterfly’s different life stages. This program is open to youth and adults. The cost is $15. Visit prescottfarm.org.

At the library

Libraries across the Granite State have all kinds of summer programming planned for kids and teens over the next few months, from arts and crafts to live performances, nature and wildlife events and more. Most libraries offer storytimes for specific age groups as well as age-specific crafts and reading-to-dog programs. Many events require registration; check with libraries for additional information. Here are a few of the stand out events.

• Aaron Cutler Memorial Library 269 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield, 424-4044, acmlnh.blogspot.com Summer programming highlights include Wildlife Encounters presentation Wednesday, June 21, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; STEM & Arts programs: Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10 and 10:45 a.m., June 27 through July 25 (except July 4); Anime Movie Night: Wednesday, July 12, 5:30 p.m. (open to ages 9 and up); Game On! Video game event: Tuesday, July 18, 4 p.m. (open to ages 9 and up) ; “All About Lobsters” storytime with UNH’s Marine Program: Thursday, July 20, 11 a.m; Summer reading finale: “The Cure for the Common Show” Juggling and Comedy Act: Saturday, July 29, 1 p.m.

• Amherst Town Library 14 Main St., Amherst, 673-2288, amherstlibrary.org Wildlife Encounters is on Tuesday, July 11, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. (ages 4 and up). See Bryson Lang, Juggler Extraordinaire: Wednesday, July 26, 3 to 4 p.m. (ages 4 and up). Be an Earth Hero with Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (live animal program): Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2 to 3 p.m. (ages 5 and up.End of Summer Ice Cream Social is on Friday, Aug. 11, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. (all ages).

• Baker Free Library 509 South St., Bow, 224-7113, bowbakerfreelibrary.org. The Summer Reading Kick-Off Event: Touch-a-Truck is Saturday, June 17, 10 a.m. to noon. Everyone is welcome to attend and to register for the summer reading program, “Find Your Voice.” Maker Mondays are rop-in craft sessions are held every Monday, from 2:30 to 4 p.m., dates offered June 19 through Aug. 17 in the upstairs meeting room. Drop-in Stay & Play: Takes place on Tuesdays, June 20 through Aug. 8 (except for July 4), in the Merrimack County Savings Bank Room. Children age 2 to 6 are welcome with an accompanying adult. Summer Movie Sing-Along: Wednesdays, June 21, July 12, July 26 and Aug. 9, from 2 to 4 p.m for children with an accompanying adult. A Comics workshop with Marek Bennett is Wednesday, June 28, 4 to 5 p.m. (ages 7 and up). NH Shared Reading Program: Sign Language Storytime: Presented by Northeast Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services; everyone of all ages is welcome to this event on Saturday, July 8, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Ice cream party and children’s concert with Judy Pancoast will be heldThursday, Aug. 10, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

• Bedford Public Library 3 Meetinghouse Road, 472-2300, bedfordnhlibrary.org Children ages 5 to 7 are welcome to take part in lawn game sessions on Mondays from 3:30 to 4 p.m., starting June 19. The Summer Reading Kick-Off Concert with Mr. Aaron is Monday, June 19, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. (ages 12 and under). STEM Pals will run Thursdays, 3:30 to 4:15 p.m., starting June 22 (ages 9 to 12). Touch a Truck is onTuesday, June 27, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Camp Comics runs on Wednesdays from 7 to 7:45 p.m. for four weeks starting July 5. Super Mario Party is Friday, July 7, 11 a.m. to noon (ages 4 to 10). Camp Critters Drawing will run Tuesdays, July 11 and July 25, 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. (ages 7 to 9); registration is required. Wildlife Encounters is held Monday, July 17, 11 a.m. to noon, and 1 to 2 p.m. (ages 3 to 12). Get Stories and S’mores: Monday, July 24, 7 to 7:30 p.m. (ages 8 and under). Mike Bent Magic Show is Wednesday, July 26, 2 to 3 p.m.; and Thursday, July 27, 1 to 2 p.m. The Summer Reading Finale Party is Friday, Aug. 4, 2 to 3 p.m. (ages 12 and under).

• Boscawen Public Library 116 N. Main St., 753-8576, boscawenpubliclibrary.org.The Summer Reading Program Kick-Off Party is Monday, June 26, 2 to 5 p.m. Steve Blunt & Marty Kelly Music & Stories is Monday, July 17, 6:30 p.m. The Bryson Lang Comedy & Juggling Show is Saturday, Aug. 5, 1 p.m.

• Brookline Public Library 16 Main St., Brookline, 673-3330, brooklinelibrarynh.org. Yoga for Kids takes place the first and third Friday of each month at 4 p.m. Summer Reading Kick-Off Party featuring Wildlife Encounters takes place Saturday, June 17, 1 to 3 p.m. (all ages) at the middle school gym. Mario Video Game Day is Wednesday, June 21, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (all ages). Wolves Night – Beach Party! takes place Thursday, June 29, 6 to 7 p.m. (kids in grades 4 to 7). Take a Family Ukulele Lesson with Julie Stepanek: Friday, June 30, 4:30 to 5:45 p.m.

• Chester Public Library 3 Chester St., Chester, 887-3404, chesternh.org/chester-public-library. Summer Reading Kick-Off is Monday, June 26, 3 to 8 p.m. (all ages) and includes a Foam Party: from 5 to 7 p.m. (all ages). The Lego Challenge Club meets Mondays, 5 p.m. (except for July 3; ages 5 to 10). Catch the Annual Community Talent Show on Wednesday, June 28, 6 p.m. (all ages).

• Concord Public Library 45 Green St., Concord, 225-8670, concordnh.gov/Library. The Comic Book Club meets Fridays, June 16 and June 30, 10 to 11 a.m.The Summer Reading Kick-Off with Mr. Aaron will be Friday, June 23, 2 to 3:30 p.m.

• Derry Public Library 64 E Broadway, Derry, 432-6140, derrypl.org CONNECT (featuring crafts, snacks, stories and more) takes place Fridays, June 16, July 21, Aug. 18 and Sept. 15, 11 to 11:45 a.m. The Library Fan Con is Saturday, June 17, 9:50 a.m. to 4 p.m. All Together Now Glow Dance Party! is Tuesday, June 20; 11 to 11:45 a.m., and 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. Summer Reading Event: Cards for Veterans: takes place Thursday, July 6; 11 to 11:45 a.m., and 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. Working together: Amazing Animal Builders! Brought to you by the Children’s Museum of NH takes place Tuesday, July 11, 1:30 to 2:15 (ages 5 to 10). Catch Magic Fred!: Thursday, July 13, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. (all ages). Lindsay & Her Puppet Pals vists Thursday, July 20, 1 to 2 p.m. Campfire Stories at Taylor Library takes place Thursday, July 27, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Bear Friends Celebration and Sleepover will take place Tuesday, Aug. 8, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. (ages 3 and up). The End of Summer Party Featuring Mr. Aaron is Thursday, Aug. 10, 1 to 2:30 p.m.

