Who knew what I was getting myself into when the deal of a lifetime came? A overflowing flat of ripe field-ripened strawberries for $8.50. Remember there are only two of us in our household, and after the healthy cooking class from a couple of weeks ago I was determined to make better use of the berries than simply 3000 jars of over-the-top sweetened jam.
First, I ate one box of berries on my breakfast oatmeal, or should I saw had a few oat flakes on my box of strawberries. Then the search for a low sugar jam recipe. This is when technology shines. I found a new (only 31 years old — I’ve got kids older than that) brand of pectin that firms up jam using less sugar. Pomona Universal Pectin gels the pureed berries with liquid calcium instead of a compound formed from loads of sugar and regular pectin. So off I went to buy this product.
Then down to the berry business. I hulled, them, sliced them, and popped ripe juicy berries in my mouth. Plop, went one in the mixing bowl, then one in my mouth. By the time I’d measured four cups of crushed berries, an almost equal amount filled my belly.
There were still so many left. On a mission to eat healthy, I made a strawberry Jell-O (isn’t Jell-O healthy?) salad with loads of berries, dried some strawberry leather, and dished up a few slices for Couponman. He looked lovingly at me, not knowing the slices were actually my leftovers. There gets to be a point where you just can’t stomach even one more berry.
I placed the berries into the food processor and plunged. As I removed the lid, a few berry halves floated in the puree. I plunged a couple more times, flipping the processor back on. Whoops, I’d forgotten about the lid. Two cups of red puree now ran down cupboards and decorated the kitchen wall.
I got the giggles. Couponman thinks the new pectin made me high. I’d bet it’s strawberry-itis.
P.S. The new “fluffy” jam is great, really brings out the flavor of the strawberries.
Related posts:
Print This Post
Oh how I wish I could have seen that! How the heck did you clean it all up?
What a delightful mess that must have been. Strawberry-itis sounds like a good time to me! (The strawberry leather sounds awesome, too. You should share the recipe.)
Oh, so easy. I have a dehydrator, but without one, I’ve read you can puree berries (a little lemon juice to retain color and some sugar if you want it sweeter [I did not]), line a lipped cookie sheet with a food grade wrap that can handle low heat, set your oven to 140 degrees, and pour 1/8 to 1/4 inch puree evenly. The leather should be the consistency of applesauce. Some recipes say to oook the fruit down a little first, but I did not (so my leather was runnier). Recipes vary, but seem to say the oven technique will take from 5 to 12 hours. Let me know if you try it in the oven. Maybe I’ll retire the dehydrator.
Strawberry leather? Did you get enough to make a belt?
My waist size would take another flat of berries.
Pingback: Rekindle your iLove | So Humor Me