Strawberries

We grow the Early Glow, Honeoye, All Star, and Winona varieties. 

The sections below were copied with permission from Mi Ae Lipe’s Tastes from the Valley to Bluff: The Featherstone Farm Cookbook (2008).

Storage

Before storing them in the refrigerator, check the fruit for signs of mold or overripeness. Remove any spoiling or soft berries immediately, so their malaise does not spread to their neighbors. Ripe berries should be eaten within 24 hours, and the remaining fruit should be kept unwashed until ready to use. Wrapping the container in plastic will reduce dehydration, and the berries should be used within a few days.

Complementary Herbs, Seasonings, & Foods

Almonds, apricots, balsamic vinegar, bananas, basil, brown sugar, caramel, Champagne, chocolate, cinnamon, coconut, cognac, Cointreau, cinnamon, cream, cream cheese, crème fraîche, currant, figs, Grand Marnier, grapefruit, guavas, kirsch, kiwi, lemon, lime, maple syrup, mascarpone, nuts, oranges, passion fruit, peaches, pepper, pineapple, port, raspberries, rhubarb, sambuca, sherry, sour cream, sugar, vanilla, violets, wine, yogurt.

Serving Suggestions

• Few pleasures in life beat ripe strawberries with thick Devonshire cream or whipped cream on a warm summer day.

• Pair strawberries with stir-fried scallops and sugar snap peas for a sumptuous, yet simple, light lunch or supper.

• Try warming a wedge or wheel of Brie cheese, then sprinkling with sugar and serving with fresh ripe strawberries for a luxurious treat.

• Slice a fresh, ripe papaya or cantaloupe in half, scoop out the seeds, and fill the hollows with sliced strawberries and grapes.

• Melt quality chocolate over very, very low heat or a fondue burner, serve with strawberries and champagne, and enjoy with friends.

• Add sliced strawberries to lettuce and fruit salads.

• Make fruit kebobs by skewering chunks of pineapple, bananas, strawberries, melon, grapes, other berries, and papaya. Great for kids and grownups alike, with or without whipped cream or maple syrup for dipping.

• Toss strawberries over cereal, pancakes, fruit salads, ice cream, oatmeal, and yogurt.

Links

Cook out of the Box - Focus: Strawberries

Cook out of the Box - Hands On: Buttermilk Scones

Cook out of the Box - Hands On: Bakery in You Kitchen

Cook out of the Box - Hands On: Oat Cakes

Cook out of the Box - Hands On: Pie Crust

Cook out of the Box - Hands On: Homemade Yogurt

Cook out of the Box - Dig In: Yogurt

Recipes

Sweet-Tart Fresh Strawberries

The lightly acidic balsamic vinegar and the sweet brown sugar add refreshingly sweet, yet tangy flavor notes to enhance the berry flavor. You can also try adding a little freshly cracked black pepper.

2 quarts fresh strawberries, hulled

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Allow 1 to 2 hours before serving time, toss the strawberries with the brown sugar, salt, and vinegar in a large mixing bowl. Refrigerate and toss again. Drain and serve cold in a clear glass container.

Credit: Shirley Corriher, CookWise

Fruit Shake (makes 1 shake)

Sugar or honey for sweetening

1 cup skim or soy milk

1 cup plain yogurt

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed or flaxseed oil

1 cup berries (strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries, etc.)

1 banana

Sweeten with sugar or honey, if needed, then place all the ingredients in a blender and process well.

Credit: Kathy Delano, The Bluff Country Co-op Cookbook

Roasted Soft Summer Fruit

Wash and cut up (large pieces) plums, nectarines, peaches, cherries, berries or pears or a combination.  Place in a heavy glass baking dish in a single layer.  Sprinkle with a little brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and dot with bits of butter.  Bake at 375 degrees until fruit is soft and slightly browned.  Serve plain or with a little vanilla ice cream or custard sauce.  Or serve with yogurt and a little granola for breakfast.

Credit: Cook out of the Box 2011 - Week 5

Strawberry Sorbet

First make some simple sugar syrup - one cup of water and one cup of sugar, bring to a boil, stir to dissolve sugar.  Let cool and then refrigerate.

Wash and hull about 4 heaping cups fresh strawberries.  Place in a blender and puree along with cold sugar syrup.  Put in an ice cream freezer (I love my Donvier - easy to use, inexpensive, no electricity or rock salt) and freeze.  If you want, put into a container in your freezer until a bit harder.  It it freezes hard, just take out 15 minutes or so before serving so i is easier to scoop.

That's it.  If you have good ripe berries it is all you need.

Credit: Cook out of the Box - Focus: Strawberries

Strawberry Onion Relish

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 cups sweet onions, in large dice

1 pint strawberries, chopped

1 tbsp granulated sugar

Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy cooking pan.  Add the onions and cook slowly,  stirring frequently, until they are soft and the color of light brown sugar. (You are caramelizing the onions.  Now you know how easy this is.)

Next, add the strawberries, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and continue to cook over medium low heat until thick. Remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes.

Serve warm or room temperature with meats or other dishes, as you would a chutney. 

Credit: Cook out of the Box - Focus: Strawberries

Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

1.  The biscuits.  Make some plain buttermilk or cream biscuits - but add a little sugar to the dough - about 1T per one cup flour.   If you don't have a recipe, here is one.

2.  The berries.  While the biscuits are baking, wash and slice berries - at least half a cup per serving.  Add sugar to taste, mash a little with a fork and let sit until juicy.

3.  The whipped cream.  Just before serving, make some whipped cream.  Please don't use "whipped topping".  Please use the real thing.  Add just a little sugar to sweeten.  If you have some sour cream or yogurt or creme fraiche around, add a little to the whipped cream for a nice tang.

Assembly:  Split a biscuit.  Spoon some berries on the bottom half.  Put a spoonful of whipped cream on the berries.  Put the biscuit top on the top.  If you are feeling extravagant, put another small dollop of cream on the top biscuit and top with a whole berry.

Credit: Cook out of the Box - Focus: Strawberries

Lettuce Salad with Strawberries

Wash and dry mixed lettuce greens.  Place in a large bowl and toss with a simple dressing made with 4 parts olive or walnut oil to one part fresh orange or lemon juice and a little salt and pepper.  Divide greens on to serving plates.  Place on top of the greens:  Sliced fresh strawberries, crumbled feta, goat or blue cheese, toasted walnuts or almonds and sliced sweet onion.  If you have a little proscuitto or other cured meat around a little of that might be nice on the side.

Credit: Cook out of the Box 2011 - Week 3

Muesli

This cereal is chock full of fiber, nutrition and great flavor.  You will never buy the boxed kind again once you have tried the real thing.  You can easily bring this to work for a great lunch.

You will need the following, per serving:  1/3 cup plain uncooked old fashioned rolled oats, 1/3 cup milk, 1 T. each of raisins or other dried fruit and your favorite nuts, 1 T bran, wheat germ or ground flax seed (optional), 1-2 T. honey, maple syrup or other sweetening, 1-2 t. fresh lemon or orange juice, 1/4 cup grated fresh apple, 1/2 cup fresh berries- whole or sliced.

Soak the oats in milk at least half an hour or as long as overnight.  Mix in remaining ingredients just before serving.  Serve plain or with additional milk or plain yogurt.

Credit: Cook out of the Box 2011 - Week 3

Last updated on March 16, 2012 by Featherstone Farm