• Dunbarton Public Library 1004 School St., Dunbarton, 774-3546, dunbartonlibrary.org Reading to dogs takes place Thursday, June 29, 11 a.m.; Thursday, July 13, 11:30 a.m., and Thursday, July 27, 11 a.m. “Touch Dunbarton Trucks” is Wednesday, June 21, 10:30 a.m. Summer Reading Kick-Off Musical Concert on the band stand is slated for Wednesday, June 28, 10:30 a.m. See Mr. Aaron concert on the band stand on Thursday, July 13, 10:30 a.m.

• Elkins Public Library 9 Center Road, Canterbury, 783-4386, elkinspubliclibrary.org. The littles can attend Tunes, Tales & Tumbles on Thursdays, 10 a.m. (next one is June 15), open to preschoolers. Other kids can check out storytime on Tuesdays, 10 a.m. (next one is June 20), open to kindergarteners and under

• Goffstown Public Library 2 High St., Goffstown, 497-2102, goffstownlibrary.com. Kids Garden Club runs Tuesdays, June 20, July 18 and Aug. 29, 3:30 p.m. (children in grades 1 through 5). North River Music concert is Tuesday, June 20, 6 p.m. The Miss Julieann Concert is Wednesday, June 21, 10 a.m. (ages 2 to 8). The Pokémon Passion Club meets Wednesday, June 21, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. (children in grades 1 through 5). Lego Day at the Library is Friday, June 23, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (children in grades 5 and under). Kids’ Graphic Novel Book Club meets Tuesday, June 27, 3:30 p.m.; Wednesday, July 12, 1 p.m., and Tuesday, Aug. 22, 3:30 p.m. (children in grades 2 to 4). Reading with Candy the Reading Therapy Dog will be on Tuesdays, June 27, July 18, July 25, Aug. 1 and Aug. 8; 15-minute sessions offered from 6 to 7:30 p.m. (children in kindergarten through grade 5) Learn Chess 101 for Kids on Wednesday, June 28, and Friday, July 14, 2 to 3:30 p.m. (children in grades 1 through 5). Forensics for Kids: Who Ate My Scooby Snacks? is on Thursday, June 29, 1 p.m. (children entering kindergarten through Grade 3). Skywatch with the New Hampshire Astronomical Society is scheduled for Wednesday, July 19, 7 p.m. (rain date Wednesday, Aug. 23).

• Griffin Free Public Library 22 Hooksett Road, Auburn, 483.5374, griffinfree.org. Summer Reading Crafts t take place most Wednesdays from 2 to 4 p.m. starting with Self Portraits on Wednesday, June 21. The Tail Winds Show is Saturday, June 24, 2 to 3 p.m. The Annual Book Sale is Saturday, July 29, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Sunday, July 30, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Hollis Social Library 2 Monument Square, Hollis, 465-7721, hollislibrary.org. PokePals meet Saturdays, June 17, July 22 and Aug. 12, 11 a.m. to noon. (ages 5 to 15) Community Flowers (Part 1 and 2) is Wednesdays, June 21 and June 28, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. (ages 3 to 11). Henna Tattoos with Mandy is Thursday, June 22, 5 to 7 p.m. (ages 12 and up). The Summer Reading Kick-Off Party: Friday, June 23, 3 to 5 p.m. The KindKids Music Concert is: Tuesday, June 27, 11 a.m. to noon(ages 12 and under). Outdoor Movie Night is Thursday, June 29, 8:30 to 10 p.m. (all ages). The End of School Party with the Brookline Public Library is Friday, June 30, 1 to 2 p.m. (for rising 7th graders). Insect Safari with Professor Bugman is Friday, July 7, 11 a.m. to noon (ages 4 to 12. Is Kindness rocks with the Brookline Public Library: Monday, July 10, 1 to 2 p.m. (ages 4 to 12). Touch-A-Truck event is Tuesday, July 18, 3 to 5 p.m. (all ages). Family Outdoor Movie Night is Friday, July 21, 8:30 to 10 p.m. (all ages); registration is required. See Aesop’s Fables with Bright Star Theatre on Monday, July 31, 2 to 3 p.m. See the Charmingfare Farm petting zoo on Thursday, Aug. 3, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (all ages)Sing A Song Together with Steve Blunt & Marty Kelley is Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2 to 3 p.m. (all ages). Summer Reading Program Wrap Party is Friday, Aug. 11, 2 to 4 p.m. (all ages). Celebrate Hugo’s (children’s room mascot) 2nd Birthday Party on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2 to 4 p.m. (ages 3 to 12).

• Hooksett Public Library 31 Mount St Mary’s Way, Hooksett, 485-6092, hooksettlibrary.org Drop-In Summer Art Painting is Monday, June 19, through Friday, June 23, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Touch A Truck on Saturday, June 24, 10 a.m. to noon. Attend the Bubble Party Monday, June 26, 10 to 11:30 a.m. Family Movie will screen Thursdays, noon to 2 p.m., June 29 through Aug. 3 Tie Dye Day is Friday, July 14, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Family Bingo Night is Monday, July 17, 6 to 7:30 p.m. See Squam Lakes Natural Science Center: Hawks and Owls on Monday, July 24, 10 to 11 a.m. The End of Summer Reading Party featuring Mr. Aaron is Monday, July 31, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

• Leach Library 276 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 432-1132, londonderrynh.gov/leach-library Elephant & Piggie visit the library onTuesday, June 20, 11 a.m.; Wednesday June 21, and Thursday, June 22, 4 p.m. The Kindness Club Ladybug Picnic takes place Tuesday, June 27, 11 a.m.The Library After Dark Movie Night is Lilo & Stitch and will screen Friday, June 30, 6 p.m.

• Manchester City Library Main Branch: 405 Pine St., Manchester, 624-6550; West Branch: 76 N. Main St., Manchester, 624-6560; manchester.lib.nh.us. Catch the Beach Party on Friday, June 16, 10 to 11 a.m. (ages 1 to 5) followed by the Summer Reading Kick-Off from 2 to 4 p.m. Elementary Experiments takes place every other Tuesday starting June 20, 3 to 4 p.m. (kids in grades 1 through 6). Family Flicks screen Thursdays, June 22 through Aug. 10, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. (all ages) Pollinator Party – Massabesic Audubon Center is Wednesday, June 28, 3 to 4 p.m. See a New Hampshire Wildlife presentation on Wednesday, July 12, 3 to 4 p.m. Teen Anime and Pizza Night is on Wednesday, July 12, and Tuesday, July 18, 5:30 to 7:40 p.m. (teens in grades 6 to 12). Teen Movie & Pizza Night is Wednesday, Aug. 9, 5:30 to 7:40 p.m. (teens in grades 6 to 12).

