WELCOME TO STEVENSON’S STRAWBERRIES

We are pleased that you have chosen Stevenson’s   as the place to pick your farm fresh fruit.  Strawberries have been our business since 1974.  Since then we have continued to make improvements in the production, quality and availability of our strawberries.  We also provide friendly staff to help you in any way they can.     You are our reason for being here today and we appreciate your continued patronage! 

U-PICK PICKING HOURS

Strawberry season usually runs from late-June through mid-July.  We are open DAILY from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.  Our fields are located on Tucker Road in Wayne.  Please call 685-3532 for the latest picking information.

FROZEN STRAWBERRIES

We have our own frozen strawberries available year round at the farm and at local stores.  Please call 685-3532 for information. 

FREEZING BERRIES

Reprinting from STRAWBERRY SAMPLER: A COLLECTION OF FRESH RECIPES by Jan Siegrist, New England Press, Shelbume, VT 05482

    Fruit retains more nutritional value and flavor by freezing than by any other method of preservation.  Strawberries can be frozen and safely kept for up to 1 year.  Use quart or pint freezer containers or place the equivalent quantity of berries in heavy plastic bags closed tightly.

    Strawberries can be frozen in several ways: dry pack, sweetened or unsweetened, floated in a sweet syrup, or tray-frozen whole.  Wash in cold water before hulling. (Fruit washed without the stem lose more vitamins than those de-stemmed after washing.) Drain well.

DRY-PACK SWEETENED: Slice washed, hulled berries into a bowl.  Sprinkle with ¼ cup sugar for each quart of berries.  (This amount can vary depending on personal taste.)  Mix gently until the sugar dissolves and juice forms.  Fill freezer containers, shaking to pack closely.  Leave ½ inch head space for pints, ¾ inch for larger containers.  Seal and freeze.  ⅔quart (1 lb.) fresh berries equal 1 pint frozen.  You may freeze without sugar.  Fruits frozen without sweetener will keep, but they may lose some of their flavor, texture, and color.

TRAY FREEZING: Place the washed, hulled berries in a single layer on trays.  Freeze until solid.  Pack tightly in freezer containers or heavy plastic bags.  Seal and freeze.

SWEET SYRUP PACK: Wash, drain and hull the berries.  Prepare a sugar syrup.  To make 5 ½ cups (enough for 10-12 pint containers or about 8 quarts fresh berries) mix 3 cups sugar with 4 cups water and boil until the sugar dissolves.  Refrigerate until cold.  Slice the berries into freezer containers and cover with cold syrup.  Allow 1 ½ cups fruit and ⅓ to ½ cup syrup per pint container.  Leave ½ inch head space.  Seal and freeze.

USING HONEY:  Honey can be substituted for sugar when freezing strawberries.  Use a mild flavored honey such as clover, locust or alfalfa.  To substitute, reduce the amount of sugar called for by half.  For example, if the recipe calls for ½ cup sugar for each pint, use ¼ cup of honey.  You can also make a syrup by blending 1 cup honey with 3 cups water.  Chill and proceed as for sugar syrups (½ cup syrup for pint container, 1 cup for quarts).

JAM AND JELLY

You can easily make regular or freezer jam using commercial pectin such as Certo or Sure-Jell, available at most stores.  Good directions come with those products.  Preserves are equally delicious made either with fresh or frozen strawberries.  If you don’t have enough time now, freeze your strawberries and make your jam later. 

ü      PRESERVING TIP:  For best results, use exact amount of fruit called for in the recipe.  You can’t fail!  If you do end up with jam that does not jell, it makes a great sauce for ice cream, pancakes or waffles.

“BERRY” BEST STRAWBERRY TIPS

ü      Strawberries stored with stem attached stay firm longer than those without.

ü      Refrigerate fresh strawberries in shallow container as soon as you pick them.  Wash berries in cold water only when you are ready to use them.  Never allow berries to soak.

ü       Freeze your berries prepared in the way you will want to use them: sliced, sugared, chopped and in ready prepared packages.

ü       Many people like frozen berries served barely thawed for great taste and texture.  Slice and add sweetener if desired.  Keep thawed berries cold to maintain quality.

STRAWBERRY RECIPES

EASY STRAWBERRY TART

9 inch single pie crust

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

2 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups whole fresh strawberries, hulled

      Bake and cool pie crust.  Combine cream cheese, sugar, milk and vanilla and beat with mixer until smooth.  Spread into cooled pie crust.  Arrange berries into mixture.  Cool 1 hour before serving.

FRESH STRAWBERRY GLAZE PIE

1 quart strawberries

1 cup sugar

3 tbsp cornstarch

1 cup cold water

1 baked pie shell

     Combine sugar, cornstarch and water in a saucepan and mix until smooth.  Cook until thick and clear.  Stir in 1 cup cut-up strawberries and cool, then stir in remaining whole berries.  Put into pie shell, refrigerate and serve. 

STRAWBERRY JAM

5 cups strawberries, hulled and crushed

7 cups sugar

**Use exact measurements for best results**

     Wash jam jars and lids in hot soapy water and rinse thoroughly.  Pour boiling water over lids and jars in a saucepan and set aside.

     Pour fruit into a 6-8 quart saucepot and stir in  box fruit pectin.  Add ½ tsp. butter to reduce foaming, if desired.  Bring mixture to a full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly.  Stir in pre-measured sugar quickly.  Return to a full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Skim off foam.  Ladle quickly into jar, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops.  Screw lids tightly and place in hot water bath with water 1 to 2 inches above jars.  Cover and bring water to a gentle boil for 10 min.  Let stand 24 hours.  

STRAWBERRY PIZZA

Bake 1 package chocolate chip or sugar cookie mix on a pizza pan for the crust.  Cool.

Whip together and spread on crust:

1 8-oz. package cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

Arrange fresh strawberries, cut in half, on top of the cream mixture.  Top with cooled glaze

Glaze:

2 cups water

1 ¼ cups sugar

¼ cup cornstarch

 Mix together in saucepan and boil until clear.  Add 1/3 oz. package strawberry Jell-O.  Cool and spoon over strawberries. 

Keep refrigerated.

STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI

1 oz rum

1 oz. strawberry liqueur

1 cup sweetened frozen strawberries or 2 cups

   fresh sweetened strawberries

about 8 crushed ice cubes

a few drops of lemon juice

      Combine ice, liqueur, rum and lemon juice in the blender and blend until slushy.  Add strawberries and blend until mixed.

Yield: about 4 servings

STRAWBERRY LEMONADE

½ cup sliced strawberries

1 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp frozen lemonade concentrate

½ cup water

4 ice cubes

      Combine all ingredients, except ice cubes, in blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into glasses, add ice cubes and garnish with floating strawberries, if desired.  Yield: 2 servings

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