Strawberry dishes you need to try before the season’s over
Make the most of those last few berries
Seasonal fruits are always delightful, especially because we have to wait a whole year to enjoy them again. Strawberries are a versatile fruit – you bake them in cakes, mix them up with other fruits, blend them with yogurt, use them as a garnish, or enjoy them with champagne.
Here’s a fun fact, an average strawberry has about 200 seeds and is the only fruit that wears its seeds on the outside. Also, these fruits come loaded with vitamins, fibers, and antioxidants. So have you eaten strawberries in the last couple of months? Whether or not you have, enjoy these recipes with fresh strawberries while you still can. Strawberry season might nearly be over but these recipes will stay with you, so try them out.
Strawberry popsicles
These popsicles are an easy way to use up leftover, mushy strawberries. Just clean them, remove the stems and leaves, and blitz them in the blender with sugar, lemon juice and water. Pour the mixture into popsicle moulds and pop them in the freezer. Serve the popsicles on hot afternoons.
Strawberry compote
Strawberry compote is the perfect accompaniment for desserts such as puddings and cakes. If you have strawberries that are starting to turn a little soft, this is the perfect way to rescue them. You only require three ingredients to prepare a delicious strawberry compote.
Wash the strawberries and spread them out to dry on paper towels or in a colander. Remove the stem and leaves, dice them into small pieces, and add the chopped strawberries to a pan of raw sugar or cane sugar. Add lemon juice and cook the mixture on low heat. The fruit will soften and release its juices. Stir at regular intervals and cook until the mixture bubbles and thickens up. Let the compote cool before storing it in the refrigerator in a glass jar. Serve chilled compote on the side or as a topping to add extra fun to pancakes and puddings. You can even.
Strawberry and spinach salad
Can strawberries be used in a salad that isn’t a fruit salad? Just throw some berries together with baby spinach, nuts, and a good dressing to discover that you certainly can! Tear some baby spinach leaves and chop a handful of almonds into slivers. Mix olive oil with roasted sesame and poppy seeds, lemon juice, honey, a pinch of salt and red chilli flakes. Dice the strawberries into quarters and mix all the ingredients together in a big bowl. Prepare the salad just before mealtime and serve it immediately.
Strawberry cocktails
Celebrate the end of the strawberry session by turning an evening into a cocktail party. Cocktails are a fabulous way to enjoy the sweet, juicy taste of strawberries. Also, rum and vodka pair up beautifully with them. Just blend the strawberries with some ice, lemon juice, and pineapple pieces. Pour out the mixture in a glass and top it off with some rum/vodka and soda. Give it a good stir and garnish with fresh mint leaves.
What are your favourite strawberry dishes? Tell us in the comments.