• Maxfield Public Library 8 Route 129, Loudon, 798-5153, maxfieldlibrary.com. Catch storytime on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. and Music and Movement: Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.

• Merrimack Public Library 470 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-5021, merrimacklibrary.org Comics Club is the third Thursday of each month, 5:30 p.m. (ages 9 to 13). The Friends of the Library Book Sale is Saturday, June 17, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Summer Reading Kick-Off Concert with Steve Blunt is Wednesday, June 21, 6 p.m. Fandom-onium is on the fourth Thursday of every month, 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. (kids in grades 7 to 12). Catch Paint-a-Palooza Fridays, June 23, July 28 and Aug. 25, 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday Matinees screen Saturdays, July 1 and Aug. 5, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pokemon Club Summer Session meets Wednesdays, 5 to 5:45 p.m. (July 5, July 9, Aug. 2 and Aug. 23); recommended for kids in kindergarten through grade 5. The Tween Genre Book Club meets the first Thursday of every month (starting July 6), 4:15 to 4:45 p.m. (ages 9 through 13).The Magic of HouDana: is Thursday, July 6, noon to 1 p.m. Teddy Bear Picnic is Thursday, July 20, 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. (ages 5 to 8). The Summer Reading Finale Concert with Will Parker is Wednesday, Aug. 16, 6 to 7 p.m.

• Nashua Public Library 2 Court St., Nashua, 589-4600, nashualibrary.org. A field trip to the Nashua National Fish Hatchery is Friday, June 30, 1 to 2 p.m. (toddlers and preschoolers). A field trip to the Amherst Street Fire Station is Friday, July 14, 1 to 2 p.m. (kids in kindergarten through grade 5. Meet Ellie, the Nashua Police Tracking and Therapy Dog on Tuesday, July 18, 1 to 2 p.m. (all ages).International Friendship Day is Thursday, July 27, 3 to 4 p.m. (kids in kindergarten through grade 5). Family Field Day is Tuesday, Aug. 1, 3 to 4 p.m. (all ages). Introduction to American Sign Language is Thursday, Aug. 3, 3 to 4 p.m. (kids in kindergarten through grade 5).

• Nesmith Library 8 Fellows Road, Windham, 432 -7154, nesmithlibrary.org. The Teen Rainbow Pride Party is Tuesday, June 20, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. (teens in grades 7 to 12).

• Pelham Public library 24 Village Green, Pelham, 635-7581, pelhampubliclibrary.org. Candy Bar Bingo is Friday, June 23, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. (ages 4 and up). The Summer Reading Kick-Off is Wednesday, June 28, 6 to 8 p.m. Tween Time: Cupcake Wars will be Friday, June 30, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. (ages 8 to 12). Slime Time is Wednesday, July 12, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. (ages 5 and up). Working Together: Amazing Animal Builders is Friday, July 21, 11 a.m. to noon (ages 5 and up) All Together Now Carnival is Friday, Aug. 11, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Pembroke Town Library 311 Pembroke St., Pembroke, 485-4747, pembroke-nh.com/pembroke-town-library TheSummer Reading Kick-off Night: Wednesday, June 21, 5 to 6:30 p.m.

• Rodgers Memorial Library 194 Derry Road, Hudson, 886-6030, rodgerslibrary.org. Story Safari at Benson’s Park: Thursdays and Tuesdays through Aug. 1, 10 to 10:30 a.m. (geared toward ages 3 to 8). Family Candy Bingo is Tuesday, June 20, 1 to 2 p.m. Preschool Playtime and Family Lawn Games will take place Wednesdays, June 21 through July 26, 10 to 11 a.m. (ages 2 to 12). See Encanto: Interactive Family Movie on Wednesday, June 21, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., and 6 to 8 p.m. Catch Amazing Animal Builders on Friday, June 23, 1:30 to 3 p.m. A Harry Potter Escape Room is slated for Monday, July 31, 10 to 11 a.m., and 11 a.m. to noon (ages 7 and up).

• Smyth Public Library 55 High St., Candia, 483-8245, smythpl.org. The Flying High Dog show is Thursday, June 29, 6 p.m.A Summer reading family program is Wednesday, July 5, 6:30 p.m. Summer concerts will be Wednesdays, July 12, July 19, July 26, Aug. 2 and Aug. 9, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

• Wadleigh Memorial Library 49 Nashua St., Milford, 249-0645, wadleighlibrary.org. TheSummer Reading Kick-Off Picnic is Friday, June 16, 6 to 7 p.m. Big Truck Day is Thursday, June 22, 10 a.m. to noon. Kindness Rocks! is Wednesday, June 28, noon to 5 p.m. (ages 5 to 11). We Dig Dinosaurs is Wednesday, July 5, 2 to 4 p.m. (kids in grades 5 and under). See Magic Fred Show on Monday, July 10, 2 to 3 p.m (kids in grades 5 and under). A Shark Week Party is Monday, July 17, 2 to 4 p.m. (kids in grades 5 and under). Kona Ice and Games (for Summer Reading Program) is Friday, July 28, 1 to 2 p.m.

• Weare Public Library 10 Paige Memorial Lane, Weare, 529-2044, wearepubliclibrary.com. Scholastic Chess runs Tuesdays, 2 to 4 p.m., through Aug. 1 (except for July 4). Pokemondays are Mondays, 2 to 5 p.m., through Aug. 7. The Summer Reading Kick-Off Party is Thursday, June 22, 6:30 to 8 p.m. A Skywatch with the New Hampshire Astronomical Society takes place Thursday, June 29, 8:30 p.m. (rain date: Thursday, July 20).

• Whipple Free Library 16 Mont Vernon Road, New Boston, 487-3391, whipplefreelibrary.org. The Summer Reading registration is Monday, June 19, 10 a.m.The Wildlife Encounters Kick-Off event is Monday, June 26, 6:30 p.m.

• Wilton Public & Gregg Free Library 7 Forest Road, Wilton, 654-2581, wiltonlibrarynh.org. The Summer Reading Program: “All Together Now” begins Monday, June 19A Story Circle is held Thursdays at 10 a.m.

