Strawberry Cheesecake Turnovers
Photography by Yvonne Duivenvoorden
Juicy, fresh strawberries dipped in luscious chocolate and cream are a definite après dinner treat (after all, they're the strawberry's superstar entourage!), but keep in mind that strawberry desserts aren't always limited to shortcake and cheesecake.
Before taking your pick from our collection of 12 sweet strawberry desserts, check out these tips for storing and preserving strawberries from our Test Kitchen food specialist Soo Kim.
How to store fresh strawberries
Strawberries are best kept whole, Soo shares. To keep your berries at their freshest, she recommends following these tips from Foodland Ontario.
"Fresh strawberries should be refrigerated with the hull intact, unwashed, and lightly covered in a single layer," she says. Just before serving, gently rinse fresh strawberries under cold water. "Gently pat them with a paper towel or clean cloth," she adds. "Then hull."
How to preserve strawberries
"Strawberries may be frozen whole or sliced, for up to 12 months," Soo says.
To make your berry bounty last until next season, she advises removing any damaged berries from the pile before freezing. To use, thaw strawberries at room temperature.
How to freeze strawberries
Whether defrosted or still frozen, strawberries pulled from the freezer are a hit with kids! To make the best frozen strawberries, Soo suggests the following.
"To freeze strawberries without sugar," she says, "wash, dry and hull the berries. Freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet, then pack in freezer bags, removing air." Make sure to label your frozen berries with the date you packed them, as well as volume.
"To freeze strawberries with sugar, wash, dry and hull the berries. Combine 4 cups whole berries with 1/2 cup granulated sugar; or 4 cups sliced berries with 3/4 cup granulated sugar. Pack these in containers, leaving 1/2-inch (1 cm) headspace, or in freezer bags, removing air. Again, label with date and volume."
As summer signals the starwberry's harvest, look for fresh Canadian strawberries in delicious abundance at your local farmer's market and fruit stand. Then try one of these sweet strawberry desserts:
Strawberry Cheesecake TurnoversCrisp on the outside and gooey in the middle, these flaky turnovers are a cinch to make.
Strawberries in Chocolate Pavlova Crisp on the outside yet soft, chewy and marshmallowy on the inside, this chocolate meringue bowl makes a pretty container for the strawberries.
Strawberry Mousse Meringue TorteFor this freezer-ready meringue cake, we offer two techniques to set the gelatin: in the refrigerator or the quicker method of chilling the bowl of strawberries and gelatin in a larger bowl of ice water.
Page 1 of 2 - Find more sweet strawberry desserts on page 2.
