Summer Cooking With Fresh Berries

With Warm Weather Slowly Creeping In, So Is Berry Season.

Apr 6, 2009 Kristen Putch

One of the joys of summer is great, fresh food, and among those foods is berries: strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, ready to be picked and eaten.

Fresh berries are one of the many joys of summer, and finding new recipes for those berries can sometimes be difficult. Below are some new takes on this fresh and sweet summer treat. Note that some recipes may call for a certain type of berry, but others can easily be substituted -- so get crazy and try some new stuff!

Fresh Berry Pie

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 (3 ounce) packages strawberry flavored gelatin
  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled
  • 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a large saucepan combine gelatin power, cornstarch, sugar and boiling water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until mixture boils and thickens. Let cool to room temperature while you prepare the berries.
  2. Add berries to the cooled gelatin mixture. Stir gently to coat, then pour all into crust. Chill uncovered for 1 hour, then cover and store in refrigerator.

Frosty Strawberry Squares

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
  2. Stir together first four ingredients. Spread evenly in a shallow baking pan.
  3. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Remove from oven and sprinkle 2/3 of these crumbs into a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.
  5. Combine egg whites, sugar, berries, and lemon juice in a large bowl. With electric mixer, beat until stiff.
  6. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon over crumbs. Sprinkle remaining crumbs on top.
  7. Freeze 6 hours or overnight. Cut into squares and garnish with whole strawberries if desired.

Strawberry Bread

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups fresh strawberries
  • 3 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 1 1/4 cups chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter and flour two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.
  2. Slice strawberries, and place in medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, and set aside while preparing bread mixture.
  3. Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in large bowl: mix well. Blend oil and eggs into strawberries. Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, blending until dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in pecans. Divide batter into pans.
  4. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until tester inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn loaves out, and cool completely.

Spicy Fruit Salsa

INGREDIENTS

  • 5 kiwis, peeled and diced
  • 1 quart strawberries, finely chopped
  • 1 pint fresh blackberries, chopped
  • 4 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and coarsely shredded
  • 2 tablespoons any flavor fruit jelly
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
  • 3 tablespoons habanero hot sauce
  • 1 (7 ounce) can green salsa
  • 1/3 cup lime juice

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place kiwis, strawberries, blackberries, and apples in a bowl. Stir in jelly, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, green salsa, and lime juice. Stir together.

The copyright of the article Summer Cooking With Fresh Berries in Seasonal Cooking is owned by Kristen Putch. Permission to republish Summer Cooking With Fresh Berries in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
What do you think about this article?
NOTE: Because you are not a Suite101 member, your comment will be moderated before it is viewable.
post your comment
What is 10+0?

Comments

Apr 6, 2009 3:50 AM
Guest :
Very good!!

Cooking Club of America <a href="http://affiliates.trafficsynergy.com/z/1035232/CD7409/"> <b>Click Here</b></a>
1 Comment: