Care of Berries

• Berries need to be handled with care.
• Keep in cool place
• Do not wash until ready to use.
• Cap berries after washing.
• Sort and use the ripest berries first
  

Strawberry Strength

Anthocyanina - puts the red in strawberries (literally).  This along with other nutrients inhibit and prevent certain cancers.  Antioxidants - Protect against compounds that cause the body disease.  Strawberries raise antioxidant levels significantly after consumption.  Ellagic Acid - Naturally found in berries, acts as a tireless predator that binds cancer-causing chemicals, making them inactive.  Ellagic Acid levels in strawberries are five to six times higher than most other fruits and vegetables.  Folic Acid - Water soluable B vitamin that can help prevent devastating birth defects, such as Spina Bifida, and Anencephaly.  Forty-two percent of the recommended daily intake can be found in one cup of fresh strawberries.

Thanks to the Florida Strawberry Growers Association for the above information.

Freezing Strawberries

Wash berries and drain. Remove stems and slice berries as you stem them. Berries can be frozen without sugar for use in pies or in other cooked desserts.

To sweeten: use ½ cup sugar to 4 cups sliced berries. Stir and freeze immediately.

Freezing Whole Berries

• Wash small to medium berries and drain well on paper towels
• Don’t remove stems
• Place in freezer on cookie sheet – one layer at a time
• After frozen, place berries in freezer bags
• Use, uncapped, for ice rings and garnishing
• Remove caps and use in fruit salads and fruit cups

2 cups crushed berries (at room temperature)
4 cups sugar
¾ cup water
1 box powdered fruit pectin

In a large bowl, add sugar to the fruit and stir well. Let stand for ten minutes. In a saucepan, boil ¾ cup water and the fruit pectin for one minute, stirring constantly. Add the hot pectin and water to the fruit and continue stirring for 3 minutes. Put into containers. Let stand for 24 hours and store in freezer. Fills five or six ½ pint jars.

Walnut Springs Strawberry-Rhubarb Cottage Pudding

(A family favorite for over 100 years)

Combine 3 cups diced rhubarb, 1 cup sliced strawberries, 1 cup sugar, 3 tbsp. quick cooking tapioca, and a little lemon juice. Turn into a 1-1/2 quart greased casserole. Dot with 2 tbsp. butter. Top with Cottage Pudding batter and bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Serve warm with milk.

Cottage Pudding Batter

¼ cup butter or margarine 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
½ cup sugar ½ tsp. salt
1 egg ½ cup milk
1-1/2 cups flour

Cream the butter or margarine with sugar. Beat in the egg, add baking powder and salt to flour. Add flour mixture alternately with milk, ending with flour mixture. Pour over fruit. Serves 6. Recipe can be doubled and put in larger dish.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

4 cups diced rhubarb
1 cup strawberries
¼ cup all purpose flour
3 tbsp. quick cooking tapioca
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 or 2 tbsp. butter

Combine ingredients and put into a 9-inch unbaked pie shell. Dot with butter. Cover with top crust. Bake in 425 degree oven for 10 minutes, then at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Ruth Ann’s Shortcake

3 cups flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp. Plus 2-1/4 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
¾ cup shortening
1 egg
¾ cup milk

Combine first 4 ingredients. Cut in shortening with pastry blender. Combine egg and milk. Add to flour mixture, stirring until moistened. Knead 8 to 10 times. Pat into a 9" round pan, greased. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-20 min. Remove from oven and pour a little melted butter over cake.

Sparkling Strawberry Punch

4 cups strawberries
1 3 oz. package strawberry flavored gelatin
1 6 oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 32 oz. bottle cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
1 liter bottle ginger ale, chilled

Wash and remove stems from strawberries. Place berries in blender, cover and blend until berries are pureed. Strain and discard seeds. Dissolve gelatin in 1 cup boiling water. Stir in lemonade. Transfer to large punch bowl. Add cranberry juice, strawberry puree and 1 cup cold water. Slowly pour in ginger ale. If desired serve with ice ring with whole berries and lemon slices frozen in it. Makes 26 4 oz. servings.

Berry Cobbler

5 cups fresh raspberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine or butter, melted
Sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Toss together the berries and 1/2 cup sugar; set aside. In another bowl combine remaining 1 cup sugar, the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add the milk, stirring just till batter is smooth.
Melt margarine; pour into a 2-quart baking dish.  Spoon the berries over melted margarine; pour batter on top.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or till top is golden brown and a tooth pick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Serve with the whipped cream.  Makes 8 servings.

Strawberry Glaze Pie                             by: Barbara Shallcross

1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons  cornstarch
1 cup water
1/4 cup strawberry flavored gelatin
about 3 cups fresh strawberries
1 baked 9" pie shell
1/3 cup cream cheese 

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan; stir in water, cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and clear.  Remove from heat; stir in gelatin, cool.  Soften about 1/3 cup of cream cheese and spread a thin layer on crust, place strawberries in cooled pastry shell.   Cut the larger berries in half, put half of berries in shell, then half of glaze, rest of berries and then the rest of the glaze. Refrigerate, top with whipped cream just before serving if desired.

Rhubarb Coffee Cake                            by: Mary Ellen Beck

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb

Topping:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2  cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In mixing bowl, cream brown sugar and shortening.  Add egg.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add alternately with sour cream to the brown sugar/shortening mixture.  Fold in rhubarb.  Spread in a greased 13 in X 9 in. X 2 in. baking pan.  Combine all topping ingredients: sprinkle over batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.
Yields about 12 servings.