Strawberries Gone Wild - help needed.

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Kathleen

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Joined
Dec 6, 2009
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Mid-Atlantic, USA
I decided weeks ago to make strawberry jam and strawberry wine. Strawberries are in the primary fermentor. The jam is in jars. I'm pretty excited about getting in touch with my inner-hippie. Now I just need to know what to do with the sixteen pounds of strawberries that I have left over. I do not have much freezer space and have to work all week. I'm afraid they will expire before I have time to really fuss with them. Not being the Bubba Gump of Strawberries, I need help. Does anyone have any ideas what I could do with all of these strawberries? (They ARE delicious!) Did I mention that I have sixteen pounds left? Please help!

~Kathleen

P.S. Note to self: I do not need more than 10 pounds of strawberries for the wine or more than 3 quarts for the jam.
 
Do you have a good friend with a freezer? Do you have a dehydrator? If nothing else, could you give them to neighbors or to a church or other organization?

:)Barbara
 
Can you make more jars of jam and give them away for Christmas presents?...Christmas will be here before we know it. We're already halfway there! And you could call your local volunteer fire department and tell them you're bringing them fresh strawberries...they'll LOVE you (wait, can you send me some so i can take them to MY fire dept? ;))
 
And you could call your local volunteer fire department and tell them you're bringing them fresh strawberries...they'll LOVE you (wait, can you send me some so i can take them to MY fire dept? ;))

I love this idea!:flowers:
 
I can recomend making srawberries compote/cpld soup ( not sure for the proper English term). Boil water add some strawberies, as much as you like, I ususally make a 24 quart pot and use about 3-4 pounds of strawberries, sugar, depending on your liking, I recomend tasting it. I like it very sweet most people do not like it as sweet so add about as much sugar as you would per cup od tea. Let it come to a boli and boil for no more than 5 minutes. For that much water a add about 2 table spoons of lemon juice, you could also use citric acid aka sour salt. Mix well. Done. At this point the drink could be canned or refrigerated. Drink instead of ice tea or soda, serve with desert. I understand that it is still very little, nut better than nothing. During summer when berries, you could use any berries, are cheap I drink this almost instead of water.
 
Well, to freeze them I would have to get my (boston) butt out of the freezer... hmm.. not a bad idea.
 
Wow! All good ideas!

I love the fire department gift idea and also the cordial water idea to drink like tea. I ended up making a huge strawberry short cake and freezing the rest. That being said, weekend is coming as is Christmas! Canning, strawberry water, pies. I might need more strawberries! :LOL:

Thank you all for the awesome ideas!

~Kathleen
 
Go buy em now! :)

Fruit leather
Strawberry Popsicles
Strawberry ice-cream
Strawberry syrup (pancakes etc)
Crumbles
Turnovers
Brandied strawberries
Smoooothies
So many choices...
 
Go buy em now! :)

Fruit leather
Strawberry Popsicles
Strawberry ice-cream
Strawberry syrup (pancakes etc)
Crumbles
Turnovers
Brandied strawberries
Smoooothies
So many choices...

Wait! Wait!

Brandied strawberries? You would not happen to have more information about that would you? Like are they good for canning? A recipe, perhaps?

~Kathleen
 
Wait! Wait!

Brandied strawberries? You would not happen to have more information about that would you? Like are they good for canning? A recipe, perhaps?

~Kathleen


I would have to dig... but typically you would warm 1 C brandy and 2 C sugar till sugar is dissolved. Then add berries - about 1 quart. Place in a jar (in fridge) and invert every few days. They are ready to eat in a 3 weeks. Fabulous on ice cream or pound cake. My mom used to do this but didn't refrigerate - I'm still alive so I guess it was OK....:rolleyes:
 
When I make it with plums, I put the fruit in a quart jar, add a cup of sugar, and then fill it to the top with vodka. Turn upside down and back every day until the sugar dissolves, then let it sit. I've never refrigerated it.
The interesting thing about drying them is that one could turn them into a powder (if dried completely) and use that way, sprinkle on top of ice cream, use in vinaigrette, etc...
 
When I make it with plums, I put the fruit in a quart jar, add a cup of sugar, and then fill it to the top with vodka. Turn upside down and back every day until the sugar dissolves, then let it sit. I've never refrigerated it.
The interesting thing about drying them is that one could turn them into a powder (if dried completely) and use that way, sprinkle on top of ice cream, use in vinaigrette, etc...

Cool on the beverage idea. And the powdered idea is nifty. Have you made the powder?

JanetH, it sounds like a worthy endeavor.
 
not with strawberries, but with dried tomatoes. I imagine it could be similar.
 
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