Conference turris::cooks

    >>how long will these last
    
    ...about 10 minutes if you invite me over!
    
    ;-)
    
    I've heard, but haven't tried, that you can just wash, drain and
    freeze spread out on a cookie sheet.  Then pour the berries into
    zip-lock bags.  Since they'll freeze separately (don't mound them
    on the sheet) you can take just the amount you need out of the
    bag.  If you dump them in bags to freeze, they usually stick 
    together.
    
    Personally, I never have any problem with strawberries spoiling in
    our house.
    
    --Louise

    The strawberries have to be washed and hulled before freezing, because
    they'll loose the firmness, once frozen, they look like being cooked...
    once hulled, freeze as .1 advises. The best way to eat them is... in
    short cake! or with powdered sugar, rubbarb-strawberry pie is great, on
    top of cheese cake... strawberries never last more than a day at my
    house it doesn't matter what amount... I have tons of ways of serving
    them!
    
    
    
    
    			

I think that freezing them unwashed is the way to go. It's impossible
to get the washed berries completely dry in a reasonable amount of
time. If they are even slightly damp, they get very icy. I spread them
out on a cookie sheet, freeze til firm, then pour them into a ziplock
bag. I wash them when I take them out of the freezer. This is the way
my mom has been doing blueberries for years.

-Patti

    I've frozen them without taking the hulls out and they were fine.
    I did the same as mentioned here - spread them on a cookie sheet
    and then into ziploc bags.

    My favorite way to eat strawberries is to pick them up by the stem,
    dip them into sour cream, then into brown sugar.  If you haven,t
    tried this, give it a shot.  It's great.

    
    Try mixing together portions of sour cream and marshmellow cream
    together with a capfull of creme de mente (and food colouring if you
    like).
    
    I can't tell you the exact portions on the two creams because I do it
    to taste.  Usually, it's around half-and-half maybe a bit more sour
    cream.
    
    I whip it up with a fork in a bowl until I can get it as smooth
    as I can then I pop it in the fridge and let it sit.  This will allow
    it to settle and the smooth out.  Stir it up one more time and serve it
    in a small dipping bowl amongst your mountain of strawberries.
    
    This dip is also great with cherries, bananas, kiwi, and pineapple.
    
    Enjoy!

    Try chocolate covered strawberries:
    
    For every ounce of semi-sweet chocolate, use 1 tablespoon butter or
    margarine (eg. 6 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, 6 tablespoons of 
    butter). Melt, and mix thoroughly over low heat.  When completely
    melted, dip the strawberries in the chocolate, one at a time.  Cool
    on a wax-paper-covered pan/sheet in the refrigerator.
    
    Some hints when dipping the strawberries:  keep the leaves on the
    strawberries, and use them to hold the strawberry as you dip (the
    strawberries also look more attractive with the leaves left on);
    don't dip the entire strawberry -- leave just a little of the red berry
    showing (also makes it more attractive, and why waste the chocolate by
    covering the leaves?!); after the strawberry has been dipped, let the
    excess chocolate drip off the strawberry before placing on the
    wax-paper-covered sheet; finally -- if the chocolate is too runny and
    thin to stick to and coat the strawberry, let it cool a little first
    (putting it in the refrigerator will speed up the process) before you
    dip the strawberries.
    
    These are very easy, very good, and friends that have tried them are
    very impressed.
                                             

    
    
    re:  How long will they last.....
    re:  if I want to freeze them....
    
    Whole berries will last just a few days in the frig. but  if they're
    mashed as for shortcake they'll last for several days.
    
    As for freezing, I been told by growers of strawberries the best
    way is either whole , hulled and UNWASHED or mashed. Some water
    remains on the berries, even when dried, which then freezes on the
    outside. When thawed, the berry looses its firmness and becomes
    mushy.
    The best way to freeze whole berries is to first hull them, then
    sprinkle lightly with sugar(to retain their sweetness), then place
    them in a freezer bag. Storage time generally 3-6 mos. This method
    can be used for blueberries, too.
    The other method- hull, wash, sweeten to taste and then mash them
    for shortcake, etc.
    I usually pick 30-40 lbs. during peek picking season (July 4th +/-),
    use both freezing methods and have strawberries all winter long.
    But like everyone else, a few pints never last long in my house.
    
