Strawberry-based desserts
A wide range of desserts can be made using strawberries.
Ștefan Baciu, 24.06.2018, 14:02
It’s strawberry season in Romania. After a good number of years of decline in the production of strawberries, a comeback is now apparent among those interested in cultivating highly productive varieties, while at the same time preserving the taste and flavor of the fruit that our grandparents used to grow.
Strawberries are different in terms of size, color, the intensity of their fragrance and taste, and there are more than 600 strawberry varieties across the world. Originating from America, the plant that gives us the delicious fruit started being grown in Europe in the 18th century and, in time, it was brought to the Romanian territories as well. Now there are even festivals staged at the time of strawberry-picking, in the localities where strawberry growing has become tradition.
A wide range of desserts can be made using strawberries. Strawberries can be served immediately after you’ve removed their stems and washed them. All you need to do is put them in bowls, sprinkle sugar on top or pour a little bit of honey. You can also leave them in the fridge for a while, as they’re best served cold.
The fragrance of the strawberries can be maintained even after harvesting, so you can prepare a delicious strawberry preserve. For that you need three kilos of strawberries, one and a half kilo of sugar and a lemon. Remove the stems and wash the strawberries. In a pot, create alternate layers of strawberries and sugar. Add the lemon juice, so that the fruit may thicken a little bit, and thus prevent the strawberries from crushing.
Allow the pot to cool for a couple of hours, until the strawberries release their juice. Let it boil on low heat, skimming all the time. After about 45 minutes, take out a little bit of juice, put it in a saucer, allowing it to cool, to check if it is thick enough. If the juice does not ooze in the saucer, the preserve is ready and can be poured in jars with lids. Give the jars enough time to cool, then store them in a cold place.
The strawberry preserve and the strawberry syrup can also be obtained using another method. After they’ve released their juice, place the strawberries in another pot. Put to a boil only the juice they released. After about thirty minutes pour half of the juice in the strawberry pot, and then put to a boil until the juice thickens. Add around 200 grams of sugar to the rest of the juice and let it boil until it also thickens, then pour the juice in bottles.
The strawberry mousse is another very nice dessert, easy to prepare. For that, we need two egg yolks, 200 grams of powdered sugar and 550 grams of strawberries. Put everything in a bowl. Whisk the mix until it becomes foamy, then let it rest in the fridge for about an hour. Serve the mousse in bowls, adorned with fresh strawberries. Enjoy!