Anticipating the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and more that will add sweetness to your summer

By Mya Blanchard and Matt Ingersoll

listings@hippopress.com

Nothing signals the start of summer quite like fresh berries, and the time to pick is right around the corner. Despite a recent unseasonably cold snap that threatened this year’s crops, most area farms remain hopeful for a decent harvest.

According to the National Weather Service, the temperature dropped 40 degrees in the Manchester area on May 18, from a high of 68 to a record low of 28 degrees. Concord also tied its record low that night of 25 degrees, set back in 1983, data shows.

Recent conditions had the potential to devastate entire crops at places like Rossview Farm in Concord, which is gearing up for pick-your-own strawberries very soon. Owner Don Ross was able to save a majority of them thanks to his irrigation pumping system — but not without lots of work and countless hours of extra invested time.

“In 31 years of growing strawberries, it’s only the second time that I can think of turning the irrigation pump on for frost protection while it’s still light out the night before,” Ross said.

Ross said that, while the ice that forms from freezing water on a strawberry plant does act as somewhat of an insulator, it can’t be relied upon alone.

“You have to continue to add water,” he said. “As water becomes ice, it has to give off heat and has to go somewhere. … So that’s the science behind it. You’ve got to keep watering until it gets warm enough in the morning that the frost is no longer a threat.”

Sunnycrest Farm in Londonderry, which has been growing berries for the past 50 years, opens for pick-your-own strawberries on June 15. Farm manager Samanatha Fay said unusually cold temperatures far out into the spring had the potential to put this year’s crop at risk.

“We were [at] the end of our bloom so we thought we were safe, but a lot of damage set in because the temperatures dropped and they stayed for so long,” Fay said. “A lot of buds died off, unfortunately.”

Circumstances were similar at Kimball Fruit Farm, located on the Hollis town line bordering Pepperell, Mass., where some of the early blooms also took a hit. Despite the early damage, this year’s crop still seems promising.

The crops at Brookdale Fruit Farm in Hollis, meanwhile, also seem to be doing OK, according to fifth-generation owner Chip Hardy. They’ll also start out with pick-your-own strawberries, followed by blueberries, raspberries and blackberries as the summer draws on.

“The weather has not had an adverse effect on these crops.” Hardy said. “They all look very good.”

Due to warmer weather earlier in the season, raspberries and blueberries are even expected earlier than usual this year, Hardy said.

“It’s really convenient for the folks to come pick strawberries because by the end of June [to] early July, we’ll have strawberries and raspberries ripe at the same time, and usually by the first of July our first blueberries will be ripe too,” he said.

But the weather has had the opposite effect on crops for farms farther north. Strawberry crops could be delayed at Apple Hill Farm in Concord, due to the erratic weather patterns that area of the state has experienced, according to co-owner Diane Souther.

“Because of the spring that we’ve had, they may be a little later in June before we’re really picking solid, so I’ll say after the 25th of June,” she said.

At Rossview Farm, Ross aims to be open for strawberry picking around the second week of June, while blueberries tend to be ready shortly after the calendar turns over to July. He said that, unlike strawberries, his blueberries don’t always need irrigation to the same extent.

“The blueberries are actually [from] a bush, and strawberries are [from] a plant,” he said. “Blueberries, the way they hang, are facing the ground and so they almost have a built-in frost protection system, whereas strawberry blossoms face upright, [to] the sun.”

In Contoocook, Gould Hill Farm is perhaps best-known for its many varieties of pick-your-own apples, but will offer a small selection of other fruits and vegetables, including blueberries. Owner Tim Bassett said that if all goes well blueberries should be ready to go around July 16 to July 18, and would run into early August.

“We had a little bit of frost damage, but right now things look OK, and we’re hopeful it will be a good crop,” Bassett said.

When are they ready?
Sources: agriculture.nh.gov and extension.unh.edu

Strawberries: early to mid-June
Blueberries: early to mid-July
Raspberries: early to mid-July
Cherries: early to mid-July
Blackberries: mid to late July or early August

Varieties and when to pick

Different fruits, and their varieties, thrive in different temperatures. Strawberries are the first of the berries to bloom, usually coming in around the second week of June, the ideal time for pick-your-own being the end of the month, said David Wadleigh, owner of Kimball Fruit Farm.

“They’ll start to come out when it’s warm, but once it gets too hot they’re all done,” Wadleigh said. “They last until about the Fourth of July [or] really when it gets so hot the plants just don’t produce fruit anymore.”

It’s around this time, Fay says, that blueberries and cherries usually make an appearance, with July being the prime time for harvesting. Fay said it can be hard to lock down a specific time that’s too far in advance of when berries will be ready to harvest, as many fruits have multiple varieties that bloom at different times of the season.

“One strand … will produce earlier in the season for you, where another one comes in later just because of the different temperature qualities and how it could survive better,” Fay said.

When it comes to growing these fruits, planting different varieties is key to getting the most out of the season. At Brookdale Fruit Farm, about 10 different varieties of strawberries are grown and harvested, from a mix of early maturing ones such as Wendy and Galletta, to mid-season varieties like Dickens and Honeoye and late season varieties like Rutgers Scarlet.

At Kimball Fruit Farm, about 4,000 strawberry plants were planted — 1,000 each of four different varieties.

“You get so many varieties like that so you have a crop throughout the whole season,” Wadleigh said. “If we planted [only] one variety, we would only have strawberries for like a week because each variety is only out for a short amount of time.”

The same is true for other berries as well. Because blueberries usually last five to six weeks, five to seven varieties will need to be planted in order for the crop to last the whole season, Wadleigh said.

Raspberries, which usually arrive toward the end of June in the middle of strawberry season, tend to have a longer season than some of the other berries, so only about four varieties are needed to extend the season by multiple weeks, Wadleigh said. As for blackberries, on the other hand, only one type is grown at Kimball Fruit Farm.

“You basically keep picking them until it gets too cold and then they don’t produce for you anymore,” Wadleigh said.

While their ripening times vary, there otherwise isn’t a distinguishable difference between these varieties.

“When people come to pick, they don’t typically ask for a certain variety of strawberry,” Souther said.” They just want some that [are] red and sweet and juicy.”

Growing conditions

In addition to temperature, precipitation levels are crucial to the health and growth of crops.

“You need consistent rain,” Fay said.

Not having sufficient rain can hinder the growth and longevity of a berry’s season, as was the case last year with the raspberries at Kimball Fruit Farm.

“We had a pretty severe drought and kind of the blackberries too toward the end of the year, so it kind of shortened the raspberry season a little bit,” Wadleigh said. “We also had less raspberries out there to pick because the plant wasn’t getting one of the things that it needed.”

