I bought 4 lbs. of strawberries when they were on sale at Safeway 2 weeks ago for $3.98. I couldn't pass up such a deal, even though my strawberry plants are producing a sufficent amount to keep us in strawberry deliciousness.
So what am I going to do with all those strawberries? Smoothies and jam, my friends.
Frozen strawberries cost at least $2/lb. Why not hull and freeze my own for half the price? Just wash the strawberries, hull the tops and I slice mine in half. Then I line them up in a single layer on a cookie sheet and stick them in the freezer. Once frozen, I put them in baggies in the freezer where I can see them easily. They then become the perfect thing to throw in a smoothie.
Homemade jam is not as scary as it sounds...and it is so good! Here's my go-to recipe for "Old-fashioned Strawberry Preserves" (from epicurious):
about 6 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
2 cups sugar
Place hulled strawberries in heavy large saucepan and mas coarsely. Cook strawberries over medium heat until beginning to thicken, stirring frequently, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
Add 2 cups sugar and stir until dissolved. Increase heat to medium and boil gently until mixture thickens and mounds on spoon, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes.
Remove saucepan from heat. Cool. Refrigerate in airtight container.
I usually do small batches at a time so that I don't waste the jam, as I think about 1 month is the max I would keep it. I also don't always put in the full amount of sugar, especially if the strawberries are really sweet. This is a really good way to use the overripe leftover strawberries in your fridge: just use a 3:1 ratio of strawberries to sugar.
Now the next time you see a great deal on strawberries, you've got two ways to put them to good use!
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