It’s May, and strawberries in our part of the world are ripening.

Strawberries have been around for thousands of years; in fact, ancient Romans believed they had medicinal powers. They contain more vitamin C than oranges. They are popular around the world and grow wild in every country except Africa, Australia and New Zealand. There are 600 varieties and are the fifth highest consumed fresh fruit by weight in the U.S. behind bananas, apples, oranges and grapes.

The strawberry is actually a member of the rose family, and its most common varieties are hybrids of the wild Virginia strawberry, a native to North America.

By the 1300s the strawberry was being cultivated in Europe grown as an ornamental not food. Cross-breeding toward the berry we enjoy today began when the Virginia strawberry reached Europe in the late 1600s and the Chilean strawberry arrived in the early 1700s. The American Indians were already eating strawberries when the Colonists arrived. The crushed berries, were mixed with cornmeal and baked into bread. After trying this bread Colonists developed their own version and Strawberry Shortcake was created.

Whether you buy or pick your own, look for any moldy or damaged berry and toss it. Transfer unwashed berries from carton, place in a covered container and then place it in the refrigerator. Do not wash until ready to use.

To freeze whole berries, wash them, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet, and place in freezer, making sure they do not touch one another. When frozen, package in bags or containers. For sliced berries, remove stems, and for each quart of berries, mix in ½ c. sugar. Stir gently until sugar dissolves. Freeze in proper containers. They will last up to one year if frozen properly.

The following recipes, except the Strawberry Wine, were taken from our cookbook, “A Day In Your Kitchen.”

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
Jim and Kim Williams, 1982

2 c. flour
2 Tbs. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/3 c. Crisco
¾ c. milk
Fresh strawberries
¼ c. sugar

Sift together all dry ingredients. Pat one half of dough into greased 8-inch pan. Dot dough with butter. Pat the other one half of dough on top. Bake in a 450°F. 12 to 15 minutes. Split layers. To 1-qt. strawberries add ¼ c. sugar. Spoon sweetened strawberries between layers and on top. Serve with whipped cream.

THE EVER-LOVING FRESH STRAWBERRY PIE MADE IN MICROWAVE
Fiddler’s Green & Belmont Berry Farm, 1985

1 9-inch pie shell, baked and cooled
1 to 1½ qt. strawberries, washed, hulled and drained
¾ c. sugar
2 Tbs. cornstarch
¼ tsp. salt
1 c. cold water
1 c. heavy cream, whipped

Prepare glaze by combining sugar, cornstarch and salt in microwave container, whisking until no cornstarch clumps remain. Whisk in water. Microwave on high for 5 to 6 minutes, whisking briefly four times during cooking. Let glaze stand for 10 minutes to disperse some of its heat. Arrange one layer of strawberries in pie shell. Blot off any remaining water with a paper towel. Carefully spoon glaze over berries until they are covered. Refrigerate pie for 2 to 4 hours before serving. At serving time generously cover with whipped cream.

HINTS: Cornstarch thickens quickly and deceptively but cooks more slowly than other starches. Glaze will appear very thick as soon as boiling begins but whisk and continue cooking the 3 or 4 minutes. The milky appearance will disappear and glaze will become very clear. Measure cornstarch correctly. Dip a heaping tablespoon of lightened cornstarch and then and level it off with straight edge of knife. The conventional way is in a saucepan on top of the stove.

STRAWBERRY BREAD
Leslie Diggs, 1989

1½ c. unsifted flour
½ tsp. soda
½ tsp. salt
1 c. sugar
½ c. chopped pecans
1 tsp. orange extract
2 eggs, well beaten
2/3 c. salad oil
1¼ c. fresh strawberries

Mix all ingredients together except strawberries and blend well. Fold in strawberries last. Bake in a greased loaf pan for 1 hour in a 350°F. oven.

FREEZER STRAWBERRY JAM
Cam Gustafson, Belmont berry farm, 1979

2 c. crushed strawberries
4 c. sugar
¾ c. water
1 box powdered pectin

Stir strawberries and sugar in a bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Bring water and pectin to a boil and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add pectin mixture to fruit and stir 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in jars; put on lids and hand screw tightly. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours or until set. Yields 6 pints.

STRAWBERRY POUND CAKE
Josie Bell Downs & Billie Munnerlyn, 1989

2 sticks butter
½ c. Crisco
3 c. sugar
5 eggs
4 c. plain flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla
1 c. milk

Cream butter, Crisco and sugar. Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each egg. Add baking powder, salt and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour and milk alternately, starting with flour and ending with flour. Mix well. Cook in a tall tube pan at 325°F. to one hour or one hour and fifteen minutes or taste tester comes out clean. Start in cold oven and let cake cool overnight.

Icing

1 qt. whole strawberries
1 qt. sliced strawberries
2 1-lb. pkgs. strawberry glaze
1 large LaCreme or Cool Whip

Using a long-serrated knife slice off top of cake to level cake. Slice button ½-inch from bottom and set aside. Reserve top for other uses. Using a gentle sawing motion cut vertically all the way around and through bottom of remaining portion of cake ¾ inch from outside edge. Gently remove outer shell of cake and set on bottom slice of cake. Slice center part of cake horizontally to make 2½-inch layers. From remaining portion of cake cut 3½-inch thick rounds the size of the tube hole in cake to plug holes. Place cake shell on a 15-16-inch serving tray with a small lip around. Plug hole in bottom and spread a thick layer of glaze on bottom sides of the shell and then add ½ of sliced strawberries. Place one of the ½-inch layers inside on top of berries. Plug hole and spread a thick layer of glaze and the remaining sliced strawberries. Add the other ½-inch layer, plug hole and spread thick layer of glaze. Cover this layer but not the ¾-inch edge of cake shell with whole strawberries with points up and cover with thick layer of remaining glaze. Spread thick layer of preferred topping over all the outside of the cake except where the whole berries have been placed.

HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY WINE 

7 lb. whole strawberries
2 gal. boiling water
1 lemon, juiced
2 tsp. wine yeast, optional
5 lb. sugar

Wash and hull strawberries, removing any stem or bits of leaf. In a large earthenware crock, mash strawberries. Cover mashed berries with boiling water. Add lemon juice and quickly stir for about 2 minutes. If you want to add wine yeast, mix into strawberry mash once it has cooled to 85°F. Cover the crock with a clean linen cloth. Let crock rest in a cool, dark place. Give it a stir each day for one week. After one week, strain mixture through a double layer of cheesecloth into a large, clean bowl, discarding strawberry pulp. Combine strawberry liquid with sugar, stirring to dissolve sugar. Pour liquid into a clean crock and let stand another week, stirring daily. After the second week, pour strawberry liquid into 1-gallon glass wine bottles and cork loosely. If you have fermentation locks, you can use those instead of a loose cork. Let bottles rest in a cool, dark place for three months. When wine is clear and no longer fermenting (bubbling), pour it into individual bottles. Cork bottles and let them age for at least one year before drinking this delicious strawberry wine.