The Russellville City Slickers 4-H Club
Strawberry Foods Workshop
May 21, 2002


Fresh Fruit Smoothie

1 pint strawberries, stemmed and sliced
          (approx. 2 cups)
2 bananas
1 cup of milk, 2% preferred
1 cup (8 oz)  vanilla yogurt
2 cup honey
1 cup crushed ice (5-6 cubes)

In blender or food processor container, combine all ingredients; process until smooth. 

Serve immediately. For variety, use 2 cups any fresh fruit or combination of fruits such as sliced peaches
and whole raspberries.  Makes 4 servings.


Frosty Strawberry Pops 

1 pint basket strawberries, stemmed 
1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk 
3 tablespoons frozen orange, cranberry or
          pineapple juice concentrate 

Combine all ingredients in blender.  Blend.  Freeze in eight 3 oz. wax coated or plastic cups with a craft stick in each.


Fruit Dip 1

 cream cheese, softened
 7 oz jar marshmallow cream
 A few drops of almond extract (optional)
  
Mix at high speed.  Serve with favorite fruit.

Fruit Dip 2
cream cheese, softened
8 oz. Cool whip
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix at high speed.  Serve with favorite fruit.

Strawberry Leather

3 cups fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon light corn syrup

Puree strawberries in blender.  Add lemon juice and corn syrup.  Pour into a 15 x 10 x
1-inch jellyroll pan lined with heavy duty plastic wrap.  Dry in convection oven or dehydrator at 150 degrees F
for 7 2 to 8 hours or until surface is dry and no longer sticky.  Remove and roll while still warm.  Cut into logs 
and wrap in plastic wrap.


Strawberry Cake Cookie

1 (18.25 oz.) package strawberry cake
                                mix
2  eggs, beaten
2 cup chopped fresh strawberries
1 cup whipped cream

1. 	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.
2. 	In a medium bowl, mix together the cake mix, eggs and strawberries until well blended. Fold in the whipped cream until well blended. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets. 
3.  	Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.


Freezer Jam

3 cups crushed strawberries
5 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1 (1 3/4-ounce) package powdered pectin

Combine berries and sugar and let stand 20 min.  Bring water and pectin to a boil for 1 min.  
Add to fruit and stir thoroughly.  Spoon into freezer containers.  Let stand 24 hours; freeze.


Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Chocolate flavored almond bark
Strawberries, with stems

Melt almond bark in microwave safe container.  Using the stem to hold the strawberries, carefully dip them in the chocolate. 
Lay on wax paper until chocolate hardens.  May be decorated with drizzled vanilla flavored almond bark.


Freezing Strawberries

Select fully ripe, firm berries with a deep red color. Discard immature and defective fruit. Wash and remove caps. 

Syrup Pack

Put berries into containers and cover with cold syrup (50% sugar, 50% water), leaving 2 inch head space.  Seal and freeze. 

Sugar Pack

Add : cup sugar to 1 quart (1 1/3 pounds) strawberries (whole, sliced or crushed)  and mix thoroughly. Stir until most of the
sugar is dissolved and let stand for 15 minutes. Put into containers, leaving 2 inch  head space. Seal and freeze. 


Picking Strawberries

Grasp the stem just above the berry between the forefinger an the thumbnail and pull with a slight twisting motion.  
With the stem broken about 2 inch from the berry, carefully place the fruit into your containers. 

Here are a few other tips to keep in mind: 

- 	Use shallow buckets.  Heaping strawberries will bruise the berries. 
- 	Only pick the berries that are fully red. 
- 	Part the leaves with your hands to look for hidden berries. 
- 	Remove berries that show rot, sunburn, insect injury or other defects.
- 	Berries picked during the heat of the day bruise easily and will not keep well.
 - 	Keep picked berries in the shade and cool them as soon as possible after picking.