Strawberries: Seasonal Recipe Round-Up

Welcome to another Seasonal Recipe Round-Up! This time we’re featuring strawberries (and next time is snap peas– see schedule below). I’m sharing my tips and a three recipes, and you can participate by sharing your own tips and/or recipes in the comments.

What are Strawberries?

I can’t think why I need to answer this question, but hey, in the interest of being complete, I will. They are some of the most delicious fruits on the planet! 😉 Besides that though, good strawberries are juicy, sweet, and contain lots of Vitamin C.

Sadly, strawberries are #5 on the “Dirty Dozen” list of foods with highest pesticide residues — so buy or grow organic if you can. The season strawberry season varies from place to place, but typically is April through July.

How to Choose and Store Strawberries

Strawberries are highly perishable, so purchase or pick and use quickly — ideally within two days.When picking your own, choose firm and plump berries that don’t have mold. Color should be shiny and deep. Unlike tomatoes or other foods, they don’t ripen after picking.

When I get fresh strawberries, I deal with them right away. I cut off the green tops, rinse them in a strainer, then lay out on towels to dry. Whatever I’m not using right away (for jam, etc.) goes into the freezer.

To freeze, lay the strawberries out on trays to freeze individually, then pop the frozen berries into freezer bags. Or you do what I do — I never have that much freezer space available — put the slightly wet berries right into the freezer bags. With my way, you’re more likely to have berries frozen together. But it works out all right. 🙂

How to Use Strawberries

Once again, a no-brainer thing to cover for the world’s most popular fruit! I would venture a guess that most strawberries the world round are eaten… just plain! I like to have fresh strawberries with a generous drizzle of raw, sweet Jersey cream.

However, strawberry abundance can turn into desserts, jams, smoothies. During strawberry season, you can make fizzy fermented beverages out of strawberries — water kefir, Kombucha, or strawberry-ginger soda.

Nourishing Traditions cautions against using highly-acidic strawberries in the fermented jams (my raspberry version is here). Even though I have not challenged this by trying to make strawberry fermented preserves, I have never had trouble using them in fermented beverages.

How do you eat strawberries? 🙂

Strawberry Recipes

In this recipe round-up, I’m sharing a few recipes and ideas. First up is an ice cream recipe from Marillyn Beard (who blogs at Just Making Noise). This Roasted Strawberry Balsamic Crème Fraîche Ice Cream comes from her book Just Making Ice Cream. She graciously allowed me to share it with you in this strawberry round up.

Next, strawberry water kefir. Use a cup or two of fresh or frozen sliced strawberries in the second ferment of water kefir.

And finally, just a simple dessert that I and my children call The Best Dessert Ever. I mentioned it above — fresh strawberries with raw, sweet Jersey cream — or whole goat milk, which is originally how we ate this dessert.

Now, it is your turn to share!

Seasonal Recipe Round-Up Schedule: July through August

Remember, the round-ups don’t close — you can add your recipes at any time. And I hope you will!

• Friday, July 6, 2012 — Snap Peas
• Friday, July 20, 2012 — Cucumbers
• Friday, August 3, 2012 — Berries
• Friday, August 17, 2012 — Tomatoes
• Friday, August 31, 2012 — Squash

All seasonal recipe round-ups are (and will be) listed on the Recipes page.

Come back on Friday, July 6 for our snap pea link-up in the Seasonal Recipe Round-Up.