Strawberry season is here! It’s strawberry season! You’re lucky if you live near a U-pick farm or a farmers’ market with fresh, locally-grown strawberries.
Variety
Camarosa, Chandler, and Sweet Charlie are the main varieties grown in Alabama. They are great for freezing and jams and preserves. Albion, Sweet Charlie, and other types are also occasionally extended. Still, they need to be better adapted to Alabama weather, according to Gary Gray, one of our Regional Extension Agents for Commercial Horticulture.
Yield
Cans of 18-24 quarts can be found in a 24-quart crate. 36 lbs fresh = 36 pints froze 2/3 quart = 1 pint fresh
How to Preserve
Freezing
Pick red, firm berries that are ripe and have a tart taste. It is better to crush or slice large berries. Sort the berries. Do not soak them. Drain and cap well. The sugar and syrup method will result in better-frozen strawberries than packing the berries without sweetness.
* Syrup packing method: Fill berries in containers, cover with 50% cold syrup (1 part water and 1 part sugar), and leave 1/2 inch headspace. Seal, date, and label the berries.
Add sugar to six parts of strawberries and thoroughly mix. Place in containers leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Seal, date, and label the berries.
Cover with one teaspoon of ascorbic acid per quart of water to ensure better color. Cover with water that contains one teaspoon of ascorbic acid per quart. Seal, label, and then freeze the berries.
The pectin-pack method uses less sugar and more pectin than the syrup-pack method and retains fresh berries’ flavor and texture. Follow the instructions on the box. Leave 1/2 inch headspace when packing into containers or freezer bags. Seal, date, and label the berries.
Canning
Strawberry Syrup (half a pint)
Fresh or frozen berries, 6 1/2 cups
Sugar 6 1/2 cups
This method can also be used with blueberries, raspberries, cherries, grapes, and fresh or frozen juices. Choose fresh or frozen fruits. Fresh fruit should be washed, capped, and stemmed. Crush the fruit in a pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the fruit is soft. Drain hot liquids through a colander and let them cool down until they are safe to handle. Strain the juice collected through a double layer of cheesecloth or a jelly bag. The dry pulp should be thrown away. The juice from the press should yield between 4 1/2 and 5 cups. Combine the juice and sugar in a large pan. Bring to a rolling boil and simmer for 1 minute. To make syrup from whole fruit pieces, you can save up to 2 cups of fresh or frozen fruits, mix them with sugar and simmer them the same way as regular syrup. Skim off the foam and pour into hot, clean half-pint or quart jars. Leave 1/2 inch headspace. Clean jar rims with a damp cloth, adjust the lids, and can in a boiling water canner for 10 mins (for both half-pints & pints).
Lower Sugar Strawberry Jam
For 10 – 8.8 ounce jars
6 1/3 cups crushed strawberries
Water or unsweetened fruit drink, 1 cup
Pectin Ball Low or No sugar needed 7 1/2 tablespoons
Honey or sugar granulated, 1/2 to 3 cups
Use 1/2 teaspoon of butter to stop the foaming.
Make Jam
1. Prepare water bath canners, jars, and lids per the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Combine the prepared fruit and water or fruit juice in a large pan. Stir in Ball RealFruit ™ Pectin gradually. If using butter, add it. Stir constantly as you bring the mixture to a rolling boil, which cannot be slowed down.
3. Add sugar, sugar substitute, or honey if desired. Bring the mixture back to a rolling boil. Stir constantly while bringing the mix to a boil. Remove from heat. If necessary, skim off the foam.
4. Place two-piece lids on the jars and tighten them with your fingernail—process in the water bath for 10 minutes. Remove the canner from heat and allow it to sit on a towel for 24 hours. Check seal, clean, and rinse jar. Label and enjoy. If the pot does not seal properly, place it in the refrigerator or reprocess using a canner.
**The shelf life will be shorter when making jams and jellies with lower sugar. Sugar acts as a preserver of the color of the fruit. The shelf life of a full sugar jam is 8-10 months without turning but jams with less sugar start to turn in about three months. The spot will stay lighter red, but it is better for you. When strawberries are plentiful, freeze them to make jam more than once a year. Frozen strawberries make sweeter jam.
Strawberry facts and information about storage, food safety, and more
Avoid buying fruits that have been bruised, damaged, or moldy.
Hands should be washed before handling any fresh produce.
Fruit should be kept away from meat and juices to avoid cross-contamination.
* Do not use soft or overripe fruit.
* Put berries into a plastic bag or a box that has holes. Cover with plastic wrap.
* Store around 40 degrees F.
A cup of strawberries contains only 55 calories.
The daily recommended intake of Vitamin C in children is 140 percent.
The weather, variety, and the stage of ripeness at harvest all influence strawberry flavor.
* Strawberries belong to the rose family.
There are approximately 200 seeds per strawberry.
* Ninety-four percent of households in the United States consume strawberries.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the average annual consumption of strawberries, both fresh and frozen, is 4,85 pounds per person.
* Strawberries can be found in all 50 states of the United States and Canada.
Americans consume 3.4 pounds of fresh strawberries annually, plus another 1.8 pounds in frozen form. Strawberry products are available in various forms, including frozen, jam, jelly, and ice cream. However, nothing beats the taste of fresh, vine-ripened strawberries.