There is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and rain is no exception.

“Berries are also really prone to mold and mildew, [which] travel by spores, and spores use heat and water as vectors to get into plants,” Wadleigh said. “So when it’s the middle of summer and the plants are all wet, it’s like a big sign saying, ‘Mold and mildew welcome here.’ So you do need water for the berries, but too much rain can also be detrimental to your crop as well.”

Too much rain can also cause root rot, inflicting harm on the plant itself, as Fay points out. As with most things, a healthy balance is best and creates the ideal conditions for the berry season.

“It’s always a nice even keel between moisture and sunshine because you need the sun to ripen the fruit and make the flowers bloom,” Fay said.

Assuming that there isn’t damage or disease that has harmed the plant, these berry plants — and trees, in the case of cherries — are perennials, meaning they will come back every year until the end of their lifespan.

“We have some raspberry plants at the farm that we had when I was younger when I started working here in high school,” said Wadleigh, who’s been working at Kimball Fruit Farm for 19 years. “Some of the cherry trees are at least 60 [years old] if not more.”

Strawberry plants may need to be replaced more often, roughly every three to five years, depending on the weather conditions they have experienced, according to Wadleigh.

There are several important measures to be taken, Fay said, to protect these plants from the elements.

“The first year of growth you want to pick off any of the fruit or the flowers that first come, because instead of them focusing on growing any fruit the first year, you want them to really focus on the roots’ support system,” she said.

It’s also important to shield the plants from cold temperatures. This can be done by covering them with hay or straw, or even covering them with water.

“The water almost acts like a blanket on top of them and it actually prevents the flowers from being damaged by the cold,” Wadleigh said. “We [have] had to do that … and it actually saved most of the early berries. … If the yellow center [of the strawberry blossoms] turns black you know that it was damaged by the cold.”

After harvest

After you’ve picked your berries, they are best kept in the refrigerator, as keeping them cool slows down the breakdown of the fruit, according to Fay. Just as the plants are prone to mold and mildew, the berries themselves are as well, Wadleigh said — for this reason, it’s also important to keep them dry.

“I always recommend, because mold and mildew use water as a vector, [not to] wash them until you’re about to eat them,” he said.

Once harvested, there are numerous ways to enjoy them.

“Strawberry shortcake is always a standby favorite,” Souther said.

She also notes that if you plan to make smoothies or frappes you can freeze the berries to throw in the blender later. Other popular recipes are pies, as Souther pointed out, and jams, custards and other desserts, according to Fay.

Berries can also be cooked down and mixed into drinks, like, for example, adding a blueberry syrup to lemonade, Wadleigh said.

While often made into or paired with desserts, berries can be included in savory meals too.

“A lot of people cook the berries down and make a sauce that they use in a savory dish,” Wadleigh said. “I’ve heard of … people cooking them down and [putting] it with different cuts of meat.”

Berry festivals
Check out these events happening in the Granite State that center around local strawberries and blueberries when in season. Do you know of one that we missed? Tell us about it at food@hippopress.com.

Join J&F Farms (124 Chester, Road, Derry) for its annual strawberry fest on Saturday, June 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Festivities will include hayrides, food trucks, a petting farm and live music, in addition to food trucks and, of course, strawberries. Visit jandffarmsnh.com.
Applecrest Farm Orchards (133 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls) will hold its 16th annual strawberry festival on Saturday, June 17, and Sunday, June 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy pick-your-own strawberries, tractor rides and berry-inspired snacks while listening to live music. See applecrest.com.
A local tradition for more than 75 years, the Hollis Strawberry Festival returns on Sunday, June 25, from 2 to 4 p.m. on the town common (2 Monument Square, Hollis). The festival is put on by the Hollis Woman’s Club and features fresh, local strawberries and homemade biscuits, with or without hand-whipped cream and homemade ice cream, available for sale. There will also be children’s games, face-painting, craft vendors and a live performance from the Hollis Town Band. Visit holliswomansclub.org.
Celebrate the start of blueberry season at Applecrest Farm Orchards (133 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls) with a blueberry festival on Saturday, July 22, and Sunday, July 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit applecrest.com.

Where to pick your own berries

Here are some farms that plan to offer fresh berries for pick-your-own throughout this upcoming season. Know of any we missed? Tell us about it at food@hippopress.com.

• Apple Hill Farm 580 Mountain Road, Concord, 224-8862, applehillfarmnh.com What: Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries When: Projected opening date is around mid to late June, according to Apple Hill Farm co-owner Diane Souther, starting with pick-your-own strawberries.

• Applecrest Farm Orchards 133 Exeter Road, Hampton Falls, 926-3721, applecrest.com What: Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries When: The farm stand is open daily, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; pick-your-own strawberries will likely be around mid-June, followed by blueberries in early July and raspberries in mid-August, according to applecrest.com.

• Berry Good Farm 234 Parker Road, Goffstown, 497-8138, find them on Facebook What: Blueberries When: pick-your-own blueberries will likely start around mid-July.

• Berrybogg Farm 650 Province Road, Strafford, 664-2100, berryboggfarm.com What: Blueberries When: Pick-your-own blueberries will likely start sometime shortly after the Fourth of July, according to the latest message from the farm’s picking hotline.

• Blueberry Bay Farm 38 Depot Road, Stratham, 580-1612, blueberrybayfarm.com What: Blueberries When: Pick-your-own blueberries expected to start on or around June 26, with peak picking season around the third week of July.

• Brookdale Fruit Farm 41 Broad St., Hollis, 465-2240, brookdalefruitfarm.com What: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries When: Pick-your-own strawberries are expected to be available around mid-to-late June, followed by blueberries and raspberries by early July and blackberries later into the summer.

• Butternut Farm 195 Meaderboro Road, Farmington, 335-4705, butternutfarm.net What: Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries When: Strawberry picking is projected to run from about June 15 through July 10, followed by raspberries from about July 1 to July 25 and blueberries from about July 15 to Aug. 31, according to Butternut Farm owner Giff Burnap.

• Carter Hill Orchard 73 Carter Hill Road, Concord, 225-2625, carterhillapples.com What: Blueberries When: Pick-your-own blueberries will likely start sometime in July, according to carterhillapples.com.

• Devriendt Farm Products 178 S. Mast St., Goffstown, 497-2793, devriendtfarm.com What: Strawberries When: Pick-your-own strawberries expected around the second or third week of June.

