Sunday, June 29, 2014

Strawberrytime

The abundance of berries is probably one of the best parts of summer.  My Happy Acres has a wide variety of strawberries.  Although the wild berries were at their peak about a week ago, other domesticated berries are coming into their peak right now.
To ensure that your berries are at their ripened best, buy direct from a local farmer or You Pick.  If not readily available, choose the berries that are uniformly red with no white or green or soft spots.  An unripe berry will not ripen off the plant.  We prefer the dark red varieties for flavor and juiciness.

Preparation: keep berries in a cool place (such as the refrigerator) until ready to use.  Wash and stem when ready to use them (pre-cleaning before refrigeration will cause them to deteriorate within a day or two).  Slice or halve the berries into a bowl.  Sugar to taste.  If you have very fresh, juicy berries you may not need any sugar at all.

Strawberry Shortcake
The cake portion of strawberry shortcake is traditionally a light sponge cake however try a variety of different bases until you find what you like best.  We were delighted with the results when using an almond pound cake.  These are also sometimes available at your local grocery or bakery.  Decide what tastes best.
The cream portion can sometimes turn into a source for debate.  Some people insist on only whipping cream.  Some people like Cool Whip.  We like Whipped Cream Frosting.  By slightly modifying the recipe by using only 1/4 cup powdered sugar, the Whipped Cream enhances the flavor of the berries.  Okay, I hear you.  This is not diet food.  But a little bit goes a long way.  Just one spoonful and you too will be saying, 'Life is good'...

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