When we lived in S. CA and moved back to WA Jerry and I told our daughter, Brittany she would have to pick berries even though we lived in Edmonds, a waterfront community with no berry fields in sight. She took her dad aside and said "dad, I just can't do it and you need to hire someone to pick berries for me." Jerry and I found this quite amusing.
"One must ask children and birds how strawberries and cherries taste."
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Some interesting facts you might not know about strawberries: Strawberries are the only fruit with seeds on the outside. The average strawberry has 200 seeds. Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen in the spring. Americans eat 3.4 lbs. of fresh strawberries each year. Strawberries are a member of the rose family and over 53 percent of children picked strawberries as their favorite fruit to eat.
Strawberries are delicious with high nutrition and health benefits. They have high levels of vitamin C, fibre, folate and potassium than most other fruits including bananas, apples and oranges.
Freezing strawberries is one of the easiest and most convenient methods to preserve them for winter time. You can also make jam with them to enjoy during the rest of the year. If you want to freeze berries without sugar, choose red, firm and fully ripe berries. Remove the stems and caps and gently wash and drain the berries, placing them to drain on a paper towels. After removing from paper towels, place berries individually in a single layer on cookie sheets. After they are completely frozen place into freezer containers or freezer ziplock type bags.
I hope you enjoy the recipes listed below and if you have the space try growing your own strawberries in the ground or pots.
Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri
3 oz. frozen sliced strawberries in syrup, partially thawed
2 oz. light rum
1 oz. lemon juice
1 scoop of ice
In a blender, combine berries, rum, juice and ice; blend smooth. Pour into a stemmed glass and garnish with a whole berry.
Berries with Port Wine Sabayon
2 cups Port Wine
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
4 large egg yolks
1 lb. strawberries, stemmed and halved
1 Tbl. sugar
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Fresh whipped cream
Wash berries, and remove stems. Place washed berries on paper towels to drain well. Slice in half and place in a bowl, sprinkle on 1 Tbl. sugar and 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice and let macerate.
In a medium bowl add whipping cream with a little powdered sugar and whip. Place in frig until service.
Whisk the yolks, 1/4 cup sugar and Port wine in a stainless steel bowl. Rest the bowl in a saucepan over hot water (double boiler). Whisk constantly for about 5 minutes to cook the sauce. Be sure you don't scramble the eggs. Taste and whisk drops of lemon juice into it and more sugar if needed. When thick, foamy and has tripled in volume, remove from heat. Sabayon can be served tepid or cool. I personally like it cooled. To serve; add berries to stemmed glasses and spoon over sabayon then dollops of freshly whipped cream.
Strawberry Scones - (recipe from strawberry lovin friend and pastry chef Deb in WA)
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
4 Tbl. butter, chilled
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup fruit juice concentrate
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbl. milk
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 cups strawberries, sliced
4 Tbl. strawberry jam
Sugar for sprinkling
Milk
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, add flour and baking powder, cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix the fruit juice concentrate and milk together. Make a well in center of flour and pour in liquid and mix together. Add lemon zest. The dough will come together and form a ball, but will be sticky. Knead the dough adding a little more flour if needed. Pat dough into a circle about 3/4 inch thick and wrap in plastic refrigerating for about one hour. Remove dough and with a serrated knife cut the dough though the middle so you have 2 halves. Sprinkle some flour evenly and lightly onto baking sheet. Place the bottom half on baking sheet and lay sliced strawberries evenly on top. Next, place dollops of jam to cover the bottom layer. Lay the top piece of dough over and lightly crisp edges together. Cut the dough with a very sharp knife into 8 wedges and brush the top with some milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove to cooling rack.
Easy Strawberry Cake (my mom's recipe who loves strawberries)
1 package white cake mix
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries with juice
3/4 cup whole milk
1 (3 oz) package strawberry jello
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Grease and flour two 8-inch round pans. In a bowl, place berries and gently mash them with potato masher. In a bowl of electric mixer, add cake mix, milk, jello, vanilla, veg oil and eggs and beat until smooth and creamy. Blend in berries and mix until just combined. Pour into prepared pans and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until pick inserted comes out clean. Remove to cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, soft
1 stick butter, soft
5 - 6 cups powdered sugar
1 cup fresh strawberries, mashed and drained well over a bowl
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
In bowl of electric mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until soft and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and beat in powdered sugar to desired consistency, add berries and mix in until incorporated.
Strawberry Cobbler
Crust
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbl. baking powder
3 Tbl. sugar
6 Tbl. butter, cold
3/4 cup milk
Filling
2 qts. fresh red strawberries, washed, stemmed, sliced in half
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup water
3 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbl. lemon zest
Topping
4 Tbl. brown sugar
4 Tbl. butter
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Crust; combine flour, salt, baking powder and sugar in a mixing bowl. With a pastry blender, or food processor, cut the cold butter into the mixture until it has the consistency of coarse crumbs. Add the milk and knead until a ball has formed. Refrigerate crust for abut 30 minutes.
Filling; In a bowl, combine sugar, flour and salt. Whisk in water and lemon juice and gently stir in strawberries. Place fruit mixture into a 9x13 baking casserole dish and bake for 15 minutes, stir once. Remove baking dish from oven and be careful as fruit is hot. Lightly flour work surface and roll dough out into 1/4-inch thickness. Place dough over berries and with a paring knife place a few vent holes in dough. Dot with butter and sprinkle with brown sugar. Return to oven and bake for another 30 minutes until lightly golden brown.
Strawberry Charlotte - (this recipe from the past, early 1800's was considered a dessert of high sophistication) My mom used to make Strawberry Charlotte and I made it in culinary school, as well as making it for catering many times)
2 envelopes gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup fresh strawberries, mashed
1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
1 cup sugar
2 cups fresh heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 packages ladyfingers
Soften gelatin in cold water about 10 minutes. Place over hot water to dissolve. In a saucepan add mashed berries with sugar and stir until sugars dissolved. Add to gelatin and mix well. Let cool to room temp. Line the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan with lady fingers. Whip the whipping cream stiff to stiff peaks adding powdered sugar and vanilla while you are whipping. Gently fold in sliced strawberries to whipped cream. Fill the pan with mixture and cover with plastic wrap. Chill overnight. To serve; remove springform and place on serving plate. Garnish top with whole berries with green stem on and a dusting of powdered sugar.
My Favorite Berries (my friend Lisa in CA first gave me this delicious recipe, thanks Lisa)
5 cups fresh red strawberries, hulled, rinsed.
2 1/2 cups sour cream (not light)
5 Tbl. brandy
10 Tbl. brown sugar
In a bowl, mix sour cream, brown sugar and brandy. Place berries in wine goblets and top with sour cream mixture.
Another way is to omit brandy. Place sour cream in a bowl, berries in a bowl and brown sugar in a bowl. Dip a berry into sour cream then into brown sugar and enjoy. Mmmmm
Strawberries Romanoff - (There are three versions of this dessert; French, Russian and American the difference is minimal. One using sour cream (Russian) the other using Vanilla ice cream (American) It was originated when the great French pastry chef Marie Antoine Careme (1783-1833) provided spectacular desserts for Russian Tsar Nicholas I, a early and great member of the Romanoff dynasty. Also the French use Curacao, Russians use Cointreau and the Americans use Grand Marnier liqueur.
2 pints fresh beautiful red strawberries, washed and hulled
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup Curacao liqueur
4 Tbl. sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
Wash and hull berries, slicing larger one in half. Place berries in a bowl add orange juice and liqueur. Cover and place in frig for at least 1 hour. In a large bowl, add whipping cream and beat until stiff peaks form, adding sugar and vanilla. Spoon berries into beautiful goblets or dessert dishes and add whipped cream on top. Garnish with a whole berry.
Note: if you want the Russian version; fold 1/2 cup sour cream into beaten whipped cream. Note: If you want American version; fold in 1 pint of vanilla ice cream (mix until soft) into whipped cream. Remember to change the liqueurs for different versions.
Grilled Fish Tacos with Strawberry Salsa
1/2 cup mango, peeled and diced
1/2 cup papaya, peeled, seeded and diced
1/2 cup fresh pineapple, peeled and diced
1/2 small red onion, minced
1 small jalapeno, minced (or pepper of your choice)
2 Tbl. fresh lime juice
4 Tbl. fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place all ingredients into a bowl, mix gently and refrigerate.
Fish:
1 1/2 lbs. Swordfish, halibut or cod
salt and freshly ground black pepper
corn tortillas
sour cream
cabbage, shredded
Rub fish with a little olive oil season with salt and pepper. Place on grill and cook until desired doneness. Brush corn tortillas with a small amount of oil and place on grill for a couple of minutes until you get grill marks and they are warmed through. Place tortillas in foil or tortilla warmer to keep warmed. To serve; place fish on platter and break up in to large pieces. Place tortillas on platter. Place sour cream and cabbage in bowls. Take a tortilla, add some fish, cabbage, sour cream and strawberry salsa. Serve with black or refried beans and Mexican rice.
Strawberry Soup - this is a soup that could be served as dessert. I created this for a anniversary catering party and the guests loved it
5 cups fresh red strawberries
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup champagne or white wine
1 tsp. pure strawberry extract (I get mine on Amazon)
1 cup sour cream (not light)
1 cup milk
2 cups whipping cream
In a blender add berries and puree, add honey, champagne and continue to pulse to blend. Place this mixture in frig to chill. When ready to serve, pour berry mixture in a large bowl, whisk in strawberry extract, sour cream, and milk. Whisk in whipping cream until all combined. Place in serving bowls and top with a fresh whole berry for garnish.
