Homemade strawberry ice cream

I've been having all kinds of fun with my grandma's old ice cream maker.  A few weeks back, I took a day off work to go strawberry picking at Berry Patch Farm in Nevada, Iowa.  I came home with 12 pounds of strawberries.  And it was really heavy to carry home!

After picking strawberries in the morning, I spent the rest of the day making strawberry jam, strawberry ice cream and strawberry pie.  Even as I'm typing this, I can't believe I did all that in one day!  Maybe I should relax on my vacation days, like a normal person, instead of spending all day in the kitchen! But how good does this strawberry pie look?

Even though I loved the pie, what I was really craving was ice cream.  So I looked through magazines and cookbooks and came up with a super-easy homemade strawberry ice cream recipe. I decided to go with another eggless ice cream recipe, because it was quick to whip up, and I needed the extra time to make strawberry jam.

Here's the recipe for homemade strawberry ice cream, if you want to try it at home.  FYI:  I doubled the recipe, and it turned out terrific. Enjoy!

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Strawberry ice cream

1 C. heavy whipping cream
1 C. half-and-half
1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
12-ounces fresh strawberries
1/4 C. sugar

Put the strawberries in a bowl and mash them a bit with a potato masher. Then add 1/4 C. sugar. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Whisk together the 1/2 C. sugar, cream, half-and-half, vanilla extract and salt in another bowl until thoroughly combined. Add strawberries. Process entire mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions. Transfer ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Freeze. Makes 4 servings (1/2 cup servings).

Hot pink flowering strawberry

A few weeks back, I stopped by the Iowa Arboreteum's spring plant sale.  I only planned to buy a couple new hostas, but I ended up buying more than a couple!  I couldn't resist the unique plant offerings, including this strawberry plant -- with hot pink flowers!  The plant tag explains that it's an ornamental and edible ever-bearing strawberry that you can plant in a regular pot; it doesn't grow runners.

Unfortunately, the tag doesn't say what the strawberry variety is called.  I did a quick Google search and found this Toscana strawberry, which looks pretty close to what I bought.  I was so thrilled to find such a new-to-me strawberry variety, but then a few days later, I found the same strawberry plant at my local Fareway greenhouse.  So maybe it's not that unusual!

I'll keep you updated on how the strawberries turn out.  Have you ever grown a pink-flowered strawberry?  Have they been around for a while and I just have never heard of them?

Garden update: May 2013

It's an understatement to say that the weather hasn't been very cooperative this spring.  Right after I took these photos, an unseasonably late storm covered my tulips in 3 inches of snow.  I can't complain, though, because we need the moisture after last summer's drought.

We're doing a lot of yard work this spring. We finally cut down the old wisteria vine that tore the shingles off our back porch.  I'll miss the spring blooms, but I won't miss how the vine covered the back of our house every summer.  Anyhow, that's why our yard is looking a little rough in my photos. That, and the snow.

I planted a few lettuce and radish seeds back in April.  Because the temps dropped right after I planted them, it took a month before they popped out of the ground.  But they're growing a little bit every day.

To get myself in the gardening mood, I bought myself a fancy pair of gloves at the farm store.  Don't worry. They'll get dirty soon enough!

I stopped at Holub greenhouse in Ames before Mother's Day and was surprised to find a nice selection of strawberry plants.  I planted them again in Stack-a-Pots. I had good luck with the everbearing strawberries last year. As long as I kept them watered and fertilized regularly, I had strawberries to pick all summer long.  I never really get a lot of strawberries, but it's still a fun backyard project.

Just for fun, I bought two varieties of ever-bearing strawberries: Fort Laramie and Tristar.  I'm curious to see how different they will be from each other.

My tulips are about done blooming now, but they were beautiful while they lasted.  I planted yellow, orange and red tulips to match my neighbor's same-colored tulips.  I wish the tulips would bloom all year!

How's your garden growing this spring?  Did the unusually cold weather slow or alter your gardening plans?  I still haven't planted my potted flowers yet, because the temps were close to freezing this last weekend.

Strawberry Stack-A-Pot Update

I realized the other day that I haven't given an update on how my strawberry stack-a-pot has fared this summer.  This is my second year of growing strawberries in a stack-a-pot.  The first year, I ordered a small stack-a-pot from Amazon. This spring, I found a larger stack-a-pot at a local K-Mart store.  I planted the pots with ever-bearing strawberries, which are supposed to bloom throughout the summer.