    Enjoy!
    
    Al
    
                                     

	Re: all

	Thanks for all the suggestions.  Unfortunately, for my diet,
	I couldn't try dipping them in sugar or coating them with
	chocolate so I just ate them fresh.  But, last night, as
	I was eating some more, I noticed that they were starting 
	to go bad.  I put the good ones on a tray and froze them
	and popped them in a plastic bag this morning.  The not so
	good ones I cut up, saving the good pieces which I ate
	immediately.  With only one person in the household, it is
	a bit difficult to eat 6 pints of strawberries in two days.

	I'll have to come up with something lo-cal to try with
	the frozen strawberries.  I'm afraid shortcake is out...

	Thanks for the suggestions and if you have any good recipes
	for frozen strawberries, please enter them.  My recipe
	for strawberry jello salad follows in the next reply.

	Karen

	BTW - 1 pint of fresh whole strawberries has about 110 calories!

    For a lo-cal strawberry shortcake, may I suggest Entermann's Fat Free
    pound cake with fresh strawberries and a little cool whip.  Very lo-fat
    and good!
    
    Corey

    Just thought of another lo-cal strawberry dessert.  
    
    2 Cups no-fat plain yogurt
    1 Box of instant sugar-free vanilla pudding
    1 Lg. can crushed pineapple in natural juice
      Strawberries (as many as you like)
    
    Mix all together.  You may substitute pistachio pudding or anything
    else you wish to experiment with.  This recipe has all kinds of
    variations.  Just use your imagination!
    
    Corey

    I read about dipping fruits in chocolate in the Silver Palate Cookbook.
    They had a great idea which I tried and worked well.
    
    To make chocolate dipped strawberries (or any fruit), they suggested
    melting your favorite chocolate, inserting a toothpick into the stem
    of the strawberry, swirling it in chocolate, then sticking the
    toothpick into a block of styraphome. This is a great way to let the
    chocolate set before putting them onto a serving platter. The chocolate
    doesn't touch against anything else and if it is going to run, it will
    run in the direction of the stem.
    
    Linda
    

    I love this, take fresh stawberries, dip in sour cream (or plain
    yogurt) then dip in brown sugar.
    
    Easy dessert.
    

If calories are not an issue, hull and slice enough strawberries to half fill a
large wine glass.  Add a generous shot of amaretto, and a dollop of real semi
whipped cream (whipped, but still somewhat runny... the culinary name for this
might be "Creme Chantilly", but I can't be certain).

If calories are an issue, hull and slice the strawberries, and mix 4 oz. with 
1 packet Equal.  Let sit for an hour at room temperature.  Eat as is (60 cal)
or with a dollop of nonfat yogurt, or better yet, a dollop of yogurt cheese,
sweetened with some Equal and a dash of pure vanilla extract.

(Yogurt cheese is made by placing yogurt (NOT SWISS STYLE) in a sieve lined
with cheesecloth, and letting it drain for about 8 hours.  Give it a stir once
or twice, since the bottom will drain, and thicken enough to prevent the top
from draining.)

    Strawberry Omelets
    
    2 eggs
    fresh strawberries stemmed and washed
    2tbl sugar.
    Strawberry preserves
    Confection sugar
    
    Separate egg whites from yokes and beat with 2tbls of cold water
    until they stiffen. Beat egg yokes with 2 tbls of sugar until
    creamy. Fold in egg whites. Pour eggs into a oiled hot 10" pan.
    Add strawberries and cook until eggs are firm. Fold over and and
    lance a couple of holes in the top of the eggs. Put omelet into
    a plate and spread strawberry preserves on them. Sprinkle with
    confection sugar and serve.
    
    Jim

    I just c w p (copied without permission), from the Boston Herald, the
    following recipe:  Looks yummy!  But not low cal. 
    
    	1 pint strawberries
    	3oz. cream cheese, at room temp
    	2 T confectioners sugar
    	1/2 t lemon juice
    	1/4 t grated lemon peel
    	3/4 C finely crushed pistachio nuts
    
    	Blend the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice and peel.
    	Dip ends of strawberries in the mixture and then roll in the nuts.
    	Chill until serving time.