Strawberry Farmers in Florida are taking a loss on their Crops. We so kindly befitted by getting to pick strawberries the day before they turned their crops under for a loss. We made the most of it. I herded 3 of my kid's in the car and we picked 2 laundry baskets of strawberries.
Today I spent the entire day preserving them. From Strawberry jam,frozen glazed berries, whole frozen berries, to strawberry pulp. It's my Strawberry Spring delight!
Different Ways to Freeze Strawberries
Making Freezer Jam
Some recipes for freezer jam require cooking others do not. Here's a look at what is typically involved in preparing no-cook freezer jam:
1. Wash, hull and stem the fruit.
2. Place the fruit in a large mixing bowl, and crush with a potato masher.
3. Combine the sugar and pectin in another bowl, and stir until well blended.
4. Add the sugar-pectin mixture to the fruit, and stir for three minutes.
5. Pour the resulting mixture into jars, leaving a half-inch of headspace at the top of each jar.
6. Screw on the lids, and clean up any drips.
7. Let stand for 30 minutes, or until thickened.
8. Freeze or refrigerate immediately.
There are several ways to freeze strawberries: with sugar or syrup and unsweetened or dry.
The sugar is not necessary for a quality freezing of the strawberries, however, most people think, they taste better being frozen with sugar or syrup.
I personally prefer to freeze them without sugar.
Freeze Whole Strawberries Without Sugar
The best suited strawberries to be frozen are berries that are dark red, firm and fully ripe.
Remove stem and caps. Sort, wash and drain the fruit carefully. Do not soak in water, or the strawberry will lose flavor and nutritients. Do not add sugar.
Freeze strawberries individually in a single layer on cookie sheets. After completely frozen (about 24h) place into freezer containers or flexible freezer bags.
Freeze Strawberries With Syrup Pack
Clean strawberries same as above. Use either whole strawberries or slice or crush them. Place in freezer containers, allowing 1/2- inch headspace and cover with syrup. Seal tightly. Preferably for strawberries is Pectin Syrup, but you can also use Basic Syrup .
Pectin Syrup Recipe
Dissolve 1 box powdered pectin in 1 cup of water. Heat til boiling and boil for one minute. Remove from heat and add two more cups of water. Cool down. If desired you can add more water to make the pectin syrup thinner.
Basic Syrup Recipe
Dissolve 1 cup of sugar in 1 cup of water. For easier dissolving you can use hot water, but be sure to let cool down the syrup before using. Use about 1/2 cup of sugar for each pint of strawberries.
Freeze Strawberries With Dry Sugar Pack
This freezing method is especially easy:
Halve or slice strawberries into a bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar over each quart of strawberries. Stir gently until the sugar is dissolved. Be careful not to damage the strawberries. Pack into freezer container, seal tightly and freeze.
Freeze Strawberries With Unsweetened Pack
Pack whole, sliced or crushed strawberries in freezer containers and cover with water or strawberry juice. Seal tightly and freeze.
Add ascorbic acid for better color conservation.
Strawberry Pulp
- 3 cups strawberries
- lemon juice
- sugar
Directions:
Mash strawberries with a little bit of sugar (according to your taste) and a few drops of lemon juice. Squeeze through a fine colander. This way the stones will be kept away, which keeps the pulp fresher.
The strawberry pulp can be used as dessert sauce i.e. for ice cream or for cocktails (see recipe below).
Strawberry pulp can be easily frozen, and will thus prolong the strawberry season in your household.
Fancy Strawberry Drink
For a fruity aperitif pour 2 inches of strawberry pulp into a champagne glass and fill up with prosecco (sparkling grape juice). It's perfect to start a summer party.
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