Strawberries

You can never grow too many strawberries because what you can’t preserve, cook, eat or give away, will open freeze. However, once thawed, frozen strawberries will be soft and a bit mushy, so best used in jams or wine or fruit flavoured liqueur making. Frozen strawberries, or a combination of strawberries, apples, gooseberries etc. will work in pies and crumbles.
Here are just a few recipes for whenever there is a glut.
 
JUMBLEBERRY JAM
 
1⁄2 lb gooseberries
1⁄2 lb blackcurrants
1⁄2 lb raspberries
1⁄2 lb strawberries
1⁄2 lb raspberries
1⁄2 lb red currants
Or any combination of fruits available.

Cook gooseberries and black currants in 1⁄4 pint water. Bring to boil and gently simmer until tender. Add the
rest of the fruits. Bring to boil and simmer gently for 5 mins approx.
Add same amount of sugar as there was fruit (so 3lb for above recipe).....and the juice of one lemon.
Bring to boil.
Boil rapidly until setting point reached.
Bottle and seal.
All done!

STRAWBERRY GIN
 
700ml bottle of gin
14oz / 400g strawberries, sliced
3.5oz / 100g caster sugar
Mix the gin, strawberries and caster sugar in a large bowl and tip into a 1.5-litre Kilner jar.
Store in the fridge and stir every two days for three weeks. Strain though coffee filters or muslin cloth to serve.
If you find you like it, make 6 bottles!

AMERICAN STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRIS SERVES 4-6

10.5oz / 300g macerated strawberries
2 tbsp sugar
3 handfuls of ice
1⁄4 pint / 150ml grappa or vodka
4-6 strawberries, and small mint leaves to serve
Using a tall blender, blend all ingredients together until smooth.
Serve immediately in martini or wine glasses with a strawberry on the side to decorate.
Double recipe for greed, or to serve 8-12 people.
 
STRAWBERRY JAM

2.2lb /1 kilo hulled strawberries
1.65lb /750g jam sugar
Juice of 2 large lemons

Wipe strawberries clean with damp kitchen roll. Don’t wash them as this creates too much water for the jam
to set properly.
Hull the fruit and cut any large berries in half.
Put the fruit in a bowl and gently toss through the sugar.
Leave uncovered at room temperature for 12 hrs or overnight.
The sugar will dissolve into the fruit and its juices. It also helps the fruit to keep its colour.
Place 2 small plates in a freezer before starting to cook the jam.
Put 2 saucers in the freezer.
Tip the strawberry mixture into a jam making pan, add the lemon juice and bring gently begin to heat on a low light.
Now increase the heat until the jam begins to bubble and bring it to the boil.
Boil hard for 5-10 mins until the jam has reached 105C on a preserving or digital thermometer, then turn off the heat.
If you don’t have a thermometer, take a teasp of the jam onto one of the cold plates removed from the freezer.
Leave for 30 secs, then push across the jam with your finger. If the jam wrinkles and doesn’t flood to fill the
gap, it is ready. If not, turn the heat back on and boil for 2 mins more, then turn off the heat and do the wrinkle test again. Repeat until ready. Do not overcook. Strawberry jam has a reputation of not setting as well as other fruit due to its low pectin content.
At the end of cooking, using a spoon, skim any scum that has risen to the surface and discard it.
Pour into hot sterilized jars, add wax disc, seal and label. Leave to set.
Stores well in a cool dark place.
*Recipe can be doubled in size for experienced jam makers
 
FROZEN STRAWBERRY YOGURT

9oz / 250g frozen strawberries
9oz / 250g 0%-fat Greek yogurt
1 tblsp honey or agave syrup
Blend strawberries, yogurt and honey or agave syrup in a food processor/blender for 20 seconds, until it
blends together to a smooth ice-cream texture.
Scoop into bowls and serve immediately.
Eat.
Repeat. And again!

STRAWBERRY SALAD WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR
 
1⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup halved mini mozzarella balls
1 ripe avocado, pitted and diced
1⁄3 cup pecans, toasted
1⁄3 cup loosely packed basil, torn
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small saucepan, bring the balsamic vinegar to a high simmer over medium heat.
Stir, before reducing the heat to low and simmer until the vinegar has thickened and reduced by half. This will take about 8 to 10 minutes.
Set aside to cool.
When ready to serve, place the strawberries, tomatoes, mozzarella, avocado, pecans and basil in a shallow
bowl.
Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Gently toss.
Drizzle with the reduced balsamic.

STRAWBERRY GATEAU

4 large eggs
225g/8oz caster sugar (plus a little extra for dusting)
225g/8oz self-raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
225g/8oz butter at room temperature, plus a little extra to grease the tins
For decoration and filling:
Fresh strawberries
2 level tblsp caster sugar
Large tub double cream
Grated chocolate

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
Grease 2 x 8” sandwich tins then line them with greaseproof paper.
Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, flour, baking powder and butter. Mix together until well combined
with an electric hand mixer being careful not to over mix.
Divide the mixture evenly between the tins. Use a spatula to remove all of the mixture from the bowl and smooth the
surface of the cakes.
Bake the cakes on the middle shelf for 25 minutes.
Keep an eye on them and after 20 minutes the cakes should be cooked. They should be golden colour and when pressed gently, come away easily from the sides.
Leave to cool in their tins for 5 minutes.
Run a palette knife around the inside edge of the tins and carefully turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack. Allow the
cakes to go completely cold.
Carefully cut each cake into two thinner round slices.
Meanwhile, whip the cream until thick and forming soft peaks. Reserve 1⁄4 of the cream for the top.
Now put 12 equally sized strawberries to one side, also for the top.
Chop the remaining strawberries into small pieces and stir into the remaining cream mixture, folding the sugar in carefully.
Place one cake layer on a plate and spread it with strawberry cream mixture. Top with a second layer, spread with cream
mixture, then a third. Again top it with the last of the strawberry cream mixture, then add the last cake slice.
Spread the reserved whipped double cream over the top and decorate with whole strawberries.
Sprinkle with grated chocolate.
The sponge cakes can be made and frozen for 6 months and finished later.
To serve, allow cakes to thaw completely and follow cream and strawberry instructions above.

If you are reading this and have a favourite strawberry recipe you are willing to share, please use our contact page and we will try to include it.