I love, love love, Alberta Strawberries

I love Alberta Strawberries!   I love to pick them at a u-pick.   It’s like a treasure hunt walking or crawling along the row and finding the gorgeous red jewels of flavour.  Shiny red, tiny green seeds,  topped with a green leafy cap- so beautiful.  I buy them at the Farmers’ market from my friend Mr. Hiebert.     Last week he was sheepish because the strawberries were dirty from the rain splashing the soil on the fruit.  All it took was to soak them in the sink for a few minutes in cold water until the soil sank to the bottom and then eat them.   

 

Usually a basket of his strawberries last about one hour after they are in the house.  Later in the season I buy them by the 4L pail and get a chance to freeze some.   If they are dirty wash and dry completely before freezing.  I just cut the stem off and put them in zip lock bags and then they can be made into jam during the winter when I have time, or can be thawed for desserts.   I pulled a bag out of the freezer this spring to make a dessert for the launch of dee Hobsbawn-Smith’s new book Foodshed.   The dessert was a huge hit and no wonder- it has whipped cream as a major ingredient! 

 

It’s called Eton Mess and is super easy to make.   Make or buy meringues and crunch them into pieces.  Intersperse the pieces of meringues with dollops of whipped cream and then fruit- fresh or frozen.   Add layers until you run out of stuff.  If you have parfait glasses you can make individual messes that look so pretty.   Making your own meringues is easy too, but you need some sort of electric beater. 

Meringues

2 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 250F. In a clean glass or stainless steel bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until foamy and small peaks barely form; gradually beat in the sugar, a spoonful at a time, until all the sugar is incorporated and the mixture holds stiff peaks. It should have the consistency of whipped cream or shaving cream.

Spread onto a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, until dry. Cool, then crumble to use in Eton mess.

The other must do summer dessert is Strawberry Shortcake.   It can be as simple as scones or cupcakes cut in half- a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, sliced strawberries, add the top and garnish with more whipped cream or ice cream and more strawberries.   Super yummy!

One of my favourite food writers and bloggers is Julie VanRosendaal.  She has a passion for local, fresh, cook from scratch food.  Her blog is called Dinner With Julie and a great resource and fabulous inspiration.  

This is the link to another way to use strawberry and rhubarb - strawberry-rhubarb slab scones-  I haven't tried it yet, but I have big plans for Sunday breakfast.   Let me know if you like it.   http://dinnerwithjulie.com/2012/06/09/strawberry-rhubarb-slab-scones/

One of my best memories of strawberries was on a canoe trip in Northern Ontario where we had been out a long time and hadn’t had fresh food for a few weeks.  I  was carrying a canoe across a portage that was about 1 km long and kept seeing little wild strawberries (about ¼ inch across) peeking out at me from their homes next to the trail.   A person can’t just stop when she has a canoe on her shoulders so I half walked, half ran to the end, dropped the canoe and ate my way back to the beginning one little red jewel at a time.  Not many things can possibly taste that good.  

Raspberries on their way!

Raspberries are coming on the BC fruit trucks this week!   

They are probably the most fragile and perishable of all of our local fruit so plan to bring a cooler to take them home in and then use them or freeze them right away.    

Raspberry season in Alberta is later than BC and are rare at Farmers’ markets because they are so fragile and labour intensive to pick.  Picking your own berries is well worth it. 

Alberta Raspberry Availability: Mid to Late July through Fall  Check for a berry patch near you at:  albertafarmfresh.com- u-pick.

You can also walk the alleys and look over your neighbour’s fence.  Many people who have raspberries in their yards get tired of picking them, so walk the alleys of your neighbourhood and if you notice a yard full of unloved raspberries knock on the door and ask if you can pick them.  

Memories of raspberry picking- I grew up on our farm living next to my grandmother Gertie who was a woman who didn’t waste anything.   At one point in my childhood we had four 100 ft rows of raspberry canes.   Not as a crop- just for our family.   During the berry season this involved getting up early on a summer morning and picking two rows each side and then the next day picking the other two rows.  Repeat again and again day after day.   Grandma was very competitive and loved to pick faster and more than anyone else.   We used to see who could cover the bottom of their bucket first.   I have memories of filling all the buckets then going to the house to get the turkey roaster and filling the bottom and the lid.   Then there are the pies, jam, raspberries and ice cream, filling yogurt containers with berries for the freezer.  Sometimes even canning them.   Canned raspberries and saskatoons combined are a beautiful thing on a cold winter night.    My mom had a long sleeved shirt and a pair of thick cotton gloves with the finger tips cut out to keep her hands from getting scratched.  

