It's Strawberry Time....

Growing Strawberries

Strawberries are an easy to grow fruit crop that will reward the home gardener with ample harvests for many years. With favorable conditions, each strawberry plant should produce one quart of strawberries. There are basically 3 types of strawberry plants to choose from: June bearing, Everbearing and Day Neutral. June Bearing strawberries produce a single, large crop per year during a 2 - 3 week period in the spring. June bearers are the traditionally grown plants, producing a single flush of flowers and many runners. They are classified into early, mid-season and late varieties. The largest fruits are generally from June bearing varieties. Everbearing strawberries produce two to three harvests of fruit intermittently during the spring, summer and fall. Everbearing plants do not send out many runners. Day Neutral strawberries will produce fruit throughout the growing season. These strawberries also produce few runners. Everbearing and day neutral strawberries are great when space is limited, but the fruits are usually somewhat smaller than June bearers.

My Gardner Guy's Strawberries....

Red, ripe, and luscious, this popular fruit has lots of vitamin C and health-boosting antioxidants.
Which ever way you choose to add them to your diet, grow them or buy them, strawberries are a must for this time of the year!!!

How to Choose Strawberries: Go for plump, firm, fragrant berries that are shiny and bright red. Avoid any that are bruised or withered or have a dry or brownish cap. The smaller varieties are generally more flavorful. Inspect plastic containers and cartons for stickiness or stains, signs that the fruit inside is damaged or past its prime.                                   

How to Prepare Strawberries: Wash the berries and trim the caps just before using.

How to Freeze Strawberries
Strawberries are sensitive to both heat and cold and are very delicate, so it is wise to ‘put them up’ as quickly as possible.

Here are suggestions for a few different methods for freezing strawberries. I use all of them, as they each have their benefits.

Whole Strawberries

Bags of whole, frozen strawberries are handy to have around for adding to smoothies or baking. This method of freezing on a tray or sheet ensures the berries freeze individually, rather than in an inconvenient brick.
They can be frozen without adding sugar, at a higher risk of getting freezer burn, so it is best to use them up within six months if they are indeed sugar free. Otherwise, a light dusting of sugar before freezing will both help preserve their color and prevent freezer burn.

How to Freeze Whole Strawberries

1. Wash and gently dry the strawberries. Don’t soak them long in water as this will result in a loss of flavor and nutrients!
2. Hull the berries and remove any ones that are spoiled. (Save those ones for your coulis, below)
3. Place the strawberries on a baking sheet, not touching one another, and freeze until solid.
4. Transfer the strawberries to plastic resealable bags or airtight containers and store in the freezer for up to six months.

Strawberries in Simple Syrup

This tried and true ‘old school’ method calls for freezing the berries whole in a mildly sweet sugar-water. You can use jars or plastic containers to freeze them in.
Packed in liquid, the berries retain their color and shape when reconstituted, making them a standalone dessert. They can also be spooned over yogurt or ice cream, or heaped onto scones and topped with cream for a classic strawberry shortcake that is not lacking in flavor.
Tip 1: Make the simple syrup before you go berry picking or acquire your fruit. It keeps for several weeks in the fridge, and will be waiting, already chilled, for the moment your fresh strawberries arrive.
Tip 2: Add a subtle, natural flavoring to the simple syrup such as orange zest, green cardamom pods, or vanilla bean. Your jar of berries is now a seasonal dessert; thaw, open and eat with a spoon come January for a reminder of warmer days.

How to Freeze Strawberries in Simple Syrup

Make a simple syrup by combining 4 cups water to each 1 cup sugar. Dissolve the sugar in either cold or hot water; if hot water is used, be sure to chill the syrup before using.
Place whole or sliced berries in containers and cover with cold syrup; use about 1/2 to 1/3 cup of syrup for each pint container. Package and freeze.
To Thaw: Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter. Never immerse frozen jars into hot water.

