Tuesday Edition: Kitchen Tip



"Frosen Frosted Berries" originally uploaded to Flickr by jcoterhals


Berry picking in the summer has to be one of my favorite things to do.  I usually end up eating as much as (or more than) I put in my basket, which means I usually have a tummy ache by the time I am through.  But it is all worth it for sweet, ripe berries!

The strawberry crop wasn't good at the farm near my house.  They actually closed the fields most days, so we weren't able to pick this year.  We bought some (really expensive) strawberries at the farm's market.  They were shipped in from another farm, and they were really tasty, but it just wasn't the same. 

We haven't done any other berry picking this summer, but I hope there is still time.  I think the Toddler would love it!  She would probably also eat everything she picked! And she would probably also pick off the ground. 

If we do get out there, I will be sure to freeze some of our harvest.  I haven't done any berry-freezing in the past, but I came across this tip in the August/September issue of Taste of Home magazine.  TOH recommends placing unwashed berries in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with plastic wrap and sticking the whole thing into the freezer for a few hours.  After the berries are frozen you can then transfer them to freezer bags, label, and store in your freezer for up to a year.  To use: gently rinse!

That sounds easy enough.  The only thing that might slow someone down is a too-small freezer.  I used to have a side-by-side fridge and nothing would ever fit in there!  So maybe just use a small plate and do several batches if your freezer is too small for a cookie sheet!

Do you go berry picking?  What's your favorite to pick?  I would love to hear from you.