How to Use Strawberries
If you’ve been eating fresh berries until you feel like Veruca Salt in Willy Wonka and both friends and family are refusing to take any more, what can you do with strawberries before they go bad? Strawberries lend themselves well to preserving, so there’s always the option of making jam. They also freeze quite well so you can make freezer jam or just freeze the berries for later. To freeze the berries, wash them, dry them gently and then lay them out on a cookie sheet. Freeze them and then bag them; this way they will remain single berries and not a giant hard-to-use lump. Strawberries can also be sliced or pureed and then frozen unsweetened, or sweetened with sugar or sugar substitute. Speaking of freezing, how about some homemade strawberry ice cream, gelato or sorbet? With today’s new ice cream makers, making homemade icy treats is a snap and a crowd pleaser on a hot day. Strawberries are fabulous in smoothies. You can puree a bunch up with a banana, yogurt and any other flavors you desire or even puree the banana and berries and freeze into ice cube trays for a shortcut to future smoothies.
What Else to Do With Strawberries
Of course, strawberry shortcake makes quick work out of a batch of berries as does strawberry pie, cake or muffins. Breakfast lovers will swoon over berry-doused pancakes or waffles with whipped cream. Want to eat a bit healthier for breakfast? No problem, slice strawberries into high fiber cereal or low fat yogurt. Whip up a batch of strawberry lemonade and for the adults, how about strawberry margaritas? Use the aforementioned ice cream and make a very-berry, strawberry milk shake. And for the adults again: Prosecco or champagne with strawberries is absolutely divine. Make a fresh fruit tart or fruit skewers with strawberries and other fruit. Grill the strawberries on skewers and serve drizzled with a balsamic reduction. Trifle anyone? Layer sliced strawberries with luscious pound cake in a pretty glass container. For the love in your life, dip the strawberries in chocolate, either white, dark or milk. What’s for dinner? How about a salad of spinach and strawberries with a balsamic/cider vinaigrette or chicken with strawberry balsamic glaze or strawberry mole or strawberry-chili jam on a perfectly cooked steak. There are so many strawberry uses limited only by your imagination. Strawberries can swing both ways, either sweet or savory thus making them eminently useful in the kitchen. If all else fails and you still haven’t been able to preserve or use a glut of strawberries, there’s always a strawberry facial scrub…
