Preserving (rec.food.preserving) Devoted to the discussion of recipes, equipment, and techniques of food preservation. Techniques that should be discussed in this forum include canning, freezing, dehydration, pickling, smoking, salting, and distilling.

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1 (permalink)   Report Post  
The Joneses
 
Posts: n/a
Default What is the best way to put up strawberries?

rang742 wrote:

> Just recently found this group. You all are awesome with your knowledge of
> the variety of foods to preserve. Could some of you educate me about
> strawberries?
> Thanks a bunch,
> Angela


Welcome! I've gotten so I like the Lo sugar strawberry jam with No Sugar Needed
Pectin. I use only one cup of sugar to the batch. Adding a bit of real sugar
brightens up the taste & adds *sparkle* to the color. And real sugar always
tastes better, but this is lower than regular recipes. I did make a batch using
my favorite sweetener, Splenda, but the color and taste were disappointing. And
the riper the berries, the softer the set.
Edrena




  #2 (permalink)   Report Post  
Casey Wilson
 
Posts: n/a
Default What is the best way to put up strawberries?


"rang742" > wrote in message
...
> Just recently found this group. You all are awesome with your knowledge

of
> the variety of foods to preserve. Could some of you educate me about
> strawberries?
>

In addition to jams, preserves, jellies and that ilk, I suggest you
freeze some -- providing you have room.
I do it by culling and hulling #1 grade berries. Pat them dry with
paper, terry cloth towels, or clean cotton tee-shirt rags. (you will get
stains on the material.) Set the whole berries out on a cookie sheet, one
layer. If you take the time to stand them up on the stem end, you can get
more on the sheet.
Put the cookie sheet as close to the bottom of the freezer as you can
so the berries freeze as quickly as possible. Next day, bag them in quart
size Zip-Loc or other sturdy, freezer quality bags. I haven't found a need
to vacuum pack, but it couldn't hurt.
During the off season, nothing makes cereal taste better than slices of
a couple of partially thawed strawberries. I use them during the warm season
in ice cream or very cold yougurt. I plop a few into the smoothy blender (my
wife loves a banangoberry smoothy). Layer them over pancakes or waffles. And
even eat them raw. Anyway you like to eat a strawberry will work --
inlcuding shortcake and whip cream.
One note here -- when the frozen berries are completely defrosted, they
are squishy. It is always best to work with them when they are just thawed
enough to slice.

[This works just as well with green or red seedless grapes also. Pluck 'em
off the stems first and cull any damaged fruit.]

My favorite strawberry jam recipe is to chop, smash, but not puree the
strawberries. In a deep kettle, bring 4 cups of berry pulp and 4 cups of
sugar to a hard roiling boil while stirring to keep the bottom from
scorching.
Boil for 12 to 15 minutes or until the fluid reaches 215 to 220 degrees
(F) depending on your altitude (215 degrees is for 2,500 ft MSL and 220 is
for MSL, interepolate or extrapolate as needed for your altitude).
Pour into hot sterilized jars leaving 1/8th inch headspace, screw the
caps down as tight as you can get them by hand, set the jars on a towel on a
counter out of any drafts and don't touch until the lids pop.
Notes: NO pectin, NO hot water bath, NO pressure canning, NO fuss, NO
kidding.


  #3 (permalink)   Report Post  
Casey Wilson
 
Posts: n/a
Default What is the best way to put up strawberries?


"rang742" > wrote in message
...
> Just recently found this group. You all are awesome with your knowledge

of
> the variety of foods to preserve. Could some of you educate me about
> strawberries?
>

In addition to jams, preserves, jellies and that ilk, I suggest you
freeze some -- providing you have room.
I do it by culling and hulling #1 grade berries. Pat them dry with
paper, terry cloth towels, or clean cotton tee-shirt rags. (you will get
stains on the material.) Set the whole berries out on a cookie sheet, one
layer. If you take the time to stand them up on the stem end, you can get
more on the sheet.
Put the cookie sheet as close to the bottom of the freezer as you can
so the berries freeze as quickly as possible. Next day, bag them in quart
size Zip-Loc or other sturdy, freezer quality bags. I haven't found a need
to vacuum pack, but it couldn't hurt.
During the off season, nothing makes cereal taste better than slices of
a couple of partially thawed strawberries. I use them during the warm season
in ice cream or very cold yougurt. I plop a few into the smoothy blender (my
wife loves a banangoberry smoothy). Layer them over pancakes or waffles. And
even eat them raw. Anyway you like to eat a strawberry will work --
inlcuding shortcake and whip cream.
One note here -- when the frozen berries are completely defrosted, they
are squishy. It is always best to work with them when they are just thawed
enough to slice.

[This works just as well with green or red seedless grapes also. Pluck 'em
off the stems first and cull any damaged fruit.]

My favorite strawberry jam recipe is to chop, smash, but not puree the
strawberries. In a deep kettle, bring 4 cups of berry pulp and 4 cups of
sugar to a hard roiling boil while stirring to keep the bottom from
scorching.
Boil for 12 to 15 minutes or until the fluid reaches 215 to 220 degrees
(F) depending on your altitude (215 degrees is for 2,500 ft MSL and 220 is
for MSL, interepolate or extrapolate as needed for your altitude).
Pour into hot sterilized jars leaving 1/8th inch headspace, screw the
caps down as tight as you can get them by hand, set the jars on a towel on a
counter out of any drafts and don't touch until the lids pop.
Notes: NO pectin, NO hot water bath, NO pressure canning, NO fuss, NO
kidding.


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Strawberries Dave Smith[_1_] General Cooking 14 13-06-2010 12:57 AM
Strawberries and ? aem General Cooking 87 28-04-2010 04:08 PM
Strawberries+Gin=Yum mixr General 0 27-08-2009 03:12 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 03:44 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 FoodBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about Food and drink"