Recipes, canning, preservation

We are always on the lookout for new ways to enjoy the delicious strawberries and produce we grow on our farm.  Below are some of our tried and true favorite recipes and methods for preserving our produce.  We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

 
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Strawberry Pie

4 cups fresh strawberries
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
8 or 9 inch bakes pie shell

Mash 1 cup of fresh strawberries and cook over high heat with 1 cup water for about 2 minutes. Combine sugar and cornstarch; stir into the mashed berry mixture. Cook and store until thickened and bubbly. Add a few drops of red food coloring for a deeper red pie. Place 1 1/2 cups of fresh, washed and stemmed strawberries into the baked pie and cooled pie shell. Pour half the sauce over the berries. Repeat the layers with the remaining strawberries and sauce. Chill for at least 1 hour. Serve with ice cream or whipped topping.

 
 

Strawberry Jam

We love making strawberry jam–there is always an open jar in our refrigerator, and even though I always think I make more than enough to last all winter, the family’s appetite for jam always surpasses my stockpile.

This recipe makes about 8 (8 oz) half pints.

5 cups crushed strawberries (about 5 lbs)
¼ cup lemon juice
6 T Pectin
7 cups granulated sugar
8 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

First sterilize your canning equipment and jars. Make sure to have hands clean as your pour your jam into the jars! Then combine your strawberries and lemon juice in a 6- or 8-quart saucepan. Gradually stir in the pectin. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add your sugar and stir to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Make sure you don’t skimp on that last 1 minute rolling boil or your jam won’t set up and you’ll have strawberry syrup at the end of the day (which is pretty fantastic over ice-cream..) At this point, ladle the hot jam into your hot, sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight. Meanwhile, bring an inch of water to boil in a large pot. Place your jam jars into the pot and allow them to steam in your homemade boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool. Check your lids after 24 hours to make sure they sealed.

 

Strawberry Cupcakes

1 box devil food cake mix (like Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe)
1 8oz cantainer cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups fresh strawberries, pureed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners sugar

Make the cupcakes according to package instructions. Lightly grease the muffin tin and fill the batter almost to the rim of each muffin cup. Bake according to package directions and let cool. In a mixer combine the cream cheese, butter, strawberries, sugar and vanilla extract. Process the mixture until smooth. Transfer the strawberry icing to a pastry bag fitted with a small tip. Push the tip gently into the top of the cupcake and squeeze the strawberry icing until the cupcake plumps. Frost the top of the cupcake with icing. Continue with the remaining cupcakes. Garnish each cupcake with a fresh sliced strawberry.

 
 
 

Healthy Strawberry Smoothie

3 cups frozen strawberries
1 chilled or frozen banana (peeled)
2 cups milk
1/2 cup yogurt of your choice
1/2 cup orange juice
2 to 3 tablespoons honey (if desired)

Put frozen berries and banana in blender. Pour remaining ingredients into blender. Blend until smooth. Enjoy immediately! This recipe makes a full blender’s worth, or about 4 servings.

 
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Freezing Strawberries

If you aren’t planning to eat your fresh berries a few days after you get them, freeze them so you can enjoy their peak flavor later. Wait to wash them until you thaw them–they will have better flavor that way. De-stem your berries, line a cookie tray with parchment paper, and spread the berries out in a single layer. Pop the tray in the freezer to allow the berries to freeze. After the berries have frozen, usually about 25 minutes, take the tray out of the freezer and pour the berries into a freezer bag. Put the bag bag in the freezer until you are ready to use the berries. They will keep for 6-9 months this way. When you are ready to use them, put them in a colander and rinse them off in cold water before using. The water will start the thawing process and bring out the natural sugars in the strawberries.