With the April deep freeze, many local strawberry fields were damaged to the point of complete crop loss. Growers who managed to salvage their strawberries report that the strawberries this year will be smaller - both in volume and in size. The good news is there are still fresh strawberries available to enjoy.
Even if this isn't the year to pick local fruit, fresh strawberries picked in California are always available. When picking or purchasing berries, look for bright red berries with fresh green caps. Don't remove the green cap until it is time to use the berries, because removing the cap tears the strawberry cells which activate ascorbic acid oxidase, an enzyme that destroys vitamin C. When they first arrive in the home, unwashed berries should be stored, loosely covered with plastic wrap, in a refrigerator no longer than two to three days. While this does not improve the quality of fresh strawberries, leaving them at room temperature encourages them to turn brown. The pigments that make strawberries red, anthocyanin, are heat sensitive, so exposing them to heat turns them brown. When ready to use the berries, carefully place them in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Letting them sit in water makes them lose color and flavor. This easy muffin recipe is featured on the University of Illinois Extension's "Strawberries and More" Web site http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/strawberries. Information on growing, harvesting, history and, best of all, recipes for using them appear in both English and Spanish. FABULOUS STRAWBERRY MUFFINS 2-1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup sugar 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1-1/2 cups buttermilk 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1 tsp. vanilla 1 pt. fresh strawberries, chopped Additional sugar for topping, if desired Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray or line with paper liners. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir well until well blended. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, butter, eggs and vanilla. Make well in center of dry ingredients. Pour in buttermilk mixture. Using large spoon, gently fold in strawberries, mixing just until moist, without over-mixing. Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle each with about 1/2 teaspoon sugar. Bake in preheated oven 20 to 25 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Makes 12 muffins; Lr Smiles --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
