Tag Archives: strawberry

June 28, 2011 · 9:42 AM

Scavenged Berry Jam

I have a dirty secret.

I made jam with berries that I scavenged from neighbors’ yards.  My husband calls them alley berries.  Berries from trees growing in our alley that he feels must be watered with cat piss and malt liquor.

But I know the truth.  What he calls alley berries are actually delicious and delicate mulberries.  And, yes I did scavenge the berries, but it is just that the neighbors don’t know how lucky they are to have these trees in their yards.  They think the dark colored berries are a nuisance that make the sidewalk sticky.

Too bad for them.

I learned about how sweet mulberries are in childhood.  My grandparents had two large trees beside their house in North Texas – one dark purple and one white mulberry.  They were both delicious, but I preferred the purple.  It was sweeter and more flavorful.  I would climb the branches to eat berries and by the time I climbed back down, my hands and mouth were stained purple.  My dad says he did the same thing as a kid.

This berry is very popular in Asia, but not so much here in the US.  I think here in the Eastern part of the country, we have mostly purple or red mulberries.  They look a bit like blackberries or raspberries, but they are usually smaller, have fewer seeds, and a milder flavor.

Most folks I asked had never tasted a mulberry, which is a shame.  Well, on second thought…maybe it is good that I don’t have much competition for my scavenged berries.

One thing that may contribute to mulberries unpopularity is that they are quite fragile.  They start to deteriorate the minute they are picked.  So, pick only what you are willing to eat or process right away.  I mean it, right away.

Mulberry Strawberry Jam
Makes a little more than two 1/2 pint (8 oz) jars

2 cups freshly picked mulberries
2 cups strawberries, washed, cored, and chopped into bite-size pieces
2 cups granulated sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Rinse the mulberries gently so you don’t damage the fruit.  When you pick mulberries, it is pretty hard to avoid bring the stems with you.  And, they are a pain to remove when you are washing the berries.  That’s okay, I think the stems add a bit more pectin to your fruit, so I leave about half of them attached.  It thickens the jam in a way that I don’t think you notice the stems.

Combine the fruit and sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat.  I use a 2 to 1 (fruit to sugar) ratio  in my berry jam recipes so you can adjust according to how much fruit you picked.  You could also combine mulberries with other tasty fruit, if you don’t like or don’t have strawberries, or just use the mulberries by themselves.

The sugar will melt and start to bubble.  Stir frequently and let it cook until juices are no longer cloudy-looking.  It took me about 5 minutes.

Turn down heat to medium and add lemon juice.  Stir frequently and let it cook until thick.  It took my batch about 20 minutes to get to the right consistency.

Spoon into sterilized jars and seal.

I use glass jars with a vacuum seal for my jams and preserves, and I provide directions on that process on the post on strawberry preserves.

For a small batch recipe like this, however, you may not want to go to that much of effort.  You can put the cooked jam in a sealable container with a lid and keep in your refrigerator for a couple of  months or in your freezer for close to 12 months.  But, because it hasn’t been processed, you cannot store it on a shelf in your pantry or cabinets.

6 Comments

Filed under Preserving

Tagged as , ,

June 27, 2011 · 10:34 AM

Be Cool and Patriotic

Cool off at your US Independence Day party with these red, white, and blue popsicles.

My brother bought me some new popsicle molds that look like sailboats, so I’ve been playing around with different recipes.

I made these with my friend, Laura, in mind.  Her favorite holiday is the Fourth of July.  In fact, she likes it so much she even chose it for her wedding date.  Pretty cool, huh?

Now, I’m a sucker for the fun shapes of the popsicle molds (as my husband can tell you), but you don’t need them to make this recipe.  You can just use paper cups and wooden craft sticks.

Patriotic Popsicles
Makes about 6 popsicles (depends on size of molds)

about 1 1/2 cups strawberries, washed and cored
about 2 cups of blueberries, washed and stemmed
3 – 5 Tbsp agave syrup, divided
about 6 Tbsp vanilla yogurt (low-fat, no-fat, whole, or soy all okay)

Puree strawberries with 1 to 2 Tbsp of agave syrup in a food processor or blender.

