City Greeners, it’s the most wonderful time of the year.
Strawberries have arrived.
These juicy
jewels are only around for a snippet of the growing season, so get them while
you can (but don’t worry if you can’t seem to fill up on these berry tiny
treasures– after strawberries come blackberries, then blueberries and
raspberries)!! If you’re looking for ways to stock up and extend the strawberry
season, look no further. Here are a few
tips:
Tray Freezing: Gently wash your
berries, dump them on a cloth towel to slightly dry, cut off the greens and a
small bit of the shoulder (which you can compost!), and arrange the berries
cut-side-down on a baking sheet. Set the
sheet inside the freezer for 12 to 24 hours, then transfer the frozen berries
into freezer bags. Volia – strawberries ready
for winter!
Packed in Sugar: Again, gently wash the
berries, then slightly dry them, and cut off the greens and a small bit of the
shoulder. Cut the berries into smaller
chunks and put them in a bowl. Sprinkle
a little sugar onto the berries as you go, and mix them until you get a light
coating on all the little berry pieces. Use anywhere from 1/4 to 3/4 cup sugar
for each quart of berries. Leave the
coated berry chunks to sit in the fridge for about an hour before packing into
freezer containers. Thaw and use in
desserts like strawberry shortcake!
Strawberry Sauce:
Ingredients
2
quarts strawberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 medium lemon, juiced
Preparation
- Boil
sugar and water together for 5
minutes; cool.
- Wash and hull berries, then
puree
in a blender.
- Combine berries with sugar,
water,
and lemon juice.
- Pour into a container and
freeze.
Great stirred into yogurt or as
an ice cream topping!
There are certainly other ways to make your strawberries last the longest - like drying and making preserves/jam. Try them all out to find your favorite, and ENJOY!
Images:
Strawberry Basket - M. Erhard