Strawberry Coulis

Strawberry coulis, or sauce, adds vibrant color and fresh flavor to many desserts, and is well-worth the effort and freezer space. Spoon it over pancakes or crepes, serve it over chocolate cake, or drizzle it over ice cream. No matter how you enjoy it, strawberry coulis offers a large reward for a minimal time investment.
While some recipes suggest cooking the berries or even adding cornstarch, all that is really needed for a tantalizing sauce is a few drops of citrus juice (to bring out the flavor of the berries) and perhaps a sprinkling of sugar if the berries are tart. This is then blended to a smooth consistency and that’s it!
Be sure to set aside some strawberry sauce for a refreshing strawberry-limeade concentrate below!

Recipe: Strawberry Coulis

• 1 pound strawberries, washed and hulled, about two pints
• 1 Tablespoon sugar, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon or lime juice

1. Combine strawberries, lemon juice and sugar in a blender or food processor.
2. Pulse until berries are somewhat chopped then blend until smooth and the sauce looks glossy. Taste and adjust sugar if needed.
3. If desired, pass puree through a fine sieve to remove seeds. (I usually skip this step.)
4. Pour into two 1/2 pint jars, leaving 1/2 an inch of headspace at the top of the jar, and freeze.

Makes 2 cups.
Note: Sauce will also keep up to a week in the refrigerator.

Strawberry-Limeade Concentrate

Turn all your bruised and less-attractive berries into this snazzy summer cooler. By having this concentrate on hand, you can whip up fresh and beautiful drinks at a moment’s notice.

Recipe: Strawberry-Limeade Concentrate

• 3/4 cup strawberry coulis (recipe above)
• 3/4 cup sugar or whole cane sugar
• 1 cup lime juice (approximately 8 limes)

Mix ingredients together and freeze in ice cube trays.
To serve: In a drinking glass, stir together 1 cup cold water and two frozen cubes of concentrate and stir to combine. Enjoy.
                             

Save some of those strawberries and mix you up a fantastic tasty berry shake!!!

 

Mixed-Berry Shake

Ingredients

• 1 quart vanilla ice cream
• 6 ounces unsweetened frozen berries (such as strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries)
• 2 cups whole milk

Directions

1. In a blender, combine half of the ice cream, berries, and milk. Purée until smooth, stopping occasionally to stir with a spoon. Pour into glasses. Repeat with the remaining ingredients Mixed-Berry Shake

Roasted Red Pepper Spread

Roasted Red Pepper Spread

• 6 lb red bell peppers (about 14 medium)
• 1 lb Italian plum tomatoes (about 5 medium)
• 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1 small white onion
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
Yield: About 5 half-pints
Procedure:
1. ROAST red peppers, tomatoes, garlic and onion under a broiler or on a grill at 425°F, turning to roast all sides, until tomatoes and peppers are blistered, blackened and softened and garlic and onion are blackened in spots. Remove from heat.
2. PLACE pepper and tomatoes in paper bags, secure opening and let cool about 15 minutes. Allow garlic and onion to cool. Peel garlic and onion. Finely chop garlic. Set aside. Finely chop onion, measuring 1/4 cup. Set aside. Peel and seed peppers and tomatoes. Place peppers and tomatoes in a food processor or blender, working in batches, and process until smooth.
3. PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
4. COMBINE pepper and tomato puree, garlic, onion, vinegar, basil, sugar and salt in a large saucepan.Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens and mounds on a spoon, about 20 minutes.
5. LADLE hot spread into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
6. PROCESS in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

Tomatillo's I use them for Salsa Verde, Enchilada sauce...but today Green Salsa!!!

Tomatillo Salsa

Makes 6 half-pint jars

3 pounds tomatillos, chopped (weight after husking and washing)
1-1/2 cup chopped onion
5 serrano chiles, minced (not seeded or deveined, unless you want a milder salsa)
1 medium fresno or red jalapeño, minced (not seeded or deveined)
I use a mixture of peppers I have in the garden....
6 cloves garlic, minced
1T ground cumin
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice

Prepare a boiling-water canner: Fill it half full of water and heat to a simmer. Keep canning jars and lids warm in simmering water.

