I have new kitchen toy-a dehydrator! I've wanted one for years, specifically to dehydrate strawberries, although I can envision loads of ways to use it-garden vegetables, herbs, fruit leathers.
Dehydrating strawberries couldn't be simpler. Just wash, cut off the tops and slice. After 4-6 hours in the dehydrator they are ready to cool and store. I also did some bananas. They were almost as easy. The only extra step was putting them in a bit of ascorbic acid fruit preservative to keep them from turning too brown. If the darker color doesn't bother you, you can skip that step.
The finished berries are stored in a canning jar. If I thought they would last more than a couple of weeks (the children love them!), I would look into sealing them with a vacuum sealer.
We're fast approaching canning season. I'll do my best to keep you up to date on this year's progress.
To make both jam and jelly, I just follow the recipes in a box of pectin. You start by washing the berries and removing the stem and leaves. I usually cut them up a bit before crushing the fruit. Then, strain them through a jelly bag or cheesecloth. I use the strained juice for jelly and the leftover pulp for jam.