I was writing as a guest blogger for my friend Sheryl, when I came up with this idea for two strawberry sauces. These recipes resulted from the unfortunate situation of having too many strawberries, and I didn’t want to just freeze them.
The berries in question came from a local farm stand, Miller’s Bay, and are fabulous berries, so, the question became, what to do. I’d already gone the jam, shortcake, with cream, route. In a way, they ended up getting treated almost the same way tomatoes get treated around here, or applesauce: Simmered. A low, slow simmer with just sugar or apples added to the mix, comes up with a brilliant ruby red, super yummy strawberry deliciousness.
The sauces can be used over ice cream, cake, or anything that tickles your fancy, in short, anything that needs a touch of summer sunshine. In doing research for these two, I quickly realized that most recipes called for a ton of sugar, as much sugar as berry. My feeling was that all you would taste is a fruity sweetness, but not much berry. So, I set to work. What I found was that an almost than 2:1 berry to sugar ration worked pretty good, and you could even do with less sugar. It will all become clear below.
Strawberry Sauce Recipes
Strawberry Sauce Recipe 1
6 cups washed, hulled strawberries
1 ½ cups sugar
I small unpeeled apple, finely chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
Strawberry Sauce Recipe 2
6 cups washed, hulled strawberries
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ to 1 tsp. almond extract, depending on taste
The method for both recipes is the same. Using a large pot, place berries into pot, cutting the really large ones into chunks. Add the sugar and let them sit for about 15 minutes. Turn on the heat at low, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the juices are syrupy. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, and the almond extract (I went for the 1 tsp amount) in Recipe 2. You can also remove the cinnamon stick. Let cool. You now have the most delicious amount of strawberry heaven imaginable.
The next question could be: Which one did I like better? I really liked the almond flavor in Recipe 2, but the little bits of crunchy apple in Recipe 1 was really enjoyable too. Tough decision, but try them both and see what you think.
You can follow the adventures of Sue Van Slooten at www.SVanSlooten.com.
Helpful links:
Miller’s Bay Farm, www.MillersBayFarm.com
You can check out what Sheryl is up to at Gold & Treasure Coast SlowFood,www.SlowFoodGTC.org.