By Karen Bloom
It’s a short season for these luscious berries and a great opportunity for family fun. Gather up everyone and venture out to one of the many U-Pick strawberry growers for a summertime outing.
Then, when you get home with your bounty, prepare some yummy strawberry treats.
Chocolate-Dipped
Strawberries
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
Fresh strawberries with stem, washed and well dried
Warm chocolate morsels and shortening over hot (not boiling) water. Stir until mixture is smooth; remove from heat but keep over hot water. (If chocolate sets up, return to heat, add an additional 1-2 teaspoons of shortening and stir until smooth.) Dip strawberries into chocolate mixture and shake off excess. Place on foil-lined cookie sheet and chill until chocolate is set.
Fresh Strawberry Pie/Tarts
1 baked pastry shell (9 inch) or six 2-1/2-inch tart shells
1 1/2 quart fresh strawberries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Whipped cream
Wash and remove caps from the strawberries. Set aside the best half of the berries; combine the remaining berries, whole or cut, sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Cook, stirring frequently, 5-6 minutes or until the berry mixture is very thick. Stir in the lemon juice. Cook. Select a few of the reserved strawberries for garnish; add the rest, whole or cut, to the cooked mixture. Pour into the baked pastry shell. Garnish with the whipped cream and remaining whole or cut berries.
Fresh Strawberry Smoothie
2cups vanilla ice cream
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 cups crushed ice
Additional fresh strawberries
Combine ice cream, strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and ice in container of an electric blender. Process until smooth; pour into individual glasses and garnish with additional strawberry.
Yields 4 cups.
Where To Pick Strawberries:
Before going picking its best to call ahead and make sure the U-Pick fields are open and not over-picked.
Anderson Farms
Roanoke Ave., Riverhead
9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
(631) 727-2559 or (631) 727-1129
Domaleski Farms
Route 48, Mattituck
8 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
(631) 734-6886
Fritz Lewin Farms
1989 Sound Ave., at Edwards Ave., Calverton
8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily
(631) 727-3346
Harbes Family Farm
715 Sound Ave., Mattituck
9 a.m-5 p.m. daily
(631) 298-0800 or
www.harbesfamilyfarms.com
Lewin Farms
Sound Ave., Wading River
9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, except Tuesday
(631) 929-4327
May's Farm
Rte. 25A, Wading River
9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
(631) 929-6654
Rottkamp's Fox Hollow Farm
2287 Sound Ave., Calverton
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday
through Sunday
(631) 727-1786
Wickham’s Fruit Farm
28700 Rte. 25, Cutchogue
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday to Saturday
(631) 734-6441 or
www.wickhamsfruitfarm.com
Windy Acres
Rte 25, Calverton
9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily
(631) 727-4554
Strawberry Picking Tips
Strawberries look better and keep longer when they are picked and handled correctly. Because they are a very tender fruit, they will bruise and discolor any time they are squeezed. Handle them gently), at all times, whether you are picking them, placing them in the container, or handling the filled containers. Some strawberry varieties are much easier to pick than others. Don’t overfill your containers or try to pack the berries down.
