Strawberry Recipes for non-Canners

Strawberry season is here and many of our members took advantage of our U-Pick event on Tuesday. But for those of us who aren’t making jam, what do we do after we’ve had our fill of fresh berries? We have two suggestions that just happen to work together to reduce wasting a single drop of your harvest.

#1. Freeze your berries: wash, remove (and set aside) the tops, then slice or quarter the berries. Spread them onto baking sheets and freeze overnight. In the morning, you can transfer the frozen berries into containers or bags and return them to the freezer. The baking-sheet step helps prevent the berries from sticking together in one big clump.

The frozen berries are perfect for smoothies or baking, or can be defrosted and added to yogurt or other desserts.

#2. Make a simple syrup: take those strawberry tops - green leaves and all - and combine them with equal parts water and granulated sugar. (for example, 2 cups water, 2 cups sugar, 2 cups berry tops). Bring to a simmer in a pot on the stove and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool, then strain out the solids with a sieve. If you’d like a thicker syrup, you can return the liquid to the pot and simmer another 20 minutes. Once cool, pour the syrup into a jar or bottle. Kept in the fridge, it should last 3-4 weeks.

This syrup is great on yogurt, ice cream, or pancakes. It’s also delicious in lemonade, iced or hot tea, and cocktails or mocktails. A favorite is sparkling water, strawberry syrup, and a sprig of mint or basil.