Picked about 3 quarts of strawberries today. To my disappointment they are mostly not good for eating fresh - small and pretty sour. So I am looking for the way to use them somehow. Pies and jams out of considerations - still have jam from last year untouched! And no time for pie(s) - work day tomorrow. I would dry them up, but can’t figure out how to add sugar to them without causing juice to run out. And without sugar they will not be consumable… Or may be just let it run out, and to dry what left? Share you ideas please!
I cut them in half and put them in a topper ware and sprinkle some sugar on them. In about 5 days and they are ready to eat.
Tony
How about adding some ice cream and make milkshake? If you have way too much then maybe make syrup. In Sweden people make syrup out of fruit all the time and then just add water when they drink it. They add sodium benzoate as preservative, maybe not as much these days because of side effects. But if you keep it in the refregirator it should last for a while without preservatives.
I found this recipe for you.
I take fruit and make smoothies. i like to use 1 cup Greek Yogurt (has to be Greek for me as it is the source of sweetness) 1 cup coconut milk, no not raw like almond milk or use milk, or half and half, or juice. 2 cups fruit, there you go. Simple easy and very good. When I use frozen fruit I add 2 cups of the liquid of your choice.
I like this because it is low cal, good for you and the yogurt sweetens it up about perfect.
Syrup is good too for tart fruit as Susu suggests. I make a raspberry syrup that is to die for over ice cream. I use mostly Prelude raspberries. They process extremely well and are very rich in flavor.
Strawberry shortcake is also very quick if you use pre-made whipped cream and golden sponge, pound, or angel cake. Use a bunch of sugar and a little water and your cut-up strawberries, and let them sit mixed up in the fridge overnight.
Yes, this makes a very good syrup like topping, works very well.
I like to let my strawberries get very red, then wait even longer, bugs can be a pain at this point. But man, vine ripened to perfection strawberries are the best!
Mine wouldn’t get better if left on vine - the kind I have to begin with is not too sweet. And last two years they were neglected and allowed runners to be on their own… This year they not only sour - they small and berry stems are hair like two inches long ( normally at least 8 inches long and thick) - berries just laying around the base of the plant. This bed is going out after it is done with its pathetic berries. Not even sure if I should keep the runners from it - even in best care they large but not very sweet.
I ended up with making strawberry compote. (berries, water, sugar brought to boiling point slowly, left overnight, strained) I strained berries out of it, tasted, they tasted OK so i put them in dehydrator. Will see what happened.
Yeah I would just buy a different cultivar. Try again. I have scraped many I find, Jewel, Mara des Bois everbearing, Gariguette, and White D pineberries keepers. I need to get more Jewel. Trying Rutgers, Archer, and Mesabi (which is growing like a beast, lot’s of runners though to go along with the ton’s of berries), Also trying The Strasberry.
Tart berries have their place, stored for a year In my opinion will be better than frozen sweet ones.
I still have a half a gallon from last year. I decided to keep the tart berries because they are tasting mighty fine in smoothies about now.