• Elwood Orchards 54 Elwood Road, Londonderry, 434-6017, elwoodorchards.com What: Cherries When: Pick-your-own cherries are expected to be available around July 4

• Gould Hill Farm 656 Gould Hill Farm, Contoocook, 746-3811, gouldhillfarm.com What: Blueberries When: Pick-your-own blueberries will likely start around July 16 to July 18, according to owner Tim Bassett, and is expected to run into early August.

• Grandpa’s Farm 143 Clough Hill Road, Loudon, 783-5690, grandpasfarmnh.com What: Blueberries When: Daily, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; the projected opening date is around July 10, according to grandpasfarmnh.com.

• Grounding Stone Farm 289 Maple St., Contoocook, 746-1064, groundingstonefarm.com What: Blueberries When: Projected opening date is around July 10, according to groundingstonefarm.com.

• Hackleboro Orchards 61 Orchard Road, Canterbury, 783-4248, hackleboroorchard.com What: Blueberries When: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; pick-your-own blueberries are expected between mid-June and late August, according to hackleboroorchard.com.

• J&F Farms 108 Chester Road, Derry, 437-0535, jandffarmsnh.com What: Strawberries When: The farm will likely have pick-your-own strawberries around the second or third week of June.

• Kimball Fruit Farm Route 122, on the Hollis and Pepperell, Mass., border, 978-433-9751, kimball.farm What: Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries Expected hours: Pick-your-own strawberries are projected for the latter half of June. The farm stand is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Lavoie’s Farm 172 Nartoff Road, Hollis, 882-0072, lavoiesfarm.com What: Strawberries and blueberries When: Farm hours are daily, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• McKenzie’s Farm 71 Northeast Pond Road, Milton, 652-9400, mckenziesfarm.com What: Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries When: Strawberries are expected to be ready by the middle of June, followed by raspberries around July 4 and blueberries also in early July.

• Norland Berries 164 N. Barnstead Road, Center Barnstead, 776-2021, norlandberries.com What: Blueberries When: Berries will likely be available by early to mid-July.

• Rossview Farm 85 District 5 Road, Concord, 228-4872, rossviewfarm.com What: Strawberries and blueberries When: Strawberries are expected to be ready for pick-your-own by the second week of June, followed by blueberries around the Fourth of July, according to Rossview Farm owner Don Ross.

• Saltbox Farm 321 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham, 436-7978, find them on Facebook

What: Blueberries When: Blueberries are expected by early to mid-July.

• Smith Farm Stand 15 Smith Farm Road, Gilford, 524-7673, smithfarmstand.com What: Raspberries and blueberries When: The farm features three raspberry beds and one blueberry field, according to smithfarmstand.com. Raspberries are expected to be ready for picking around the second week of July, followed by blueberries in mid-July.

• Spring Ledge Farm 37 Main St., New London, 526-6253, springledgefarm.com What: Strawberries When: Pick-your-own strawberries expected later toward the end of June.

• Sunnycrest Farm 59 High Range Road, Londonderry, 432-7753, sunnycrestfarmnh.com What: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and cherries When: 7 a.m. to noon, daily for pick-your-own strawberries, with an expected opening date of June 15, according to farm manager Samantha Fay. Beginning in late June or early July are cherries, followed by blueberries and raspberries by the start of July.

• Trombly Gardens 150 N. River Road, Milford, 673-0647, tromblygardens.net What: Strawberries and blueberries When: Pick-your-own strawberries are expected later in June, followed by blueberries in early July.

Recipes

Homemade strawberry rhubarb lemonade ice pops
Courtesy of Diane Souther of Apple Hill Farm in Concord (makes about 12 to 15 ice pops)

3 stalks rhubarb, chopped fine (approximately 3 cups, packed loose)
¾ cup sugar
2½ cups water
3 cups strawberries, frozen or fresh, hulled and sliced
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

In a large saucepan, bring the rhubarb, sugar, water and strawberries to a light boil for about three minutes, stirring to dissolve. Remove from the heat and let it sit in the pan for around 30 minutes or longer — this allows the fruit to blend together and lets it cool slightly before the next step. Place in a blender with the lemon juice and puree. Pour into ice pop molds and freeze until chilled.

Raspberry whip
Courtesy of Chip Hardy of Brookdale Fruit Farm in Hollis

1 pint raspberries
2 egg whites
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Whip the egg whites until soft, then add the sugar slowly and whip the egg whites until stiff. Fold in the vanilla. Add the raspberries and mix quickly with a beater. Refrigerate. Great for use on top of an angel food cake or pound cake.

All-berry pie
Courtesy of Chip Hardy of Brookdale Fruit Farm in Hollis

2 to 3 quarts any variety of berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or blackberries)
¼ cup sugar
2 premade pie crusts
1 Tablespoon butter

Mix together the berries and add the sugar. Set aside. Using an 8- or 9-inch round pie plate, place the bottom pie crust inside and add the berry mixture on top. The top pie crust should have a lattice top for the steam to come out — if using the whole top crust, make sure to poke steam holes in the crust. Melt the butter and brush onto the top crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes until the crust is slightly browned. Remove from the oven and serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Refrigerate after serving.

Strawberry buttercream frosting
Courtesy of Diane Souther of Apple Hill Farm in Concord

4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1¼ cups sugar
¾ pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened and cut into small pieces
1½ cups fresh strawberries, pureed

Place whites and sugar in a double boiler cooking pot. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Whisk with a mixer on medium speed for five minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and whisk until stiff and glossy peaks form (about six minutes). Reduce the speed to medium and add butter, one piece at a time, whisking well after each addition. Switch to a paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the strawberry puree and beat until smooth (about three to five minutes). Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate (can be refrigerated for up to three days — bring to room temperature and beat on a low speed until smooth before using).

Strawberry cupcakes
Courtesy of Diane Souther of Apple Hill Farm in Concord

1½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
1¾ cups sugar, plus more for sprinkling fruit
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1¼ cups milk
10 ounces strawberries, hulled and cut into small diced pieces, plus more for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two and a half standard 12-cup cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside. Into a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder and salt, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (three to four minutes), scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then beat in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour — beat until combined after each addition. Fold in the strawberries. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cups so that each is about two-thirds full (about 2 ounces each). Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cupcakes are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean (about 20 minutes). Transfer the pans to a wire rack to cool for five minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool completely on the wire racks.

Featured photo: Strawberries from Sunnycrest Farm in Londonderry. Courtesy photo.

Discover new wines as NH moves its Wine Week celebration to a sunnier season

New Hampshire Wine Week, traditionally a late January affair, has been moved to June for the first time in its nearly 20-year history. Internationally renowned winemakers will once again travel to the Granite State to participate in a week of tastings, seminars and dinners, culminating with the rebranded New England Wine Spectacular. The annual expo-style wine tasting is returning for an 18th year on Thursday, June 15, and will feature thousands of wines to taste from around the world — sometimes poured and handed out by the winemakers themselves — plus a variety of locally prepared food options for pairing.

