I had nearly 4 flats. That's 36 pounds of strawberries.
Yes, I made the requisite strawberry jam. Actually, I made 2 batches.
As I was hulling - and hulling and hulling and hulling - the strawberries, I realized that I had a ton of tops that could go to better use than to feed a flock of old hens. I'm such a Yankee at heart that I couldn't let them go to waste.
See the copper pan in the upper left? That's a strawberry shrub!
I've been thinking about shrubs a lot lately, remembering my obsession with them when I was pregnant. I pulled out my vinegar, threw in 4 cups of strawberry tops whose leaves I'd removed, and cooked it for about 15 minutes.
I can't wait to get some club soda on the way home tonight and have something different with dinner.
Strawberry Shrub
The important thing about a shrub is the ratio of 1:1:1.
3 cups strawberries, sliced
3 cups vinegar
3 cups sugar*
(*Please note an earlier version said water. There is no water in this recipe. Dangit.)
Combine the vinegar and berries in a pot and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes. Strain, then add the sugar and stir well.
If desired, process for 5 minutes with 1/8" headspace, or simply store in the fridge. These, too, will go to my barter.
Tonight I have to make another batch of jam and figure out what to do with the last bowl of berries that are languishing. Perhaps more BBQ sauce?
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