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| One morning's pickings |
They've never been so bountiful nor so pretty. I'm crediting the right amount of rainfall, compost, and all those hardwood ashes from my wood cookstove. Jam and strawberry short cake are at the top of my strawberry to-do list, but I also wanted to try an idea I've had for kefir ice cream.
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| I love my Cuisinart ice cream freezer. No salt, no ice, just ice cream in 20 minutes! |
The photo's color looks a little funky because of the flash but was it ever good: creamy, tangy, and not too sweet. Here's the recipe.
Strawberry Kefir Ice Cream
The proportions are for a small, freezer bowl ice cream maker.
- 1 cup cream
- 1.5 cups crushed strawberries
- dash sea salt
- 1/2 cup unbleached sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1.5 cups kefir
Mix cream, sugar, strawberries, and salt in a saucepan. Heat until almost simmering. In a blender beat the egg yolks. Slowly add the strawberry mixture, then add the kefir and mix well. Chill thoroughly before putting in the ice cream maker. Makes a generous quart plus.
that's proof that we have a very different climate - my strawbs don't even have blossoms yet (apart from a few alpines...), never mind ripe fruits:( I do love strawberries, unfortunately I never have enough to do jam or ice cream, I am happy enough if I have some to eat fresh...
ReplyDeleteenjoy the pickings!
Climates make the difference for sure, although most years I'm saving up strawberries (in the freezer) for a batch of jam. I'm exceedingly thankful for this year's abundance!
DeleteDifferent climates, for sure! Just uncovered my strawberries a week ago and they're barely starting to green up. The plants, that is. I'm two months away from ripe berries! Yours look lovely, Leigh, and I'm sure you're really enjoying them. I found a recipe for Strawberry Shortcake a couple of years ago that we really like so other than eating them fresh, that's now a dessert we look forward to. Enjoy yours and put up lots of colorful jars of jam!
ReplyDeleteSo by the time you're enjoying strawberries, ours will be long gone! One of the best parts of seasonal eating is the joy of those annual treats. I don't buy strawberries out of season, so fresh eating and shortcake are dearly enjoyed.
Deletethey look so good and fresh, I can almost smell them here. We are still a month or more away from picking fresh strawberries here in Southern Ontario.
ReplyDeleteGill, something to look forward to. :)
DeleteLeigh,
ReplyDeleteGorgeous harvest!!!! Time for all the wonderful things one makes with strawberries. I'm thinking short cake, cheese cake, ...............I could go on and on but need to stop myself because I'm hungry right now, lol...... Enjoy your strawberries :-)
Cheesecake! Thanks for the idea, Sandy!
DeleteHi Leigh,
ReplyDeleteWhat do you do with the wood ash? I have been looking for a use for it. My strawberry bed has lots of flowers so I am hoping for at least a few to make strawberry/rhubarb pies.
Le Cresto, I just sprinkle the wood ash over the bed. I aim for the soil, of course. :) It provides potassium which strawberries like, plus sweetens our acidic soil a bit. Thank you for mentioning strawberry/rhubarb pies! I need to make some. :)
DeleteThose strawberries look fab, I can almost taste them.
ReplyDeleteAnd they taste as good as they look. :)
DeleteThe berries are beautiful! I have a siimilar ice cream maker but haven't used it in years. Just looked at it & realize I have no idea where the top (churner) is. I can't wait to retire. First on my list is to declutter all my cabinets, closets, drawers, shelves, etc.
ReplyDeleteHow could you not use an ice cream maker????? In summer it's a favorite dessert. I'm sure you'll dust it off and find a top for it once R day arrives. :)
DeleteGreat harvest Leigh, I can't wait for strawberry season. Enjoy your bounty x
ReplyDeleteKirsty, strawberries of one of the first treats of spring!
Deletenow that you have bees you should have a lot more. :D
ReplyDeleteI hope so!
DeleteSo jealous! :) We love our kitchenaid icecream maker, which I think is very similar to yours. Congratulations on the successful strawberry harvest!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Do you have strawberries planted? Such a treat.
DeleteI know i have one somewhere. Its a cheap one that require you to keep a large container in the freezer and it took up all the space. I have a larger freezer now so youve inspired me. Its certainly getting cooler down here but nothing better than a scoop of icecream on the side of a warm steamed pudding.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's exactly that kind. I really like it because it's so easy and convenient. Ice cream on steamed pudding sounds wonderful! Great idea.
DeleteOh, strawberries look great, well done oh wise one with green fingers.
ReplyDeleteTruth be told, not so green really. But I love it so I don't give up. Years like this make it worth it!
DeleteI planted 50 strawberry crowns this spring and am DYING of impatience to get some strawberries!! Yours look super delicious and beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI started with 50 plants too! That was several years ago and I've lost some and replanted some, but even so, this is my best season ever. Here's hoping yours is the same!
DeleteWow, that's amazing!!! Strawberries don't do as well here, though I'm willing to try next season when I get back to the garden area. I'm not sure if they can be planted here in the Fall. Probably too hot in the summer. I will check that out. Can't wait to see your strawberry creations. Enjoy your awesome bounty!
ReplyDeleteOh, what a shame about the strawberries. I'd experiment too. You are in (or near) watermelon country though, aren't you? Amazingly tasty summer eating there.
DeletePerhaps I have room for ONE more device...Ice cream is so YUMMY when you get to be the one who designs it!
ReplyDeleteYou know, Barb, I don't even think of my ice cream as being junk food. It has homestead eggs, milk, and fruit. No preservatives, anti-freeze, or high fructose corn syrup; just wholesome, real food. Soon I may be able to have homegrown sweetening too!
DeleteI'm coming to your house!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteThe past two years have been tough for strawberries here, with days of rain at the worst possible time. But hope springs eternal...fingers crossed for this year. I don't have plants here, but there's a small local place that I like to go to just for strawberries. Come June, I'll be dropping by.
ReplyDeleteQuinn, most years I end up buying strawberries to make sure we have enough jam because it's Dan's favorite. :)
DeleteI got to pick a bunch of strawberries last year and I made strawberry lemon marmalade with them. I have just two jars left! It is very tasty. http://foyupdate.blogspot.com/2015/03/strawberry-lemon-marmalade-all-youll.html
ReplyDeleteFoy, good to hear from you! I love strawberries and I love lemon, so your marmalade sounds like must try! Thanks!
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