Last held in its traditional format in January 2020, New Hampshire Wine Week transitioned to a series of virtual tastings at the height of the pandemic the following year. Rising Covid-19 numbers by early January 2022 again forced the cancellation of the event, just two weeks before it was scheduled to take place. Now anticipation for the Spectacular’s return in full force is high among winemakers and organizers.

“What we’re seeing is an anxiousness for people to congregate again. I definitely get that sense with a lot of the winemakers and the brokerage community,” said Justin Gunter, wine beverage marketing specialist for the New Hampshire Liquor Commission. “We really want to take the foundation of the event that has been built over all this time and keep increasing that visibility.”

Lorrie Piper, the NHLC’s chief marketing officer, said that despite the date changes, the plan is to keep New Hampshire Wine Week mostly in the same format as in pre-pandemic years. While the Spectacular is on that Thursday, it will be surrounded by a week’s worth of other events, from wine dinners at local restaurants to bottle signings at several of the nearly 70 Liquor & Wine Outlet stores statewide.

The NHLC regularly monitors consumer trends that sometimes influence what you may discover at these events. Wines and spirits in the ready-to-drink category, for instance, are on the rise — Piper said the sheer number of RTD products on the shelves of each store rose by about 30 percent in 2022 from 2021.

“For the RTDs, I think you’re seeing people who are going to get out this summer, and they are looking for that kind of grab-and-go, thrown in your cooler sort of thing, heading out to your picnic or whatever you’re doing outside,” she said. “We continually get presented with new concoctions and things that are brand new to the market. … I think customers are leaning toward the brands that they already know and are comfortable with, and just kind of parlaying that into these ready-to-drink options as well.”

A spectacle of wines

The premier event of New Hampshire Wine Week, the New England Wine Spectacular will take place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown. Since its inception, the Spectacular has become known as one of the largest wine tasting events in the country, boasting around 1,700 different products to try from regions all over the world. Attendees will also be able to meet face to face with many of the wine industry’s most well-known personalities throughout the evening, and can learn more or ask questions about their products.

“It’s really a great opportunity to get everybody together again, and to celebrate wine and everything that is,” Gunter said. “Wine enthusiasts of any level, from the very beginner who is starting to explore the world of wine … all the way to the wine aficionado, will have that opportunity to go to places they’ve never been able to go.”

Expected visitors of this year’s Spectacular hail from all over the West Coast, including in California’s Napa and Sonoma counties, as well as some European countries like France and Italy, and even below the equator in nations like Argentina. New Hampshire winemakers also join in on the fun with offerings of their own — LaBelle Winery of Amherst and Derry, Sweet Baby Vineyard of Hampstead and Zorvino Vineyards of Sandown are among those representing the Granite State.

Along with the thousands of wines, the Spectacular will have a variety of exclusive silent auction items available to bid on, and food samples from around 30 participating restaurants.

“They will primarily have … dishes on single-serve plates. It’s basically hors d’oeuvres, amuse-bouche types of servings,” Gunter said. “[The food is] not really designed to be the feature of the show, but it is designed to enhance the pairings of the two. … Most of the restaurants that are going to be supporting us are local, and so it’s an opportunity for them to present some of their fare and get their name out as well.”

The NHLC has developed an app for this year’s Spectacular that will be designed to help attendees navigate the wine purveyors. Gunter added that each table will offer a recipe submitted by the winemakers or wine representatives themselves for an item that pairs with at least one of their wines.

“From what I’ve seen, the recipes are all over the place from desserts to main courses. It really does run the gamut,” he said. “It’ll be a little bit more of an immersive experience our guests can take with them … that doesn’t just fade away over the course of the next week. … We’ve collected well over 100 recipes already and ultimately the goal is to have one at every single table.”

Proceeds from this year’s Spectacular will benefit the New Hampshire Food Bank, a program of Catholic Charities New Hampshire. According to Nancy Mellitt, the Food Bank’s director of development, the nonprofit distributed more than 16 million pounds of food statewide in 2022.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the New Hampshire Liquor Commission … [and] to be the nonprofit beneficiary,” Mellitt said. “Our primary focus is the distribution of food to more than 400 partner agencies throughout the state, so that is your food pantries, your soup kitchens, your after-school and senior programs and more. Then in addition to that, we have our outreach programs, and so this … will help support all that we encompass.”

Tastes of Tuscany

The night before the Spectacular, on Wednesday, June 14, the NHLC will host “Perfect Pairings,” a multi-course sampling of Italian foods and wines at the Manchester Country Club in Bedford. Cristina Mariani-May, the president and CEO of Banfi Wines, will be in attendance to present some of her company’s offerings, each paired with four courses and a dessert courtesy of Chef Edward Aloise of Republic Consulting. Aloise, formerly of Republic Cafe and Campo Enoteca, two award-winning eateries in downtown Manchester, will also be joined in the kitchen by Manchester Country Club executive chef Dan Henry.

Aloise’s menu for the evening will focus on recipes he has previously used at both Republic Cafe and Campo Enoteca that were influenced by his trips to Tuscany, Italy, as well as his own research into the region’s culinary traditions. Mariani-May, a third-generation winemaker, regularly splits her time between New York and the Castello Banfi vineyard estate in Montalcino, a town in southern Tuscany that has more than 7,000 acres of land she oversees. “[Aloise] created a very special menu that pairs with the wines of Banfi, and so I think it’s going to be a really amazing treat for people to be walked through the menu and the wines they are tasting, and pairing them together,” Piper said. “It’s going to be a phenomenal night.”

More happenings

If you can’t make either the Spectacular or the “Perfect Pairings” samplings, New Hampshire Wine Week is filled with dozens of other events. The multi-course wine dinners, for instance, are often attended by the winemakers themselves, the food served in a uniquely intimate setting. Piper said one of their own wines is served with each course, and they will typically go over the notes detected in that wine and the reasoning behind its food pairing.

Many winemakers will also hold bottle signings and wine tastings at various Liquor & Wine Outlet stores — most of those run for two hours and are free to walk-in visitors.

“I think you’ll find that most of the winemakers like being out in stores as much as we love having them there,” Gunter said. “They like the representation of the product and the partnership that we try to create.”

Piper said a master list of each bottle signing and wine dinner can be found online at nhwineweek.com and will continue to be updated right up until the week begins.