Combine all salsa ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Pass the simmered salsa through a food mill fitted with the largest disc. Return the milled salsa to pan and bring back to a simmer. Adjust salt and seasoning as needed.

Ladle hot salsa into clean, hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace; remove air bubbles and wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar; apply bands.

Place the filled jars in the canner, and bring to a rolling boil. Process at a full boil, uncovered, for 15 minutes. At the end of processing time, turn off heat and raise the canning rack to the upper level and let jars sit above the water for ~5 minutes to gradually stop boiling. Remove jars to a cooling rack, and leave undisturbed until thoroughly cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

I love Salsa Verde....I use it in my meat for taco's....I love the taste and now stay away from all the other taco seasonings. The following is a stronger tasting salsa verde recipe I use just for cooking.

Green Chile Salsa Verde

18 poblano and Hatch chiles (I use a mixture of what I grow in the garden for
Salsa) about 4 cups
10 cups/4 lbs coarsely chopped, husked tomatillos with juice
2 cups coursely chopped onions
1 1/2 cups fresh lime juice (12 limes)
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup water
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt


Directions

1. Place the chiles on a hot grill and roast, turning throughout, to blister the skins, about 15 minutes.
2. Discard the membranes and seeds from the chiles. Chop the chiles coursely and combine with the tomatillos in a heavy nonreactive saucepan.
3. Bring the mixture to a simmer and add the onions, lime juice, cilantro, water, and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, allow to cook down, reducing the extra liquid and become thicker....
4. Add salt. Stir well.
5. Ladle into hot, clean jars. Cap and seal.
6. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 30 minutes.

Georgie

July 4th Hamburgers for My Gardner Guy....

Strawberry Rhubarb pie makes a great July 4th treat, especially with vanilla ice cream!!! This is a picture from Family Fun....I thought it would be a perfect way to make my Rhubarb pie this year....sorry my camera is broke...but you get the idea right!!! I made three of these two for us and one for Aunt Trudy...They were beautiful and patriotic.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Link
My Gardner Guy...Grow, Create, Cook and Eat...: Rhubarb (the Pie Plant): "My Gardner Guy has left Rhubarb on my kitchen table...

As I stated in my last post I have been wrapped up in plans to remodel my kitchen. I also have been enjoying the company of my daughters and grand critters. Though it has been hectic with all that is going on we took the time to enjoy our July 4th with family and some tasty hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, strawberry rhubarb pie, root beer floats.....parades, fireworks and water fun!!!

I finally got a chance to test out the rhubarb barbecue sauce in My Gardner Guys hamburgers. Forgive me for not posting pictures of our great food...a week of fun, and oops... my camera is not working after a water mishap. But this is what I did.... I added about a cup of my rhubarb sauce, 1/8 cup of Worcestershire sauce, one medium/large onion, salt and pepper to 3- 4 lbs of meat. He likes it....I like it when he likes it...

Tip: Instead of Mayonnaise and Mustard as a garnish or spread try using cream cheese and mix in some sliced jalapeno peppers...

Barbecue Sauce Link
My Gardner Guy...Grow, Create, Cook and Eat...: A treat for My Gardener Guy!!! Sweet Marmalade and Barbecue Sauce ...:

A treat for My Gardener Guy!!! Sweet Orange Rhubarb Marmalade and Barbecue Sauce...

I have a list of recipes and ideas that I want to dig into. The trouble is I am almost through the big container of Rhubarb...So far I have added Barbecue Sauce, and Orange Rhubarb Marmalade to the additional 21 half pints of Rhubarb sauce being stored on my kitchen table. ( Silly me I like to look at them and pat myself on the back; way to go girl!!!) I am please with the turn out of both items. I attempted a rhubarb salad dressing that I would not feed to anyone! I was so excited to find a salad dressing to use on my freshly picked salad greens and spinach. So I was really disappointed about the recipe results...Please note I will never post a recipe unless I have tried it, liked, loved, and can not live without it!!!

