Last Updated on November 25, 2020 by Nazmin Sarker
Types of Berries
- Blackberries,
- Blueberries,
- Boysenberries,
- Dewberries,
- Gooseberries,
- Loganberries,
- Raspberries,
- Strawberries,
- Youngberries.
Season: Summer month, mostly June and July. Strawberries are available all year round, best supplies from April to July.
Look for: Plump, fresh, uniformly colored fruit, free of stems or leaves. Avoid fruit that is moldy, crushed or bruised, or that has leaked moisture through the carton.
To store: Refrigerate. Use within 1 or 2 days.
To serve: Serve with sugar and milk or over cercal. Eat out of hand. Use in recipes for salads, pies, muffins, coffeecakes, desserts, jams, and sauces.
Preparing berries: Wash berries under running cold water, discarding any crushed or bruised ones. Drain well in a colander or strainer. Using kitchen scissors, cut top and tail from gooseberries. Remove stems (hulls) from berries such as strawberries.
Sugaring Perfect berries for garnish: Wash and drain; roll in sugar while still wet.
Very-Berry Compote
- 3 pints strawberries, halved,
- ½ cup of sugar
- 1 cup raspberries
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1½ pints vanilla ice cream softened
- 2 tablespoon grated orange peel
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, gently toss strawberries with sugar; cover and refrigerate about 2 hours, tossing occasionally.
- Just before serving: Alternately spoon strawberries raspberries and blueberries into a large glass serving bowl.
- In a medium bowl, combine ice cream with orange peel; spoon some on top of berries to garnish. Pass the remainder in a small bowl. Serve immediately.
Blueberry Sauce
- 1 cup of water
- 1-pint blueberries
- ¾ cup of sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions:
- In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, heat water to boiling; add blueberries; return to boiling.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt; salt into blueberries and cook, stirring constantly, until thick. Add lemon juicer blender food processor combo.
Blackberry Sauce
- 1 20-ounce bag frozen unsweetened blackberries
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions:
- In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, heat berries, sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon, stirring occasionally, until hot and bubbly. Cover; chill. Serve over ice cream, cake, and other fruits.
Freezer Strawberry Topping
- 1 quart fully ripened strawberries
- 4 cup sugar (about 1¾ pounds)
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 1¾-ounce package powdered fruit pectin
- ¾ cup water about 6 8-ounce freezer-proof containers
Instructions:
- In a large bowl with a potato masher or slotted spoon, thoroughly crush berries, one layer at a time. Stir in sugar and orange juice until thoroughly mixed; let stand 10 minutes.
- In an l-quart saucepan over medium heat, heat fruit pectin with water until boiling; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir pectin mixture into fruit, continue stirring 3 minutes to blend well (a few sugar crystals will remain).
- Ladle mixture into containers to ½ inch from top cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours or until set. Freeze to use within 1 year. For use within 3 weeks, store in the refrigerator. Use to top plain or toasted slices of pound cake, angel cake; serve on rice pudding or ice cream; spoon over cheesecake; stir into plain yogurt.
Strawberries Romanoff
- ¼ cup orange-flavored liqueur
- ¼ cup of orange juice
- 2 tablespoons brandy
- 1-pint strawberries
- ½ cup heavy or whipping cream
- 1½ tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Instructions:
- In a small bowl, combine liqueur, juice, and brandy. Cut strawberries in halves; add to mixture and chill for at least 1 hour, spooning liquid over berries occasionally.
- In another small bowl with mixer at high speed, whip cream until frothy; and beat until soft peaks form. Spoon strawberries into sherbet dishes and top with whipped cream.