Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

-----------------FOR BEST FREEZING BERRIES----------------------

-----------------KNOW THE PICK OF THE CROP----------------------

Some strawberry varieties hold up better than others when given the
cold shoulder. The characteristics that make one variety a fabulous
coice for strawberry shortcake make it not as good of a candidate for
cooked preserves or freezer jams.

The most common varieties you'll encounter at farmers markets and
U-pick fields in Oregon are the:

BENTON A fabulous choice for strawberry shortcake and eating fresh,
but tends to fall apart when processed. The color becomes poor when
frozen and its integrity is zero, mainly because the acid level is so
low.

HOOD A good berry for processing. The fruit is large, bright red and
contains a high enough level of acid for good processing, however it
has a low enough level of acid that it is considered ideal for fresh
eating.
For home growers, it's got a lot of virus problems, so its a tough
one to grow.

SHUKSAN The fruit is large; color is glossy and bright red. Flavor is
relatively sweet (lower in acid than the Olympus or Rainier), so this
seems to be a good all around berry for either processing or eating
fresh. One of the favorite cooking and canning varieties.

TOTEM Makes up 70 percent of the acreage in the Pacific Northwest.
It's fairly easy to grow, and is high in quality for processing.
Considered one of the ideal cooking and canning varieties although
the color is on the dark side and preserves may not achieve the color
you really want.

RAINIER The fruit is large; color is bright red throughout. Flavor
doesn't seem to be as acidic as the Olympus. Considered an ideal
cooking and canning variety.

OLYMPUS The fruit is on the small side; color is bright red
throughout. Flavor is fairly acidic and the texture is realtively
firm, so it's good for freezing and making preserves.

PUGET RELIANCE A new variety out of Washington. It's very easy to
grown, very virus tolerant and high yielding. the berries are very
large, though it can be a little softer than the commercial
processors like. It has acceptable color although not as highly
colored as a Redcrest, Hood or Totem. Because it's so new, consumers
may have a hard time locating it.

REDCREST The Commercial strawberry processors' favorite, although some
growers have a real tough time growing it because of it's
susceptibility to disease. It's firm, it's colored all the way
through very well, it holds up real well - in ice cream, and as a
preserve - and it's real acidic, which is good for processing. The
acid level may keep some people from enjoying it in its natural state
because it is a quite tart berry. However when you add a little
sugar, the flavors really come out.
With excellent flavor being a given, acid and stablity are the two
most important factors for Commercial processors. The color is more
stable in a high acid berry. Without that extra boost of acid, the
color can migrate away from red and into gray when heated or frozen.

Source: Preserving by Jan Roberts-Dominguez, The Oregonian FoodDay,
June 6, 1995
Typos by Dorothy Flatman
Submitted By DOROTHY FLATMAN On 06-14-95

Browse by categories