How to preserve strawberries: tricks and infallible recipes to enjoy them all year round

From classic jam to chips, here are 7 ways and recipes to store strawberries and have them available all year round

From classic jam to chips, here are 7 ways and recipes to preserve strawberries and have them available all year round

How many of you are waiting for spring to eat strawberries? It is undoubtedly one of the most loved fruits even by children who would like to have them available not only during the summer. Here are some suggestions for keep the strawberries and enjoy them all year round.

Strawberries are a very versatile fruit: they are used as they are, combined with lemon or cream, added to fruit salads, in the preparation of extracts, smoothies, milkshakes, etc. Their sweet taste makes them appreciated by practically everyone and, if seasonal and organic, they also ensure many properties to our body.

We can take strawberries with us even after the summer thanks to some tips and preparations that see them as protagonists.

Index

Freeze the strawberries or the juice in cubes

The simplest way to preserve strawberries is definitely to freeze them. Just wash them thoroughly, preferably with baking soda to remove even most of the pesticide residues, remove the green part and place them in a bag to freeze. You can also decide to freeze them already cut

If you want, instead, preserve the strawberry juice prepared at home (preferably with an extractor), you can freeze it in single-portion cubes (the same ones used for ice) and use it as needed during the rest of the year, perhaps to prepare a tasty strawberry risotto!

Dehydrating strawberries: the recipe for chips

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Another simple way to preserve strawberries even after the season is to dehydrate them and make delicious chips to be stored in a jar. Dehydration is one of the oldest methods of food preservation and is perfectly suited to some types of fruit such as strawberries which, when dried, become smaller, slightly crunchy and have a stronger flavor. You can use a dryer or a simple oven and reuse them in many ways.

LAWS: How and why to make dehydrated strawberries to have them available all year round

Strawberry jam

One of the simplest and tastiest ways to preserve strawberries is prepare a jam, you can choose the version with or without sugar according to your needs. If you use sugar and let the strawberries soak for one night inside them, you will at the same time make a delicious syrup that can be stored to enrich fruit salads, ice cream, smoothies, etc. For the recipe for strawberry jam with sugar, read here, while if you prefer to avoid added sweeteners, follow the recipe proposed in this article which also includes the addition of chia seeds.

Strawberries in syrup

Like peaches and other fruits, strawberries also lend themselves well to being in syrup and therefore stored longer with the possibility of enjoying them when you want, even out of season. To prepare homemade strawberries in syrup you need half a kilo of strawberries, 150 grams of sugar and 500 ml of water. Find out how to make strawberries and other fruit in syrup by reading here.

Strawberry ice cream

The strawberry ice cream that can be prepared is also excellent in vegan version thus making it suitable not only for those who by choice do not consume milk but also for those who are intolerant of it. It takes 250 grams of fresh strawberries, 150 ml of water and 80 grams of brown sugar. Water can be replaced with vegetable milk. Here you will find a recipe but if you don't have an ice cream maker, don't worry, you will still get a good strawberry ice cream by following the advice you find in this article.

Strawberry Sorbet

With strawberries you can make delicious sorbets, even in this case with or without the help of the ice cream maker. For a strawberry sorbet you need half a kilo of strawberries, 250 ml of water and 150 grams of brown sugar. Find the complete recipe and the procedure to follow here.

Strawberry topper

Have you ever thought about making a strawberry topper? It can be used to enrich cakes, ice creams, creams, puddings or pancakes. Here you will find the recipe for a red fruit topper, but you can easily replace the fruit mix indicated with only strawberries or if you have just made the jam you can filter it further to create the strawberry topper.

Strawberry jelly candies

A delicious way to preserve strawberries that will certainly make children happy is to make strawberry jelly candies. The procedure is very simple and just a few ingredients are enough: 2 full cups of strawberries (you can also use frozen ones), 3 tablespoons of apple pectin, 2 cups of sugar (one to decorate and one in the dough), 1/2 tablespoon of corn or maple syrup, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

After that, blend the strawberries. Mix the pectin with 3 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl, transfer the mixture into a saucepan, add the pectin and three tablespoons of sugar and bring to a boil, stirring vigorously. Add the corn syrup and sugar, continuing to mix as it thickens. You can add a little agar agar to get a more gelatinous mixture. Pour everything into a lined pan, spread evenly and let it rest for at least two hours. Once the consistency is reached, cut into cubes with a sharp knife and mix the squares in the sugar. The candies thus obtained will be kept at room temperature in an airtight container for a maximum of one month.

LAWS: Fruit jelly: the recipe for making organic candies

Do you have other ideas to use and keep strawberries longer?

On strawberries, you may also be interested in:

• Strawberries: 10 recipes for all tastes
• Strawberries: 10 reasons to eat more of them
• Strawberries: calories, properties and health benefits
• How to grow strawberries: the mini-guide for beginners