My first attempt at growing strawberries in a pot was only semi-successful.  I got a few strawberries from the small pot.  But later in the summer, I discovered that whenever I fertilized the strawberries with a little Miracle Grow, the plants would start setting blooms and fruit.

This year, I was glad to find a large pot so I could plant more strawberry plants. Since we're in the middle of a drought, I've been watering the pots every day. Over-watering isn't really an issue with the stack-a-pots, since they are designed for water to drain from one level of pots to another. I've fertilized the plants every two weeks this summer, instead of once the entire summer last year.  And I've been really happy with the results.  Every day, I pick two or more berries off the plants.  No, that isn't a lot, but it's still fun to find little berries that are ready to pick every day.  One morning this summer, I actually picked a handful of berries off the plants, and I enjoyed a bowl of strawberries and cereal for breakfast.

Growing a large strawberry bed isn't an option for me, since most of our backyard is shaded. It's so cool that I can still grow strawberries -- and still be picking berries in September!  I haven't noticed any disease problems with the berries, but I do have to pick them before the ants and fruit flies get to them first.

Have you ever tried to grow strawberries in pots?  I'm curious to see if I can overwinter these plants, but I don't really have the space to keep the pots on the back porch or garage in the winter.

Iowa recipe: Strawberry vinegar

One of my co-workers, who knows I love unique recipes, gave me this recipe for strawberry vinegar.  I'm not exactly sure if this is true, but she told me that this is the same strawberry vinegar that is extremely popular at a northwest Iowa U-Pick strawberry patch.

This strawberry vinegar is a salad dressing. I've been spooning a little on my salads, along with a dash of olive oil.  The recipe says to strain the strawberries once you mash them, but I'm too lazy to use a cheesecloth to get the "chunks" out of the vinegar.  I ended up using my manual Oxo food mill, which pureed the strawberries and removed a lot of the seeds.

 It's a fun recipe to make if you come home with way more strawberries than you know what to do with after visiting a U-Pick patch.  I would guess this recipe would also work with raspberries or blueberries, which are in season now here in central Iowa.  If you try this recipe, please let me know how it turns out for you.  Enjoy!

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Strawberry vinegar

• 4 C. fresh strawberries, halved
• 4 C. cider vinegar
• 1 C. sugar

In a large pan, combine fruit and vinegar.  Cover and let stand for one hour.  Stir in sugar.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Cool completely.  Strain and discard pulp.  Pour into a covered container.  Store in a cool, dark place.  Excellent with salad greens.

Iowa recipes: Strawberry pie

Here it is!   I'm sharing with you the pie recipe I used to make my first-ever strawberry pie.  I was afraid that the pie filling would turn out runny, but it actually set up near perfectly.  And the Iowa-grown strawberries were so sweet in this pie!  You know how the strawberries at the grocery store can be kind of "hard" sometimes.  Well, these U-Pick strawberries were soft and super ripe.  This strawberry pie was exactly what I was craving for a spring dessert!

The pie filling set up perfectly; it wasn't runny or liquidy.

Fresh whipped cream is a necessity with strawberries.

I found this same strawberry pie recipe in several of my Iowa church cookbooks.  Enjoy!

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Iowa Strawberry Pie

• 1 baked pie shell
• 1-1/2 pints strawberries, cleaned

Glaze: 

• 3 T. cornstarch
• 1 C. sugar
• 1 C. water
• 3 T. corn syrup
• 1 small package strawberry jello

Mix cornstarch and sugar together, then add water and syrup. Boil and then add the strawberry Jell-O. Cool. Mix with berries and put in baked pie shell. Refrigerate.

U-Pick Strawberries

 

Strawberry season arrived two weeks earlier this year.  I took a vacation day from work to spend a morning picking strawberries at Berry Patch Farm in Nevada, Iowa.  I arrived right when the farm opened at 8 a.m., but there were already several families out in the fields.

I thought that it would be slim pickings because it was only the first week of strawberry season, but I was surprised to find several large, ripe strawberries just waiting to be picked.

I ended up picking 10 pounds (!) of strawberries. Then I spent the afternoon making strawberry jam, pie and vinegar.  I'll share the recipes with you all later this week.

Do you like to pick strawberries in the summer? What's your favorite strawberry recipe?