Pour equal amounts into popsicle molds and place in freezer for about 20 minutes.  This is creating the top layer of your popsicles.

Puree blueberries with 2 to 3 Tbsp of agave syrup in a food processor or blender.

Pour  equal amounts into popsicle molds on top of slightly firm strawberry puree.  Place in freezer for another 20 minutes to create the middle layer of your popsicles.

Remove popsicle molds from freezer and spoon in equal amounts of vanilla yogurt to create the final layer of your popsicles.

 

Put in sticks or tops and place back in freezer to completely firm.

 

 

 

 

 

1 Comment

Filed under Dessert, Snacks

Tagged as ,

June 21, 2011 · 9:41 AM

A Pie in the Hand Is Worth…

A lot.

Hand pies are great, aren’t they?  I mean, the fact that a piece of pie doesn’t require a fork to eat it is pretty cool.  And, that is not just because I don’t have a dishwasher.  No, I’m more impressed by the ease in which it can move from the pan to my mouth.

I wanted some pie this weekend, and I liked the idea of not using forks, but I didn’t want to roll out and press a bunch of individual pies.  So, I made a slab pie instead.  (ASIDE: When I told my husband that what he was smelling was a slab pie baking in the oven.  He replied that he had never tasted slab, but he hoped it was good.)  No, silly, it is called slab pie for its shape, not its flavor.  It is long, flat, and rectangular, like a stone slab.  I figured it was a sturdy enough pie that once it was cut into slices, it could be eaten out of hand.  I was right.

Strawberry Blueberry Slab Pie
Serves 8 to 12

Crust:

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
18 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice (I mean it, really cold)
3 Tbsp cold vegetable shortening
1/3 cup cold water

Filling:

4 cups berries (I used equal parts sliced strawberries and blueberries)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 Tbsp orange juice
1/2 Tbsp orange zest

To make the crust:
I experimented with a Fine Cooking recipe for pie dough because I wanted to use my food processor.  If you don’t have a food processor, you can still make this recipe by hand,  though.

Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor.

Add the really cold butter and vegetable shortening.

Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  It took me about 10 pulses.  You want the fats cold when you mix with the flour so it will stay in little pieces and make your crust flakier instead of just melting together.

Sprinkle 1/3 cup cold water and pulse until it just starts to come together.  It took me about 8 pulses.  Be careful not to overprocess.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and with your fingers shape into a rectangle that is about 8 x 12 inches.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Make filling:
In a bowl, toss together  berries, salt, sugar, cornstarch, orange juice, and orange zest.  Set aside.

Assemble and bake pie:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

Retrieve the dough from the refrigerator and turn out on t0 a lightly floured work surface.  With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thick rectangle.  You can probably get as large as 12 x 18 inches, but it is okay if it is smaller.  You may need to add a bit more flour as you roll, so it doesn’t stick.  If you want it pretty, you should trim the dough and make the sides straight.  If you don’t care how it looks, just how it tastes, leave it alone.

Transfer the dough to your prepared baking sheet and turn it so the long side if facing you.  Spoon/spread the berry filling along the bottom half, leaving about a 1/2-inch border.  Because my berries were so juicy, I used a slotted spoon to move the berries onto the pie crust.

Fold the top half down to cover the filling.  I lifted the exposed bottom layer on top of the top layer to seal the pie, but you can line up the edges, if you prefer.

To seal the filled pie, press a fork along the seam or edges to secure the sides.  Press the fork down gently, just enough to create a good bond, but not so hard that you push through to the second layer of dough and pierce it, which could cause the filling to leak. (Like what I did.)

In a small bowl, beat an egg with about 2 tsp of water to create an egg wash.  Brush this mixture over the top of the sealed pie.

Using a sharp paring knife, cut 5 or 6 steam vents into the top of the dough.

Bake until the pie is golden brown, about 50 minutes.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

When ready to serve, use a serrated knife to cut into slices.  It is best eaten within 24 hours, but it will keep for a couple of days, well-wrapped in the refrigerator.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Dessert, Snacks

Tagged as , ,

June 20, 2011 · 10:27 AM

Chocolate on a Stick

I’ve been creating recipes since I was a kid.  Of course, some turned out better than others…Let’s just say I came up with some flavor combinations that I’ve chosen not to repeat.  But others…well, there are others that I’ve turned to again and again.

