Top 5 Ways to Make Strawberries Last Longer
Welcome to Strawberry Season!
Many fruits and vegetables reach their peak season in the summer. The seasons seem to come and go so quickly that people often take advantage of the abundant produce available. This time of year is an ideal time to add favorite flavors, textures, and nutrients back into the diet.
Did you know that California strawberries are a year-round fruit?
Dedicated farmworkers harvest strawberries throughout the year in the Golden State. However, many people stock up on strawberries during peak season from early spring to fall, when strawberries are more abundant and appear biggest, brightest, and juiciest.
If you want to stock up on strawberries, but are concerned about eating them in time, we have the top 5 ways to make strawberries last longer so no berry gets wasted and nutrition is maintained.
#1 Top It Off with Strawberries
Many great recipes call for fresh strawberries as a topping- from salads, to breakfast favorites, to tacos. Here are a few nutritious summer recipes that are topped off with fresh strawberries:
#2 Bake with Strawberries
One thing you can always rely on to use up fresh fruit is a good old-fashioned pie. There’s nothing like the smell of a fresh strawberry pie in the summer. Pies can be pre-made in peak strawberry season and frozen until there’s a celebration, or you can make mini hand pies to enjoy right away without over-indulging.
Other strawberry baking ideas can be found at CaliforniaStrawberries.com.
#3 Play with Your Food?
It may sound odd, but strawberries make fun crafts for kids, too! For instance, Strawberry Firecracker Pops are an edible decoration for the 4th of July. After the kiddos finish their strawberry crafts, parents can feel confident that they’ll be getting their nutrients when they ask to eat their masterpieces! Learn:
#4 Make Strawberry Freezer Jam
If you stock up and don’t think you’ll get to use all of the fresh strawberries in time, you can preserve them in jam.
Instead of canning, you can make a quick freezer jam. Freezer jam doesn’t require as much sugar as canning or any special equipment. It’s easy to make and once defrosted, can be refrigerated for up to a month.
To make a strawberry freezer jam, simply:
- Combine 2 cups of chopped strawberries with 4 cups of sugar and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Boil ¾ cup of water with 1 packet of dry pectin. Then pour it over the sweetened strawberries and mix.
- Pour the jam into freezer-ready containers, leaving some space at the top. Let cool before sealing; then allow the containers to settle at room temperature for 24 hours before freezing.
#5 Freeze Strawberries
If you’d like to use whole strawberries several months later in smoothies, margaritas, cakes, or sauces, you can freeze your strawberries.
Frozen strawberries generally provide the same nutritional benefits as fresh. Picked at their peak nutrition, fruit is typically frozen immediately to retain the nutrients. Recent studies comparing frozen strawberries to those stored fresh in the refrigerator show no significant changes in vitamins, minerals, fiber, or antioxidants, and in some cases, higher levels of nutrients were found in frozen strawberries.
Here are simple steps to freezing strawberries.
Knowing how you can enjoy fruits like strawberries beyond their fresh shelf-life may provide some peace of mind that food won’t get wasted. It’s also a nice surprise to find strawberries hiding in your freezer long after peak season has ended; it can brighten your mood, sweeten a dish, and add some vitamin C to a winter meal!
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