A long time friend Evelyn,  has a massive raspberry patch.  She freezes crushed raspberries all summer in 4L  buckets and then makes the most magnificent raspberry wine all winter. 

Good for you too!

Raspberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, folate, iron, potassium, antioxidants and cancer-fighting ellagic acid. Ellagitannins, a family of compounds almost exclusive to the raspberry, are reported to have anti-cancer activity and contribute to the raspberry's antioxidant power. They are also a great source of fiber, which can help maintain your family's healthy cholesterol levels.

They are a source of soluble fibers and may lower high blood cholesterol levels and slow release of carbohydrates into the blood stream of diabetics.

Half to one pound of raspberry fruit per day can provide twenty to thirty grams of fiber which is adequate for an adult daily nutrition requirement.  (That's a lot of raspberries!)

Raspberry Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 cup, (250.0 g)

Amount Per Serving:

    Calories 64

    Total Fat 0.8g

    Saturated Fat 0.0g

    Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g

    Monounsaturated Fat 0.1g

    Cholesterol 0mg

    Sodium 1mg

    Total Carbohydrates 14.7g

    Dietary Fiber 8.0g

    Sugars 5.4g

    Protein 1.5g

Fragile!  Handle with Care!

Do not wash your raspberries until you use them. Sort them quickly, removing leaves and stems. Cool and store them in your refrigerator as quickly as possible. Process or freeze your raspberries the same day that you receive them for maximum flavour and quality.

Raspberries are perishable and lose their good quality quickly, particularly after washing. For best results, rinse lightly and drain in a colander. Do not soak raspberries in water. Drain well and let dry on paper towels or absorbent tea towels.

Raspberries can be frozen whole, unwashed, by spreading them out on cookie sheets which are then placed in the freezer. A day later, gather the raspberries which are now individually quick frozen (IQF) and place in a plastic freezer bag or rigid plastic container, mark the date, then replace in the freezer. Quickly rinse the raspberries under cold running water before using them in your recipe.  For best results, defrost your raspberries in the original container in the refrigerator overnight. This allows the ice crystals to melt slowly, with better shape retention than quick defrosting.

Making Jam is soooooo easy!

If you buy pectin such as Certo or Bernardin they always have instructions inside the package.  I love making freezer jam because the kids can do all the crushing and stirring which they love.  I also find that freezer jam tastes so fresh.   A trick I use is to freeze fruit in bags or containers in the summer and then I can make jam in the middle of winter when I have more time and it’s cold outside.  

Raspberry Freezer Jam

3 cups crushed raspberries 5 1/2 cups sugar 2 oz pkg. pectin crystals 3/4 cup water One half of the raspberry pulp may be sieved to remove seeds if desired,. Add sugar to crushed raspberries and mix thoroughly. Let stand 10-15 minutes. In small saucepan combine pectin crystals and water. Bring to a boil and cook and stir for 1 minute. Combine with fruit mixture and stir a least three minutes. Ladle into containers and cover tightly with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Store in freezer. Yields 4 1/2 cups. (1.1 litres) 

Homemade Jam for Gifts.   There really isn’t a better hostess gift than a jar of homemade jam.   It’s perfect for any occasion and having a special stash in the basement makes it easy to come up with a spur of the moment gift.     For gift giving freezer jam really doesn’t work very well as it  does need to stay frozen and then in the fridge.   But preserving really isn’t hard either.   I’ll be covering that in another blog.   If you want to take a class we are offering one during the Farmers’ market on July 14.  For $60 you get to spend the morning making a fruit jam, pepper jelly,  and a gourmet mustard.   The instructor, Pam Vipond, is a wealth of information and tips.  You’ll go home with a jar of each type and skills to last a lifetime.  I hope you teach your friends, kids and family members. Food Class info:

 

  

Berry Tart 

 

Pastry:

1 ¼ c flour

½ tsp salt

1 Tbsp sugar

½ cup butter

1/8 -1/4 cup ice water

Cut the butter into the flour mix and then add ice cold water and mix to make a crumbly dough.   Chill in the fridge for minimum of 30 min.  Roll out flat.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

 Filling:

Gently combine:

3 cups berries

¼ cup sugar (or more to taste)

2 Tbsp flour.

Lay pastry on a baking sheet.  Add berry mix to the middle.  Fold up the sides to make a free form tart- leaving the centre open.   Bake at 400 F for 20-30 min until golden and bubbly.

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Can be made with any fruit and can also be made into individual tarts by dividing the pastry into smaller sections.