What To Make With Fresh Picked Strawberries

What can I do with strawberries I just picked?

How can I make my strawberries last longer? – While it’s common practice to keep berries in their original containers and not wash until eating, there is a trick that keeps them fresher for longer. After purchasing strawberries, wash the fruit in a water and vinegar bath.

What is the best way to preserve fresh picked strawberries?

Strawberry Care – Picking, Storing, Freezing & Preparing The best strawberries are the ones you pick yourself or buy from your local strawberry farm. These berries will be the freshest you can get, with little or no handling and travel. Nothing beats the flavor and fragrance of fresh-picked strawberries! Picking Pick by pinching the stem of the berry between your thumb and forefinger.

This will prevent damage to both the fruit and the strawberry plant. Leaving the caps on helps your strawberries last longer. When selecting berries look for the ones that are plump, firm, and well colored. These are the best for all your needs–freezing, preserving, or eating just the way they are. Storing Strawberries are best when prepared and eaten in the same day, but if you must keep them longer, store them in your refrigerator.

Arrange the berries in a shallow container, separating out any damaged berries. Cover them loosely, and keep at 35 degrees for best results. Do not remove the caps or wash the berries until you are ready to use them. When caps are removed before use, the berries lose some of their moisture.

Washing early tends to bruise them and the berries lose their freshness. Preparing When preparing (for whatever use), place the berries in a strainer and rinse with cool water. To remove the caps, give the caps a gentle twist or use the point of a sharp knife, trying not to remove any of the berry. The tip of an ordinary vegetable peeler makes a good tool for capping berries.

Freezing Whole berries: Place one layer of clean, capped berries on a cookie sheet and freeze until firm. Remove from cookie sheet, package in freezer bags, and seal. Packing with sugar: Slice berries in halves or thirds. Mix with sugar (six cups sliced fruit to one cup sugar).

• Allow to stand until sugar dissolves (about 10-15 minutes).
• Pack the fruit and juice into freezer bags or containers.
• Leave 1/4-inch head space for pint containers.
• Packing without sugar: Strawberries may also be packed whole or sliced without sugar or with minimal sugar, but the color and texture of the thawed fruit won’t be as good.

Good for kids: Let kids cap and pack their choice of berries into pint yogurt containers, put their names on them, and freeze. For a quick, nutritious snack, thaw container slightly in the microwave and let kids eat their partially frozen berries straight from the container.

How long will fresh picked strawberries last?

How long will strawberries last after picking them? – Strawberries will usually last for 2-3 days, and of course you always want to wash them before eating

Do strawberries need to be refrigerated after picking?

How to Store Fresh Strawberries I grow a few strawberry plants every year, and the best berries of the season are usually those picked in the yard and eaten as I survey the garden, anticipating a summer of luscious, homegrown crops. Growing strawberries at home is a pleasure I wouldn’t give up, but with “U-Pick-‘Em” fields and the farmers’ market offering the succulent, crimson berry for the next few weeks, the select strawberries from my yard will be overshadowed by gallons and gallons of sourced berries to be cooked into jam, churned into ice cream, served in smoothies and desserts or, best of all, eaten fresh by the fistful.

Fresh strawberries are an unparalleled spring delight, but all too fleeting. Picking more than you can eat this season? Whether you intend to eat them today or six months from now, knowing how to store strawberries will ensure you get the best flavor without losing a single berry to a notoriously short shelf life.

Fresh strawberries can go directly into the refrigerator, but will do just fine on the counter for a couple of days. Remove any bruised or otherwise marred berries and place the rest in a colander or open-weave basket to allow good airflow. Stems should be left intact until the berry is ready to be eaten to protect the mold-prone, wet flesh inside from exposure.

1. While it is tempting to wash strawberries as soon as you get them home, resist the urge.
2. Strawberries will soak up the water, making them more susceptible to spoilage.
3. Even with careful handling, strawberries won’t last longer than a few days without refrigeration.
4. Moisture is an enemy of the fresh strawberry.

The inclination may be to store them in airtight containers, but strawberries will rot more quickly when the moisture is trapped inside. Even the plastic containers in which many grocery store strawberries are packed are a bad choice for refrigerator storage.

