We’re almost done with strawberry season here; last week’s heat just about put an end to a glorious and abundant season. While it lasted, we feasted. There have been several batches of strawberry ice cream, made with Brookford Farm milk and cream. There has been strawberry shortcake, and there was an afternoon where three quarts disappeared directly into our mouths. But the last of our berries will be headed for the freezer, lying in wait both for the September Eat Local Challenge and the upcoming winter, when local fruit is unavailable unless you plan ahead.
If your freezer is big enough, the best method is to wash and dry the berries, lay them out on a sheet pan, and freeze them whole. When they are frozen, put them into freezer bags (labeled well, of course) for future use.
Our freezer is not very big, so I washed and quartered the berries, and packed them pretty tightly into these deli containers. Frozen berries work perfectly for most every strawberry need – smoothies, pies, crumbles, ice cream, waffle and pancake toppings, and on and on.
The only thing they aren’t great for is eating fresh out of hand. Since there is no substitute, we feast while we can.
To try to catch the last of this year’s strawberries visit a Seacoast area farmers’ market, pick-your-own farm, or farm stand.