It will come as no surprise to folks who know me that I’ve spent my life thinking about what to pair with chocolate.  It is one of my favorite flavors and I think it makes so many things taste utterly delicious.

I especially enjoy chocolate ice cream.  As a kid growing up in Texas, I ate a lot of Blue Bell brand chocolate ice cream.  During strawberry season, my grandmother would make strawberry ice cream, but I didn’t want any.  I just wanted chocolate.  She couldn’t understand why I would refuse to eat homemade ice cream, in her favorite flavor of strawberry.  To humor her, I put strawberries on my chocolate ice cream, and a new love was born.  I enjoyed it so much I wrote to the Blue Bell Ice Cream company with a request to start producing chocolate strawberry chunk.

Blue Bell didn’t use my flavor suggestion, but I’ve used it many times.

Chocolate Strawberry Popsicles
Makes 6 popsicles (depending on molds used)

1/2 pint strawberries, washed and cored
1 – 2 Tbsp agave syrup, optional
2 cups milk (low-fat okay)
6 oz chocolate (semi-sweet or dark)

Finely dice strawberries.

You can also puree a portion of the berries, like I did.

If the berries are not sweet enough, you can mix in a little agave syrup.

In a small saucepan, combine milk and chocolate.

Warm over medium low heat, stirring until chocolate is melted.

Once the milk and chocolate have been blended, remove from heat and let cool.  When the mixture is no longer hot, stir in the strawberries.

Pour the liquid into popsicle molds and put in the freezer.

Mine took about 4 hours to firm  up.  They took much less time to eat.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Dessert, Snacks

Tagged as ,

June 6, 2011 · 8:48 AM

Berrylicious Jam

I finally went to pick strawberries this weekend with my friend, Virginia.  We had a compressed strawberry harvest this year with smaller and fewer berries, but I still managed to bring home almost 15 pounds.  Some might say I have a problem.  I say be prepared for several more posts on strawberries on this blog.

I must admit, though, that I was a bit daunted by the 15 pounds of strawberries last night.  You see to take advantage of the wonderful just-picked flavor of the berries, I need to start processing and preparing them quickly after getting home.  Well, washing and coring that many strawberries takes a while.  It seems to take even longer when you’re tired and sore from home renovation.  Oh, but the smell of my kitchen when I’m making jam makes it so worth it.

Of course I made a batch of strawberry preserves again, but I also decided to experiment and make a small batch of strawberry blueberry jam.  I’m very glad I did.

This is an easy recipe to get started with making preserves and it isn’t a big commitment of time and resources since it makes 2 small jars.  You can also use this as a guide for your own kitchen experiments and vary the fruit and the amounts staying to the 2:1 ratio for fruit to sugar.  You can also use an orange or lime instead of lemon.

Strawberry Blueberry Jam
Makes 2 1/2 pint (8 oz) jars

1 pint (2 cups) strawberries – washed, cored, and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 pint (2 cups) blueberries – washed with stems removed
2 cups granulated sugar
juice of 1 lemon

Combine fruit and sugar in a heavy-bottomed pot and cook over medium-high heat.

The sugar will melt and it will start to bubble.  Stir frequently and let it cook until the juices are no longer cloudy-looking.  Probably around 5 minutes.

Stir in the lemon juice and turn off the heat.  Let it sit for about an hour to macerate some more and get really juicy.  Then, turn the heat back to medium and cook the mixture.  The amount of cooking time will vary slightly depending on the type of fruit, the amount, and the pot you are using.  But, you cook it until it is the right consistency.  How do you know it is the right consistency?  Well, I use a couple of different methods…

One is the “freezer test.”  I put a small plate/saucer in the freezer when I start to cook the fruit.  When the mixture has thickened and I think it is ready, I dribble a bit of the jam (like a 1/4 tsp) on the cold plate and then put it back in the freezer.  Thirty seconds later, I remove the plate and run my finger through the blob of jam.  If my finger has created a clear path through the jam, and it does not run back together, it is ready to jar.  If the path disappears in a puddle of jam, I know I need to cook it longer.

