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Slice It, Dice It, Serve It: All the Berries!
by
Kieran McCourt, Weavers Way Ambler
Dates to Remember:
- Strawberries: May 20-June 25; Peak: First week of June
- Blueberries: June 20- Aug. 15; Peak: Most of July
- Raspberries: July 1-Aug. 1; Most plentiful: Mid-July
- Blackberries: July 10-Aug. 10; Most plentiful: Mid-late July
Eat them out of hand to get a sweet taste of summer!
Basic jam recipe
Cleaned and trimmed fruit and sugar cooked on the stove.
- To lower the sugar content, use pectins (such as Pomona’s Pectin, sold at the Co-op) to cut the sugar down while still getting a nicely set jam.
- Always follow USDA guidelines for food preservation.
Freezing Basics
- Strawberries: use whole or cut pieces (Keep other berries whole.)
- Lay out in a single layer on a sheet pan with as little contact between the fruits as possible. This helps prevent berries from getting stuck and clumped together once you put them in a zip-top bag or container of choice.
- Pop them in the freezer. Great for oatmeal, smoothies or winter baking projects
Shrub How To:
- Combine one cup fruit to one cup sugar (or other sweetener of choice) and allow the fruit to soften until a nice syrup forms.
- Strain the fruit solids and mix syrup with a vinegar of choice (like strawberries and balsamic, for example). Add in other herbs or aromatics.
- Mix the shrub or drinking vinegar with a bit of seltzer or club soda for a refreshing, zippy summertime sipper. Shrubs were popular during the colonial period, and they’ve been making a comeback on modern cocktail menus.