Strawberries celebrated for taste and healthy appeal

Festivals are held in their honour. Market gardens grow acres of them. Back yard garden patches are popular for pick and eat right off the vine. They are popular in short cakes and jams.
Strawberries are one of the most popular treats of summer, being non-fat and low in calories, rich in vitamin C, potassium, folic acid and fibre.
They also, over the years, have been used in medicines for ailments such as sunburn, discolored teeth, digestion (Wild Strawberry concoctions, perhaps) and gout.
Strawberries were often served at medieval state events, symbolizing prosperity, peace and perfection.
References to strawberries date back to ancient Rome although tame strawberries have only been cultivated in North America since 1835. Wild strawberries, however, have been in this continent much longer, with the invention of strawberry shortcake credited to Native Americans.
The name strawberry was derived from the berries that are "strewn" about on the plants, and "strewn berry" eventually became strawberry.
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Today's recipes feature the strawberry and come from the 1958 publication of Helen Gougeon's Good Food Cookbook.
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Hot Strawberry Pie
1 unbaked crust
1 quart strawberries
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
whipped cream
Line a pie plate with pastry and fill with hulled and cleaned strawberries.
Beat egg yolks well, add sugar slowly and beat until fluffy. Add flour and continue beating.
Fold in beaten egg whites last and pour over berries.
Bake in a 375 degrees F oven for eight minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F and bake slowly until pastry is done. Serve hot with whipped cream.
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Strawberry Jam
5 cups strawberries
1/2 cup lemon juice
5 cups sugar
Wash, dry and remove hulls from fresh berries. Put into cooking pan and cover with 5 cups of sugar. Allow to stand overnight or all day.
Bring to a rolling boil and boil for exactly 8 minutes. At the end of this time, add the lemon juice.
Bring to a boil again and boil for three minutes longer. Remove from the stove and cook in the same pan. When completely cool, pour into sterilized jars and seal.
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Strawberry Butter
2 tbsps. butter
2 tbsps. cream cheese
4 tbsps. strawberry jam
nutmeg or mace
Cream butter and cheese together until light and fluffy. Add jam and sprinkle lightly with nutmeg or mace. Stir until well-blended and creamy. Place in bowl and refrigerate until ready to spread on hot toast. Sufficient to spread on eight to 10 pieces.
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Strawberry Ice Cream
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, crushed
2 tbsps. lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup cold water
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
Place crushed strawberries in a large mixing bowl. Add lemon juice and sugar. Combine the remainder of the ingredients and add the berry mixture. Pour into a freezing tray and freeze, stirring at least twice as the mixture hardens. Serves five.
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Strawberry Sauce
fresh strawberries, sliced and sugared
1/2 cup canned pineapple, grated
1/2 cup pineapple juice
handful crystallized ginger, chopped
Combine all ingredients, mix and serve on ice cream.
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Devonshire Strawberry
fresh strawberries
1 tsp. maple syrup or brown sugar
1 tbsp. commercial sour cream
Fill an individual glass mould with freshly washed and hulled strawberries. Sprinkle with maple syrup or brown sugar. Top with sour cream. Recipe may be increased for more than one portion.
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Strawberry Croute
1 slice white bread for each person
fresh strawberries, sliced and sweetened
1 bowl whipping cream
Melt butter in a frying pan. Fry bread, browning one side slightly more than the other. Place bread on a plate, browned side up and cover with a generous quantity of sliced, sweetened strawberries. Serve with whipped cream.
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French Strawberry Cream Cakes
1/2 cup butter
1 cup boiling water
4 eggs
1 cup flour.
Place butter and water in saucepan and place on front of range to boil. As soon as boiling point is reached, add flour all at once, and stir vigorously. Remove from heat as soon as mixed, and add unbeaten eggs one at a time, beating, until thoroughly mixed, between the addition of eggs.
Place cream cake mixture into 12 cupcake containers. Bake 30 minutes in a moderate oven.
Split when done, and fill with Strawberry Cream Filling. If cream cakes are removed from the oven before being thoroughly cooked, they will fall.
Strawberry Filling:
1 cup thick cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg white
1/2 cup strawberries,
1/2 teaspoon vanilla.
Beat cream until stiff. Add sugar, white of egg beaten until stiff, strawberries mashed, and vanilla. Fill cakes and serve immediately.
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Thought for the day: "Self-importance is our greatest enemy. Think about it - what weakens us is feeling offended by the deeds and misdeeds of our fellowmen. Our self-importance requires that we spend most of our lives offended by someone." - Carlos Castenada

Joyce Walter can be reached at 691-1250 or jwalter@mjtimes.sk.ca