Turkey Salad with Strawberries
3 cups fresh roasted turkey, diced
1 pint fresh red strawberries, stemmed and sliced
5 scallions, sliced including green part
1 tsp. fresh lime zest
1 tsp. curry powder
3 Tbl. prepared chutney
1 Tbl. fresh lime juice
4 stalks celery, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
croissants
Salad greens
In a large bowl, add turkey, scallions, celery, almonds and season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, add mayonnaise, lime zest, lime juice, chutney and curry powder, mix well. Pour mayonnaise mixture into turkey mixture and blend together. Gently add strawberries and mix well. Two ways to serve; first is place greens on plate and add mound of turkey salad, garnish with whole berries. Second way is to split croissants, add some lettuce and pile on turkey/strawberry salad. Note; if you are placing on croissants you will not need the entire pint of strawberries sliced.
Strawberries with Pound Cake Stacks with Lime and/or Lemon Curd Filling
Pound Cake, sliced (make your own or purchase already prepared)
Fresh red strawberries, hulled and sliced
sugar
2 cups Heavy whipped cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Lime zest
In a bowl, add berries and sprinkle on some sugar; set aside. In a mixer bowl, add whipped cream and beat to stiff peaks, mixing in powdered sugar, place in frig until service.
Lime Curd
6 Tbl. butter, soft
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup fresh lime juice (or lemon juice)
2 tsp. fresh lime zest (or lemon zest)
In a mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add in eggs and yolks and beat for about 1 minute, scraping down bowl. Beat in lime juice and mix well. The mixture might look curdled, but will be ok when you cook. Place mixture in saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring well. Increase heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. DO NOT BOIL. Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in zest. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled.
To assemble; Slice pound cake and place on cutting board. With a 3-inch round biscuit cutter cut circles from the pound cake. Place a circle on dessert plate, add a large dollop of lime curd, then some sliced berries, add another round of pound cake, lime curd and berries. Top with dollops of whipped cream sprinkled with lime zest.
Strawberry Jello Dessert - this is a recipe from food service and makes a lot. You might want to consider making for family reunion, church function, large gathering, catering event, etc.
5 (6 oz) packages strawberry jello
6 lbs. 4 oz. frozen sliced and sweetened strawberries, thawed
6 lbs. 4 oz. cans crushed pineapple in unsweetened pineapple juice, drained
3 lbs. bananas, mashed
1 lb. 4 oz. pecans, chopped
2 lbs 8 oz. sour cream
38 whole fresh red strawberries, stemmed and sliced into fans
Dissolve jello in 7 1/2 cups boiling water. Mix in thawed strawberries, pineapple, bananas and pecans. Pour half of this mixture into a 24x18 inch rectangular pan. Refrigerate until firm. When firm, spread with half of the sour cream; and pour remaining jello mixture on top. Refrigerate until firm; spread with remaining sour cream. Cut into 48 (3x3 inch squares) and top with strawberry halves fanned.
Strawberry Dressing for Salads
1 cup fresh red strawberries, stemmed
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbl. raspberry vinegar
1 Tbl. chopped shallots
2 Tbl. olive oil
4 tsp. honey
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients into food processor and pulse until dressing is smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. This dressing is good over grilled asparagus, grilled fish or shrimp, great on spinach salad, chicken salads, etc.
Strawberry Fool - where did this dessert get it's name? A fool is an English dessert usually made by mixing pureed fruit, whipped cream, and sugar. Fool is first mentioned as a dessert in 1598. Originally the most common fruit in fools was gooseberries, but modern recipes use all types of fruit, even though the gooseberry remains the favorite. And now you know!
12 oz. frozen strawberries, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. pure orange extract
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
Process the berries and sugar in a blender or food processor. Or you can crush with a potato mashed in a bowl. Mix in the orange extract. In a large bowl of electric mixer, whip the cream until stiff peaks form, then fold in the strawberry mixture. Refrigerate covered for at least 4 hours. To serve; place spoonfuls of mixture into dessert cups, wine goblets or small bowls. Serve with a shortbread cookie if desired.
Stuffed Berry French Toast - how can you not love this? I made this when I was Chef at House of Reps. state capital in WA and used many types of berries, including strawberries.
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, soft
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. pure almond extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 large loaf Brioche, sliced 2-3 inch slices (if you can't find brioche, use French bread)
2 cups fresh red strawberries, hulled and sliced thinly
8 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup strawberry jam (use the kind with chunks of berries in it)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup whipping cream
pinch of salt
butter
Pure maple syrup
Slice the bread and with a sharp paring knife, place a slice in the middle of bread to make a pocket, do not cut all the way through. In a bowl, blend the cream cheese, jam, powdered sugar, extracts and cinnamon mixing until smooth. With a spoon, stuff some of the cream cheese mixture into pocket of bread until all pieces are stuffed. In a shallow baking dish, beat eggs, with pinch of salt, milk, and cream. Dip each piece of bread into egg mixture letting soak in. Heat a large frying pan with butter on medium and add bread pieces. Cook on each side until nicely golden brown and cooked through. You will need to do this in batches, so when bread is cooked, place on baking sheet in 200 degree oven to keep warmed. Heat up pure maple syrup in saucepan. To serve; place fresh toast on serving platter, pour over maple syrup and scatter fresh sliced berries on top. If desired, dust with powdered sugar.
Bon Appetit
"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits"
Psalm 103:1
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