I am very pleased with this Barbecue sauce. It seems weird that rhubarb is the base but many sauces have prunes, dates, raisins and fruits in them. Beings rhubarb is often used as a fruit in recipes it pairs really well as a barbecue sauce. I like this sauce so much that from now on I will not need to buy any from the store. This is a keeper...great way to use up my rhubarb. I am kind of excited to use it in My Gardner's Guy's Cincinnati Chili.
Georgie

Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce
1 cup water
1 onion chopped
1 mashed clove of garlic
1 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
1 tsp. oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
2 tbsp. corn syrup
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
3 tbsp. Worcestershire
2 tsp. hot sauce or
I have used jalapeno or Habanero jelly
2 tbsp. vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
Bring the rhubarb and water to boiling. Lower the heat and let simmer until rhubarb is tender.
Let cool and process rhubarb mixture until smooth.
In the original saucepan, saute the onion and garlic in the oil. Add in the rest of the ingredients, and finally the rhubarb puree. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to let simmer uncovered until you have the desired thickness you like.
This is a small batch, doubling or tripling the batch allows you to can a few bottles for later use. Process finished product in a water bath...pints 20 minutes, quarts 25. This sauce will be wonderful for basting your grilled meats from the barbecue.

Rhubarb Orange Marmalade

6 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
6 cups sugar
2 medium oranges

Directions
Combine rhubarb and sugar in a large heavy saucepan. Grind oranges, including the peels, in a food processor; add to rhubarb mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring often until marmalade sheets from a spoon, about 1 hour or more this takes time to thicken.
Pour into hot jars, leaving 1/4-in. head space. Adjust caps. Process in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes.

I like this gourmet marmalade on a bagel with cream cheese or even toast. I think next Sunday I will serve it with some bagels.
My Gardner Guy is going to love this sweet treat!!!

My Gardner Guy's Rhubarb Sauce

My Gardener Guy's Rhubarb Sauce, I made 21 half pints today...
This sauce warmed up is a delicious topping for vanilla ice cream and My Gardener Guy loves it paired with a bowl of cold applesauce.

I spent most of the morning making plans on what rhubarb things I wanted to make. First I had to go through the freezer to see what I had left from last season's crop. Even though I make rhubarb sauce and a dozen or more rhubarb pies I still in up with quite a few stalks of rhubarb to share with others and freeze for later use in case I find another recipe to try. I prefer today to use up last seasons supply first. It will be perfect for my rhubarb sauce. Before this season is over I will get another bumper crop of rhubarb to use.

Some tips on Storing Rhubarb
Fresh stalks or chopped pieces can be stored whole in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks in sealed plastic bags. When you're ready to use refrigerated stalks, stand them in a container of cold water first to refresh them. Trim off the ends before chopping. Some cooks remove the stringy fibers, while others may choose to let the cooking do the softening. Rhubarb freezes well. Remove the leaves and wash the stalks. Cut the stalks into 1-inch pieces, put them in a heavy-duty plastic bag and store it in your freezer for up to 9 months. Blanching, followed by a brief ice-water bath, may preserve the color of the stalks. I have skipped this last step of blanching the color is still good.
Georgie

Rhubarb Sauce
2 1/2 quarts of chopped rhubarb
1 1/2 cups chopped raisins
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp salt

Combine rhubarb, raisins, onions, sugar and vinegar in a large sauce pot. Cook until thick, about 25-30 minutes. As the mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Add spices: cook 5 more minutes. Pour hot into canning jars leaving 1/4 inch head space. Adjust lids and process 15 minutes in boiling water bath. Yeilds 4 pints...