“We’re making it sort of the destination for Wine Week activity, so it’s one place to learn everything that they want to learn about what’s going on that week,” she said.

Meet the wine expert: Cristina Mariani-May

President and CEO, Banfi Wines, banfiwinesusa.com

Cristina Mariani-May is the third-generation proprietor of Banfi, the company founded by her grandfather, John Mariani Sr., in 1919. The globally recognized wine brand is perhaps best known for its more than 7,000-acre Castello Banfi vineyard estate in Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy. Banfi’s domestic portfolio also includes Pacific Rim & Co. and Rainstorm, two Pacific Northwest-based collections of brands respectively located in Washington State and Oregon, and its ownership even extends to Natura wines, produced by Emiliana Organic Vineyards in Chile. Mariani-May joined Banfi in 1993, shortly after completing her studies at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. She is a longtime participant of New Hampshire Wine Week — you’ll find her both at this year’s Spectacular and during a special “Perfect Pairings” sampling event at the Manchester Country Club in Bedford on Wednesday, June 14, presenting Banfi’s wines alongside a thoughtfully crafted multi-course menu from award-winning chef Edward Aloise.

What will you be pouring at the New England Wine Spectacular?

We’ll be pouring our flagship, which is our Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino. [It’s made with] 100 percent sangiovese [grapes] and is one of our most beautiful wines. … We’ll be having our Gavi, [which is] called Principessa Gavia Gavi, and our Rosa Regale, which is our red sparkling dessert wine. [It’s] a little sweet. That one comes from Piedmont, Italy, and is always a hit at the show. [We will also have] our San Angelo pinot grigio, [and] our Chianti Classico Riserva, so quite a broad selection.

What makes your wines unique?

The ones we make from Italy have been developed over 40 years, really with pioneering research. We came to the area as Americans, which is very unusual. We ended up amassing 7,100 acres, so it’s one of the largest contiguous properties in all of Italy, but only one-third of it is dedicated to vineyards. The rest is a sustainable estate with agriculture. … So, what is so unique about our wines is that when we came to the area it was all virgin soil. From 1978 going forward, we paired up with the greatest oenology universities in the world — Bordeaux, Pisa, Milan, Davis — and we became a research center. We researched not only the Sangiovese grapes for brunello, but also with pinot grigio, merlot, syrah, [and] a lot of French varieties that had never existed in Italy. … So, really why Banfi Wines has done so well over time is because we have this constant, consistent and outstanding quality while also being 100 percent sustainable from when my family came to virgin land. … Because we are an experimental center, we are constantly improving and adjusting so that we can have the most outstanding quality in the most sustainable manner, vintage after vintage.

What are some trends you have noticed recently in the wine world?

Italian white wines that are alternatives to pinot grigio are definitely very trendy. … We have two whites that we look forward to showing. One is our Principessa Gavia Gavi, which is made from cortese grapes, and the other one that is doing so well is our La Pettegola Vermentino. … The Brunello di Montalcino, which is a classic red wine, has also not slowed down. People want heritage, they want authenticity, they want provenance, and they get that from the Brunello di Montalcino. … There’s definitely a premiumization that’s still continuing.

What do you look forward to the most about New Hampshire Wine Week?

What I like the most, really, is just the camaraderie and the joy that all the consumers get from coming to this event. … I’ve been to tastings all over the world, and sometimes you get people that just don’t really care much — they just want to drink. The difference I’ve always found in New Hampshire is that people come from all over New England, and they are really interested in learning even if they don’t know a lot about wine. And, I think that’s the most fun, is that we really resonate well with consumers.

Meet the wine expert: Tom Zack

Wine director, Zorvino Vineyards, zorvino.com

Located on 80 acres in Sandown, Zorvino Vineyards began as a hobby for founders Jim and Cheryl Zanello. They purchased the property in 2000 after retiring, planting a few wines in their new backyard. More than two decades later Zorvino Vineyards has grown to now offer around 75 types of wines and host all kinds of events from private wedding ceremonies and receptions to Sunday brunches, special multi-course dinners and more. Tom Zack has served as Zorvino’s wine director since 2005 and has been involved in many facets of the wine business, from marketing and sales to graphic and label design, event hosting and advising on wine production. Zack has also been a board member of the New Hampshire Winery Association since 2010. Earlier this year Zorvino Vineyards was named New Hampshire Winery of the Year in 2023 by the state’s Liquor Commission.

What will you be pouring at the New England Wine Spectacular?

We have seven different varietals that are in the state system. We’ll probably bring six of the seven. … One of the ones I’m touting right now is one we call Black Widowz, which is a black currant and apple blend, which is fabulous. … One of our top-selling wines for as long as I can remember is a strawberry blend. We call it Fragole Z — we use Z in everything we can — and Fragole means strawberry in Italian. We’ll be pouring that one too. We are the first ones in New Hampshire to make a peach wine and a pear wine. We’ll have those available as well.

What makes your wines unique?

When I came into the business I was already into wine and I was already a foodie. You can make wine when the grapes grow, which is in the spring in South America and in the fall up here. However, in order to keep wine rolling all the time, we really got into making fruit wines, because you can do fruit wines at all different times of the year if you have the juice. … One of the things I wanted to do is to not make sweet fruit wines. I wanted our fruit wines to be off-dry, so they would work well with all kinds of different foods. That’s a trend that we started a long time ago, and pretty much everybody up here has followed suit.

What are some trends you have noticed recently in the wine world?

One of the trends that I’ve noticed is I’m seeing a lot more 20-somethings and early 30s folks who are really getting into wine now. … I think part of that came from the pandemic. Our patio has been rocking since the pandemic … and it’s just become a crazy place to be. We typically sell it out a week in advance, when it starts getting busier in the summer. … We wanted to set some trends in the wine industry, and that’s why we created what we call the Z Wine Labs releases. What’s really cool about them is that they are meant to come out every couple of weeks and then sell out. Every year, we run through the season with a whole different list of these wines that are really kind of exciting and new — things like peanut butter and jelly, lemon lavender and honey, and a mojito wine we have that just came out. … Kudos for Z Wine Labs go to our young winemakers, Dave Sexton and Sam Breslin.

What do you look forward to the most about New Hampshire Wine Week?

The thing I look most forward to is renewing old acquaintances. I’ve been in this business for a long time now, [and] I know some of the great winemakers that have been around. I don’t get to see them, but they show up in our backyard now at this great expo. … I also love to see what new wines the New Hampshire wineries have, and to get to try them myself, so you’ll find me behind my booth but you’ll also find me chatting with some of my compatriots in the business.

Featured photo: Photo by Timothy Courtemanche.