The other method is to use a candy thermometer.  The temperature to strive for will vary slightly with the fruit  you use, but 220 degrees F, is a safe bet for this particular recipe.

This batch was ready to jar after about 15 minutes of cooking and stirring.

I use glass jars with a vacuum seal for my jams and preserves, and I provide directions on that process on the post on strawberry preserves.

For a small batch recipe like this, however, you may not want to go to that much of effort.  You can put the cooked jam in a sealable container with a lid and keep in your refrigerator for a couple of  months or in your freezer for close to 12 months.  But, because it hasn’t been processed, you cannot store it on a shelf in your pantry or cabinets.

Happy preserving this summer!

3 Comments

Filed under Preserving

Tagged as ,

March 15, 2011 · 1:24 PM

Birthday Scones

Yesterday was my friend Virginia’s birthday.  I learned her favorite flavor combination is chocolate and lavender so my plan was to make her a special birthday treat.   Unfortunately, I could not find the lavender in my spice cabinet.  Struggling with a cold, I didn’t feel up to a major lavender hunt so I decided to just be creative with what I had on hand and give her a raincheck on the chocolate lavender dessert.

With the combination of a foggy Benedryl brain and refrigerator scavenging, I came up with these scones for my friend to enjoy for breakfast.  I hope you like them, too.

Goat Cheese Scones with Strawberry Jam
Makes 6 to 8 scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp white granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 cup butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3/4 to 1 cup milk (low-fat is okay)
1/2 cup goat cheese
1/2 to 3/4 cup strawberry jam (I used homemade strawberry-orange jam)
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.

Add butter and blend with fingers, pastry blender, two knives, or food processor until mixture resembles small peas.

Add milk and crumble in goat cheese.  Stir until mixture comes together into a slightly sticky dough ball.  Add a bit more milk, if it doesn’t stick together.

Turn dough out onto floured surface, and roll out into rectangular shape about 1/2-inch thick.  Spread strawberry jam onto one half of the dough rectangle.

Fold dough over onto itself to cover the jam and lightly pinch together ends.  With a sharp knife, cut the rectangle into 6 or 8 triangles.

Transfer to prepared baking sheet, leaving space in between.  Brush tops of triangles with beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until scones are lightly golden on top.

Cool for a few minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire rack or serving.

Best eaten quickly…

2 Comments

Filed under Breakfast

Tagged as , ,

June 14, 2010 · 3:52 PM

Smoothielicious

Readers of this blog know that I’m not the biggest fan of bananas.  I buy them because my husband likes them for his lunch, but I don’t just pick one up, unpeel it, and start eating.  They are good for you, so I do try to include them in my diet.

I can handle the fruit as an ingredient, just not the main attraction.  Banana bread is a favorite, and you can find two good recipes in earlier postings (Mom’s Banana Bread and Orangette’s Banana Bread).  One cannot live on banana bread alone, however.  There are other ways to deal with bananas that are starting to turn brown on your kitchen counter.

First, let me say to those of you who don’t feel you have the time to deal with your browning bananas and are tempted to just throw them out…don’t.  Put them in your freezer instead before they get overripe.  You can put them in peel and all, as I do.  The peel will turn even browner, but the inside will be just fine.  You can also peel the banana, cut into slices, and put the slices in freezer bags.  The frozen banana can then be used for baking or smoothies, which is another way I like to use my ripening bananas.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
Makes 1 generously sized smoothie

1 ripe banana (frozen or chilled is what I prefer, but not required)
2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 Tbsp chocolate syrup
1/4 cup milk

Put all ingredients in blender and blitz away until desired consistency.

The amounts in my recipe are just rough suggestions.  You should make adjustments to make your smoothie thicker or thinner, and emphasize your preferred flavors.  Also, I used non-fat dairy (cow’s milk) products, but you can use full-fat or soy based products.

