Vegan Cooking Tips — Quick and Easy Ideas for Strawberries
By Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD
A heaping cup of strawberries contains about 10% of the Recommended Daily Allowance for folate (an important B vitamin), 140% of the U.S. RDA for vitamin C (more than one orange), about 50 calories, and some fiber and potassium.
Here is a bit of strawberry measurement, adapted from the North American Strawberry Growers Association Booklet, Fresh Strawberries. This should come in handy when you are visiting your local strawberry patch or purchasing strawberries:
- 1 quart weighs about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 pounds (675-750 g) and will yield 4-5 servings.
- 8 quarts weighs 12 pounds (approx. 5 kg) = 13 pints frozen.
- 1-1/2 quarts are needed for a 9-inch pie.
- 1 cup sliced fresh berries; one 10-ounce package of frozen, sweetened berries.
Since they are very perishable, strawberries should not be washed until right before eating or using in a recipe. Do not remove their caps and stems until after you have gently washed the berries under cold running water and patted them dry. This will prevent them from absorbing excess water, which can decrease the berries' texture and flavor. To remove the stems, caps, and white hull, simply pinch these off with your fingers or use a paring knife.
If you actually get past washing and eating fresh strawberries, think about freezing some of them for future months. Simply wash, hull (remove leaves and white “shoulders”), and dry whole strawberries. Place them single file on a sheet pan and allow them to freeze. Once frozen, they can be piled into containers or bags. If fresh or frozen strawberries lose their color, they can be spruced up with a bit of lemon juice.
Mash ripe or frozen strawberries with a little maple syrup. If the berries are a bit tart, add some citrus liqueur to create a fast dessert sauce or the basis of a blender beverage. Dip strawberries in melted chocolate or carob, or serve with vegan cream cheese or sour cream.
Here are some ideas for enjoying strawberries at every meal:
- Add sliced strawberries to mixed green or pasta salads.
- Layer sliced strawberries, whole blueberries, and vegan yogurt or silken tofu in a glass bowl to make an attractive dessert or breakfast parfait. Sprinkle with chopped nuts, sesame seeds, or pumpkin seeds if desired.
- Mash fresh or frozen chopped strawberries with a dash of maple syrup and serve as a topping for waffles and pancakes.
- Blend strawberries with a little bit of orange juice concentrate and use as a fresh fruit sauce for fruit salad, pancakes, pound cake, cookies, or vegan ice cream.
- Add strawberries to breakfast smoothies to give them a more vibrant taste and color.
- Create strawberry vinaigrette by blending with oil, vinegar, and dried oregano, garlic, and nutritional yeast.
- To make baked oatmeal with strawberries, simply mix oatmeal with boiling water, pat into a baking dish, top with sliced strawberries, and bake at 350 degrees until firm.
- Create a soaked strawberry cake with leftover cake or wheat bread cut into cubes, and mixed with blended strawberries.
- Blend a strawberry lassi using strawberries, vegan yogurt, coconut milk, and lemon zest.