Western Iowa road trip

One of the perks of my job is that I get to escape the office occasionally and travel the state.  A few weeks ago, I took a long road trip up to northwest Iowa.  I spent about 8 hours on the road all together.  To keep from getting bored, I took a few goofy photos along the way so you could ride along.

I keep my little Iowa mascot with me in the car when I'm traveling. I call him Kernel.

I've been trying to snack a little healthier when I'm on the road, which means no chips or candy.  Lately, I've been really digging the single-serve milk bottles from Des Moines-based AE Dairy.  Chocolate milk always hits the spot.

When I swung through the town of Pocahontas,  I snapped this photo through my car window.

Pocahontas statue in Pocahontas, Iowa

Whenever I'm on the road, I don't have a lot of time to sit down and eat lunch.  My favorite places to stop are Subway, Culver's (I love butter burgers!) and Pizza Ranch.  I found this Pizza Ranch in downtown Primghar.

After four hours, I finally reached my destination -- a strawberry farm. The plants were blooming, and the strawberries should be ready to pick in early June.

Then I turned around and took the long way home, with blue sky and corn fields as far as the eye can see.

I always wish I had more time to sight-see when I travel for work.  But I like to be home by suppertime so I can catch up with my husband and get ready for another day at the office. 

Do you have any road trip essentials?  I always pack granola bars and apples whenever I'm on the road, so I don't get tempted to buy candy bars!

Garden update: April 2012

Well, my garden has slowed down a bit because of the cool, rainy April weather.  It's quite a contrast from March, when we were enjoying 80 degree temperatures and the tulips seemed to pop up from the ground and bloom almost overnight.

I still have quite a few tulips that are blooming, which is a nice surprise.  I guess it helps to plant different varieties that bloom early and late in the season.  It stretched out the tulip season for more than a month!

I couldn't resist buying a couple tomato plants when I saw them on sale at the Earl May garden center.  These tomatoes are supposed to be perfect for container gardening.  I'm going to plant them in buckets when the weather warms ups.  One is a regular red tomato; the other is a yellow pear tomato.  I'm trying to grow a "rainbow" vegetable garden this year, so I'm hoping the yellow tomatoes are a success.

I also planted a few more carrot, lettuce and radish seeds before the warm weather arrives.  So far, the seeds I planted in mid-March are growing well despite the early April frost.  In fact, the biggest threat to the radishes so far are the rabbits!  Those little buggers have nibbled up quite a few radish tops.

Lettuce and radishes are slowly growing.

Those pesky rabbits have gobbled up a row of radishes!

I'm also keeping a close eye on the strawberry pots I planted in early April.  They still haven't grown much, but there are a few blooms that may yield strawberries if the weather warms up next week.

My two strawberry stack-a-pots.

My husband's favorite clematis vines are also blooming right now.  But with the high winds, the blooms blow away pretty fast. Yesterday, we had 40 mile per hour winds!

One of the biggest surprises of the week:  My husband found half a dozen morel mushrooms under our back deck!  Unfortunately, they were too dried up to pick and eat.  But maybe next year?  Can you see the morels in the shadows?

 It will be interesting to see what the weather will be like in May.  Will it be cold and rainy like April?  Or dry and hot like March?  I'm hoping for something in between.  Just as long as the winds calm down.  I can't hit the bike trail when the winds threaten to knock me down!

Strawberry freezer sauce

Just one more strawberry recipe to share with you.  I've made an overabundance of strawberry jam, so I thought it would be fun to make a strawberry sauce that I could freeze for later use (over ice cream, of course).

I found this recipe for strawberry sauce on the Our Best Bites website.  I used a food mill instead of a food processor, but otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly.  It turned out great!  I froze the leftover sauce in plastic freezer bags laid flat on a cookie sheet so I could stack them neatly in the freezer.

I bought another 4-pound carton of strawberries last weekend because they were on sale for $4.99.  Strawberry season is short, so I'm buying up the inexpensive berries as long as I can.

What's your favorite way to eat strawberries?  I love strawberries over ice cream.  Nothing better, in my opinion.

Strawberry rhubarb pie

Almost a month ago (I can't believe it's been that long), I headed out to Berry Patch Farms in Nevada on the first Saturday morning when they offered ready-to-pick strawberries.  I showed up right at their opening at 8 a.m., thinking that I was arriving way too early.  To my surprise, there were already about 30 people out in one of their strawberry patches!