SMOOTHIE VARIATIONS: I think bananas are key to creating the best smoothie texture, so they are almost always included in mine at home, but I mix them up with other ingredients.  I like them with strawberries and orange juice, cantaloupe and pineapple juice.  Be creative in using fruit you have at home, combine them with different juices, flavored yogurts, etc…You the proportions that make it the most tasty for you.  One more note.  I don’t add crushed ice to my smoothies cause I like them a bit thick, but my husband likes it that way.  You may too, so give it a try.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Breakfast

Tagged as , , ,

May 28, 2010 · 2:29 PM

Guest Post: Strawberry Fields Forever. And Ever.

To cap off the week of strawberry entries, I’m pleased to have a guest posting from my friend Andrea.  Here is her take on our recent berry-picking excursion with a delicious recipe, too. 

I watched the movie Bottleshock the other night, about the beginnings of the Napa Valley wine industry. The winemakers and vineyard owners were startled that the British, Francophile wine snob (played by Alan Rickman) was willing to pay for tastings.

I imagine it was sort of similar the first time a farmer opened his fields for a U-pick operation. “Really? People would pay me, and do the labor? City folk, no less? Sure. Who’d fall for that?”

Fine, I’m a sucker.

But I’m a sucker snacking on some really yummy strawberry bread…

This recipe is adapted from  Everyday Food (http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/strawberry-bread). Yes, Everyday Food. Perhaps this is evidence that Martha Stewart is not, in fact, the devil? (Ok, and how awesome is it that the favicon on that site is a little a picture of her face? I mean, not even Oprah tries to pull that off!)

Strawberry Bread 
(makes 1 loaf of about 10 decent-sized slices)

Cooking spray
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups strawberries, rinsed, hulled, quartered, and mashed
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or baking/pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
slightly less than 1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a small saucepan, bring strawberries to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Set aside and let cool.


In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; set aside. 



With an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar, and eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add flour mixture alternately with water, beginning and ending with flour. 



Fold in reserved strawberries.


Scrape batter into prepared pan, smoothing top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour (tent with foil after 45 minutes if top is getting too dark). Cool in pan 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges; invert onto a rack. Reinvert; cool completely. 


Leave a Comment

Filed under Bread

Tagged as

May 27, 2010 · 12:45 PM

Spoonful of Summer

Every summer when I was growing up, my father and grandmother would make jam and preserve fruits and vegetables with me as their assistant.  I must admit that while I enjoyed spending time with them in the kitchen and I absolutely loved the results – I thought the task of canning itself was a big pain.  So many steps…and it made our Texas kitchen so very, very hot and steamy, especially my grandmother’s farm kitchen with no air conditioning.  Brutal.

Fast forward many years…I’ve not been able to find a replication of that spoonful of summer that I could find in my family kitchens.  You just can’t beat jars of jam made at home with freshly picked fruit.  Well, I decided to resolve that.  Conveniently, I had just brought home over 10 pounds of strawberries I picked myself.

The goal was to can our own fruit this summer.  First step – find mason jars and lids.  This is harder than you’d think (or at least harder than I thought) in urban Washington, DC.  My husband, my hero, eventually found them early Sunday morning in a neighborhood hardware store, hidden away and high on the shelf after we made several stops the day before with no success.  We also elected not to make jam, but to try something with a bit less sugar.

Monday night, my husband and I made fresh strawberry preserves.  Yes, it made our kitchen very hot and steamy, but it wasn’t as much labor as I remembered from my childhood.  Plus, it made our kitchen smell just wonderful.   I was inspired to get up and make biscuits the next morning just so we would have something on which to use the lovely red preserves.

We experimented with our recipe, and plan to make more batches in the future.  In the meantime, I thought I’d share with you what we made in this round.

Homemade Strawberry Preserves
Made six 8 oz. (half pint) jars

8 cups of fresh strawberries
4 cups of sugar
juice and zest of one orange

Combine the strawberries and sugar in a large pot and heat slowly until the juices are no longer cloudy.  It took about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the orange juice and zest, then cover loosely and let stand for a few hours to macerate or pull out the sweet juice of the fruit.

While waiting, bring a large pot of water to a boil to sterilize the jars and lids.  Let them stay in the boiling water for at least 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat, but leave the jars and lids in the water until you are ready to use them.

