Hi; I sent 2 hours picking strawberries and now I need recipes and ideas on how to use them. I haven't washed or destemed them yet because I heard that should be done before you use them for freezing or other recipes. Thanks,Lisa Zion,IL

Ps.For the Wis/IL folks I picked them at Thompson Strawberry Farm in Bristol,Wis. Be glad to give you more info if needed. 4 quart basket was $6. Buy 6 baskets only pay for

-- Lisa (magpie@fsi.net), June 10, 2001

Answers

I always get my recipes from the directions inside the box of pectin. They have always worked fine for me. I use the no/low sugar kind and just put in two cups of sugar. This makes the jam taste more like strawberries and less like sugar. It's also obviously cheaper. Just in case you haven't done this before, don't let the strawberries sit overnight on the counter if you can't make the jam tonight. Instead either put them in the refrigerator or freezer. If not, they will keep on ripening and get quite mushy before you have a chance to get the tops off which will make a bit of a mess. I prefer to wash them, take the tops off and then freeze them. That way I can make the jam whenever I feel like it.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), June 10, 2001.

Eat a bunch of them fresh, right away! Then, make strawberry shortcake using the recipe on the Bisquick box. Make strawberry smoothies for breakfast. Dry a couple of quarts for later use. If you have time, make a batch of strawberry ice cream. Then, freeze the remainder to use for smoothies and ice cream later on. Oh, if you use jam/preserves you'll want to make a batch of that.

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), June 10, 2001.

We got some plain white cake mixes for 75 cents, boxes of instant Vanilla pudding (with the goats milk), and poured the pudding over the white cake and topped that with fresh strawberries with just a little sugar. Really looks like a real dessert! And good.

-- Cindy in KY (solid_rock_ranch@yahoo.com), June 10, 2001.

Rinse, cut and add a little sugar. Thats all you need. eat and enjoy.

-- Gary (gws@redbird.net), June 11, 2001.

Lisa, I have been picking at Thompsons since the 70's. Where are you and do you go to the Renissance Faire in Bristol.

-- Cordy (ckaylegian@aol.com), June 11, 2001.

Sorry Lisa, I noticed that you are in Zion. I am outside Chicago for a while longer...we close on our home and 14 acres in 2 weeks and I have already found a place to pick strawberries near our new place. In fact I picked there a few weeks ago when we were nearby. I paid $1 per quart.

I dry some of my berries and make strawberry leathers. Let me know if you are interested in these.

-- Cordy (ckaylegian@aol.com), June 11, 2001.

Can anyone tell me how much a quart of strawberries weighs? We buy them by the pound at our pick your own in this area and I was wondering how the prices compare to your parts of the country. We pay $1.15 a pound.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), June 11, 2001.

Colleen, a pint's a pound, the world around! (-roughly speaking of course!)

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), June 12, 2001.