Instead, immediately pack strawberries loosely in an open container or wide pan lined with paper towels to help wick water away from the delicate berries. Colanders are perfect for strawberry storage, allowing air to circulate freely. Unlike whole berries, once strawberries have been cut or hulled, they should be stored in an airtight container to protect the exposed flesh from mold and bacterial development, significantly reducing shelf life.

Strawberry season only lasts a few weeks, and there’s a reason it’s so hotly anticipated. Fresh strawberries picked just a week ago are already past their prime, but that doesn’t mean you can’t continue to enjoy this year’s haul well beyond the expiration date.

1. Dry-freezing strawberries will retain much of the flavor and some texture for up to six months and can be stored for as long as a year (with some loss of quality).
2. Strawberries canned or frozen in syrup keep some flavor, but will be soft and are best used in baking or stirred into yogurt or oatmeal.
3. Then, of course, there’s strawberry jam.

Freezing comes closest to retaining the qualities of fresh-picked strawberries. Other tactics for long-term storage have their appeal as well, but no preservation method can truly retain the vibrant flavor and firm texture of freshly harvested strawberries.

Should you wash strawberries when you bring them home?

The Best Way to Store Strawberries According to Food Network Experts Natasha Breen / Getty Images By Amanda Neal for Food Network Kitchen Amanda Neal is a recipe developer at Food Network. Those first fresh, vibrant strawberries of the season are like little edible gems telling us that winter is over.

Though hardier than some other berries, soft and sweet strawberries do require some special care and safe keeping to help them last. If you’re planning to eat your strawberries right away, storing strawberries at room temperature on your kitchen counter is the best option — they’ll lose a bit of luster and flavor in the fridge.

However, if you want to prolong their lifespan for use in baked goods and other recipes, the refrigerator will become your best bet. Here are some tips for storing strawberries in your refrigerator to keep them fresh throughout the season. When stored properly, strawberries will stay firm and fresh for about a week.

1. It’s important to keep strawberries very dry and cold.
2. To do this, line a plate, baking sheet or shallow glass bowl with a couple paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
3. Place your unwashed strawberries on top in a single layer, then cover with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use, ideally within seven days.

If you notice one of the strawberries going bad or turning moldy, immediately remove it and discard. Mold spreads easily and quickly, so it’s crucial to keep an eye on your strawberries for any spoilage. You don’t want one bad berry to ruin the whole bunch! Here are a few important tips for how to store strawberries in the refrigerator: Strawberries will stay their freshest when dry and cold, and any added moisture will soften the strawberries and encourage mold growth.

1. So instead of washing all of your berries right when you get home from the store, wash them as you plan to eat or prepare them.
2. Eep those little, frilly green stems on your fresh strawberries when storing in the refrigerator.
3. Having the stems intact will protect the interior of your berries and prolong their shelf life.

Your strawberries will stay best when not crushed by layers of berries on top of them. If you’re planning to keep your strawberries for a longer period of time, your best bet is to freeze them. Remove the stems, then quarter or thinly slice the berries.

• Place the strawberries on a parchment paper-lined plate or baking sheet, then freeze until solid, at least 30 minutes.
• Transfer to a resealable freezer bag, and store for up to 3 months.
• This method will allow you to easily thaw and snack on your in-season strawberries, or simply throw frozen berries into smoothies and frozen beverages.

Kate Mathis, © 2016, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved Baked with a golden biscuit topping, this dessert makes the most of sweet strawberries. To ensure the filling sets correctly, let the cobbler cool completely before serving. Kate Mathis, © 2016, Television Food Network, G.P.

All Rights Reserved This light and springy dessert satisfies the cheesecake lover, but is a bit easier to make. It’s a great way to use up your strawberries. Sweet strawberry and tart rhubarb are a match made in heaven. Serve this cake with a dollop of whipped cream. Presenting the ultimate summer dessert.

We promise you’ll want to be saving this recipe. This buckle screams summer, thanks to the generous helping of fresh blueberries, blackberries and strawberries. We boosted the flavors by adding a good amount of lemon zest to the tender cake and a pinch of nutmeg and ginger to the sweet crumb topping.