In order to help you test the doneness of the preserves later in the process, put a small plate in your refrigerator to start it chilling.

Once the fruit is nice and juicy, scoop out 2 cups worth into a large skillet and begin cooking them over medium high heat.  When the strawberries start to simmer, start stirring regularly and let them cook about 6 minutes.  You should really smell the orange combining with the strawberries at this point.  Mmmm…wonderful.

Turn off the heat and give them a test for doneness.  Take that small plate out of your refrigerator and dribble a bit of the liquid on the plate (no more than 1/4 tsp).  Let this plate sit in the freezer for 30 seconds, pull out, and swipe your finger through the puddle.

Your finger swipe will part the liquid and expose the plate underneath.  If it starts to run together immediately, it isn’t done.  So, turn the heat back on and cook for a few more minutes, then try the test again.  Our batches averaged about 8 minutes.

When you get the preserves to the right consistency, they are ready for jars.  Ladle the jam into sterilized jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the rims.

Cover each jar with a lid and fasten the ring tight.  Set aside and repeat the process with the remaining strawberries and juice.  I found it easier to control the heat and things went faster if I made them in small batches of 2 cups at a time.

Once you’ve filled all the jars, put them back into boiling water, making sure they are completely submerged.  Cook for about 10 minutes and then lift the jars from the bath.  As they cool down, you should hear a pinging noise as the lids pop from a vacuum forming.  After a couple of hours, press down on the center of each lid.  There should not be any flex.  If the lid flexes, repeat the process and re-submerge the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes to reach the vacuum seal.

1 Comment

Filed under Preserving

Tagged as

May 26, 2010 · 3:16 PM

Happy Hour with Strawberries and A Cool Website about Alcohol

It can be fairly easy to bring a smile to my husband’s face – he’s just an upbeat person.  But the grin he had last night as he walked in the door and saw me mixing cocktails could have lit the house.  He’s so cute.

If you recall, we try to have a happy hour at home at least once a week.  Last night I decided to mix up a cocktail with some of our plentiful strawberries.  Then I remembered the mint our friend Wendy brought us on  Sunday and I had a brainstorm.  Mojitos with strawberries, mint, and lemon…

Strawberry Mojito
Makes 1 tall glass

2 to 3 fresh stawberries – washed, stemmed, and chopped into bite-size pieces
2 to 3 fresh mint leaves
1 small wedge of lemon
2 tsp (or to taste) of simple syrup
2 oz (or to taste) of light rum
4 oz (or to taste) of lemon seltzer
crushed ice

Drop the strawberries, mint, and lemon wedge in the bottom of a glass.

Muddle or “smush” with a spoon to slightly crush the ingredients and release the juice of the fruit and essence of mint leaves and lemon peel. Add simple syrup and do more of the same to infuse those flavors into syrup.

Pour in rum and slightly stir.  Add crushed ice and mix gently with spoon.  Top with lemon seltzer and serve.  Mmmm…refreshing.

NOTES:  My husband makes a batch of simple syrup for us to keep in the fridge.  He steeped the last one with some mint leaves, and it worked well in this cocktail to provide an additional level of minty flavor.  You may want to use this technique or add a bit more mint leaves to your muddling mixture.

I also liked the extra layer of lemon from the seltzer.  You could elect to use plain seltzer or club soda.  The fizz is a nice touch, so stick with bubbly.

You could also switch to lime, if you prefer, but I thought the lemon would not compete so much with the strawberries.  Regardless, have fun mixing and experimenting.

Now, about that cool website…

How does that song go?
“When I’m not drinkin’, I think about drinkin’.  When I’m not thinkin’, I drink about you…”

If you are like me, you enjoy drinking, you enjoy reading, and you really enjoy reading about drinking.  So, if that is the case, I encourage you to visit a cool website known as AlcoholReviews.com.

The founder and editor, Kevin R. Kosar has a witty style and he shares lots of neat tidbits of interest to drinkers.  And, I’m proud to say he also generously gave me a shout out about our visit to Copper Fox Distillery earlier this month.  I encourage you to visit his site and keep thinkin’ about drinkin’.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Cocktails

Tagged as