At first, I was directed to a row in the field that didn't have many ripe berries for the picking.  I was a little disappointed.  But when I walked back towards the beginning rows of the patch, I discovered all these berries that other folks neglected for some reason.  (I also stepped on quite a few half-chewed up strawberry stems.  Eww! Can't people wait to eat the berries till they get home?)

Pretty soon, I filled up a box with berries.  I ended up picking 9 pounds of strawberries!  I could have stayed and picked more, but I've learned from experience that one box is enough, unless I want to be making strawberry jam for the next three days straight.

Of course, I made a couple batches of jam.  But I really wanted to make a pie, too.  And my favorite pie is strawberry-rhubarb.  Last year, I didn't have much luck with strawberry-rhubarb pie.  The pie filling was way too runny.  But this year, I followed a tip I discovered on the Kitchn website that suggested draining the juice off the berries after they've sat in sugar for 15 minutes.  It sounded a little strange, but I decided to give it a try.  And guess what?  My pie turned out perfect!  No runny filling!

(I'm still not great at making "pretty" pies. But trust me, they taste good!)

I also decided to try out one of the cute metal pie pans I found at an antique store.  I was hesitant to use them for fear I would scratch them up.  But then I pulled the pan out of cupboard and realized that it was already dinged up.  These pans were meant to be used!  And they are the perfect size.  The only pans I can find at the local stores are 10-inch or deep-dish pie pans. Most pie recipes are for a 9-inch pie.

Here's the recipe for the strawberry-rhubarb pie.  I know it's a little late to pick strawberries, but I found some beautiful California strawberries on sale this weekend.  It's the next best thing to locally grown.

Enjoy!

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Strawberry rhubarb pie
From Iowa State Fair cookbook

• 1-1/4 C. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 T. instant tapioca
• 1 T. strawberry gelatin
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 C. fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and halved
• 3 C. fresh, chopped rhubarb
• 1 T. butter or margarine
• Pastry for double-crust 9-inch pie
• Milk
• Sugar, for sprinkling

In a large bowl, combine sugar, salt, tapioca, gelatin and cinnamon.  Add fruit and let rest 15 minutes, or until tapioca softens.  Pour all into pastry-lined pie pan.  Dot with butter.  Cover with vented top crust.  Flute edges.  Brush top with milk and sprinkle with sugar.  Use pie bands or foil to prevent dark edges.  Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees.  Reduce heat to 350 degree; bake an additional 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown.

My first (and only) strawberry

Hello, everyone!  I told you I would give an update on the strawberry pot I planted way back in April. (Can you believe that was two months ago already?)  So far, my potted strawberries are doing excellent.  I highly recommend the Stack-a-Pot, which I bought from Amazon.com.  The strawberries are growing fast, especially the plants on the top "stack."  And the pot looks so pretty, I'm thinking about buying another for next year.

The only drawback of the potted strawberries is that the six little plants aren't producing many berries.  In fact, I've only picked one red berry from the plants.  I blame our crazy weather.  We had a cold, wet spring, followed by a week of dry, 90 degree temps, then pouring rain the last couple days.  Needless to say, I'm a little disappointed.  I was hoping for at least a half dozen strawberries, so I could add a few to my morning bowl of cereal.  But the one berry I picked was delicious -- very sweet and ripe.

There was actually a second berry that was ripening plant.  It was pink and on the verge of turning bright red.  But one night after I got home from work, I looked at the pot and the berry had completely disappeared -- all that was left was the stem.  At first, I thought my husband had picked it.  Then I remembered seeing a bird on that same corner of the deck. 

I did a little research on the Internet, and sure enough, birds are notorious for eating strawberries.  About 30 percent of strawberry crop losses are due to birds!  That's why many backyard gardeners place nets around their strawberry gardens.

Well, lesson learned.  Just when I think I've got this gardening thing figured out, there's always a new (frustrating) twist.  I'm still loving my strawberry pot, though.  The pot looks very pretty on my deck. The strawberries are an ever-bearing variety, so they should produce fruit throughout the summer. I can already see a new berry forming on a plant.

I'm trying to console myself with the thought that at least I'm keeping the neighborhood birds well-fed. :)

Have you ever tried to grow strawberries in a container garden?  Any tips for a newbie like me?