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Monday, July 10, 2023

PUTTING UP STRAWBERRIES

I have the best luck with my coworkers!

Another sweet coworker had a glut of fruit and offered it to me.  Everyone at work knows that 2nd Man likes to cook/bake and so I always get offered excesses of ingredients since they know it will go to a good home. 


This time it was two pounds of fresh strawberries!

Yes please!


We have a strawberry huller somewhere in the back of a drawer but a few years back, I discovered using a straw and enjoy that method.  It's more difficult with a regular straw as they bend too easily, but we have these hard plastic straws in the bar drawer (they are reusable, meant to be washed) and I used one of those.

It takes a couple of times to get it just right but when you do, it's super easy, you just push it from the bottom up through to the top and...


...you get the core and the stem/leaves all at once.  Usually you can grab the stem from the end of the straw and pull the whole thing out.  If the stem breaks off though, no worries the core part will just push though and come out the other end as you use it.

There's something oddly relaxing about doing it, ha.


Here's a plate full of the stems and cores.


Here they are after I cut them in half.  I figured it would be easier for future use if they were already in half.  I did sprinkle a bit of sugar over them and then...


...I spread them out on a parchment lined baking sheet and popped them in the freezer for a few hours.  We always do our fruit this way, it freezes them individually and keeps them from mushing up when vacuum sealing or sticking together later as they thaw.


Once they were frozen like this, I split them into two packages of a pound each (seemed like a good amount for a dessert) and vacuum sealed them.

Not enough for jam or something like that but ready for strawberry shortcake perhaps?


14 comments:

  1. I freeze my items the same way.
    I never had any luck growing strawberries so when I can, I purchase my fresh strawberries from a local Farmers Market where you an go out and pick your own and pick as many as you want. Nothing like having home grown berries.
    I freeze fresh grown veggies the same way.
    Enjoy your day and have a wonderful evening

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    1. We haven't tried growing them (yet) but like you said, it's so easy to get good ones at the farmers market. Would love to find a pick your own. But yeah this is the easy way to freeze everything. Makes using them SO easy.

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  2. Never heard of hulling strawberries that way. I simply use a tiny sharp knife to take the green off.

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    1. I've used the knife from time to time but when I remember I just enjoy this, something cathartic about getting the straw just right and pushing up and getting it out, ha.

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  3. I hull mine and process them the same way as you do. In the winter some home frozen strawberries (yeah with shortcake and real whipped cream) gives us a taste of springtime

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    1. A tasted of Spring in the middle of Winter, nothing wrong with that. We'll have to remember that. Thanks!!

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  4. I've never heard of using a straw. I've been using a grapefruit spoon which works better than a knife for me, but still leaves bits of leaf to pick off. Are those leaves or are they parts left by the flower??? No matter, I have an extra metal straw, I'll be giving this a try on the next batch of berries!

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    1. Oooh a grapefruit spoon would work, the serrated edge. A metal straw would work great. Tip, have a wooden skewer that will go inside of it, makes it much easier to get the core out. The leaves (or as you correctly pointed out I think they are flower remnants) will stay at the top of the straw and you can usually pull it straight out. Sometimes if the leaves come off just keep using it and the next core pushed the previous one down further or you can use the skewer in between to push it out.

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  5. Those look delicious. Actually, that is enough for jam. But, I hate strawberry jam for some reason. Eating them half frozen is better than ice cream.

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    1. I bet half frozen is better than strawberry ice cream, ha. I think we'll save them for a shortcake or something like that. We shall see. Nice to know we have some in the fridge.

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  6. You have wonderful co-workers!

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    1. I really do!!! LOVE my office and my "work family". :-)

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  7. https://www.recipetineats.com/strawberry-crumble/
    Here’s a great recipe for you to try. Absolutely delicious.
    Cheers
    Helsie from Helsies Happenings

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  8. I'm thinking of getting a vacuum sealer - what kind do you guys have? Strawberries and whipped cream this winter sounds like something to look forward to! Victoria in CT.

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