U-pick strawberry season has started
(photo: thanks to Clairity Daily)
The Strawberry Ranch has opened for the season. Why not organise a picking party and take a carload of friends? They also sell pre-picked berries if you’re short on time or inclination.
I froze a bunch of SR berries last year and they were delicious thawed out on cereal throughout the winter–much more flavourful than the frozen ones from the grocery store, and cheaper too (plus, they hadn’t been shipped from Chile!). Strawberries also contain more vitamin C than oranges, so you can happily eat locally-produced berries throughout the entire Saskatchewan winter without worrying about contracting scurvy by April (they’re also a great source of potassium and folic acid).
How to freeze strawberries
Refrigerate strawberries as soon as possible after picking, and don’t wash or hull them until you’re ready to freeze them (it’s best if you do this as soon as possible to maintain nutrients). To freeze, wash and hull them, then place them whole in a single layer on a baking sheet in the freezer. When they’re frozen hard (about 30 minutes), you can then stick them into bags or containers without worrying that they will all freeze together in one big clump. You can add a sugar pack (3/4 cup sugar per 4 cups of berries) or freeze them in a syrup (equal parts sugar and water boiled for 5 minutes), but they should last perfectly well throughout the winter without any added sugar if they’re in an airtight bag or container.
My four-year-old and I also made a very easy strawberry freezer jam with some of the smaller berries last summer–we’re only just finishing the last couple of jars now. It should last a year frozen.
The Strawberry Ranch is located 4 miles southwest of the city on Valley Road. Their hours are 8am-6pm daily (they won’t be opening evenings this year because it wasn’t busy enough last year). If the weather is dodgy, call 384-4842 to check that they’ll be open. U-pick strawberries are $8/4L basket.
