Strawberries are bountiful in June. From farmer’s markets to supermarkets to, even, many peoples’ backyards. These luscious sweet berries come in many varieties and sizes. They are naturally low in calories and have moderate levels of Vitamin C. Remember, when hulling strawberries use your trusty tomato corer…it makes removing strawberry stem a breeze, (see my column from May 11, 2016).
Easy Strawberry Jam will quickly replace whatever you have purchased in the past. It is 100% natural, contains no corn syrup and is appropriately sweet. When you see how easy it is to make homemade strawberry jam, you will wonder why you ever bought store bought.
This time of year you can easily whip up a strawberry dessert by combining ripe strawberries with a store bought Angel Food Cake. Your family and friends will think you fussed for hours, only you have to know that it took five minutes. Enjoy the bounty of June….eat strawberries.
Menu
Easy Strawberry Jam
Angel Food Cake Dressed
Up with Strawberries
Fast Whipped Cream
Easy Strawberry Jam
3 lbs. ripe, but not mushy,
strawberries, hulled and cut
into 1/2-inch pieces
(approximately 10 cups)
3 cups sugar
1 large Granny Smith apple,
peeled and shredded on a
box grater (approximately
1 cup)
2 tblsp. lemon juice
1. Using a potato masher, crush strawberries in a pot until fruit is mostly broken down. Stir in sugar, apple and lemon juice.
2. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring to ensure sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to boil mixture, stirring and adjusting heat as needed, until thickened this will take about 20 to 25 minutes. (Jam is very frothy in the beginning and requires constant stirring to prevent it from boiling over; froth will subside as jam boils.) Remove pot from heat.
3. Let jam cool completely, about 2 hours. Transfer jam to airtight containers (I use old Mason jars) and refrigerate until set, 12 to 24 hours. (Jam maybe refrigerated for up to 2 months.)
4. Serve on toast, over your breakfast yogurt, over ice cream…to name just a few uses.
Angel Food Cake Dressed Up with Strawberries
1 Angel food Cake, store
bought, sliced
2 Pints Strawberries
Lemon Zest to taste
Cointreau ,Grand Marnier,
or Triple Sec to taste
1. Place berries in a non-reactive bowl large enough to accommodate them.
2. Sprinkle with lemon zest and Liqueur and stir. Refrigerate until serving. (This gets stronger and stronger the longer it marinates.)
3. Served over sliced Angel Food Cake.
4. Pass Whipped Cream alongside.
Fast Whipped Cream
Once you try whipping cream like this, you will NEVER do it any other way!
1 cup cream
1 tblsp confection sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1. Put about 1 cup cream in a 4-cup glass measuring cup (a quart take-out container works well too), add sugar and vanilla.
2. Blend, with a hand-held blender for 30 to 45 seconds.
Alexandra Troy is owner of Culinary Architect Catering, a 33-year old Greenvale-based company, specializing in private, corporate and promotional parties. For more photos and presentation follow Culinary Architect Catering on Facebook.
