Price Points: Strawberry pots

Our summer fruit harvest has been pretty good this year. We have a few strawberry plants that have produced lots of fruit – and now, dozens of runners between them. We don’t want to just cut them back and waste them. Also, you shouldn’t just keep the same strawberry plants, growing on the same plot (or in the same soil) year after year, as they accumulate viruses – and crops diminish.

About three years is the optimum life for a strawberry plant apparently, so we’re going to propagate a few over the coming weeks. We had a look at what the venerable Monty Don had to say on how to go about it – and it’s incredibly easy. You can never have too many strawberry plants because you can never have too many strawberries!

Here’s a trio of different strawberry pots – from less than a tenner to over £50 – which we’ve found that would be perfect for our allotment and garden…

Large 45-litre plastic herb / strawberry planter / grow bag: £7.95, Amazon
Terracotta strawberry pots: £35.00, Etsy
Terracotta strawberry planter: £64.99, Crocus

Vanilla cream with red berries

Have you been watching Wimbledon? Haven’t the Brits been doing well this year? Scrap that – I’ve just watched Murray get knocked out!

Nothing says Wimbledon fortnight more than strawberries & cream. I’ve adapted a Nigel Slater recipe to create a little twist on the classic – vanilla cream with red berries.

I planned on using our home and allotment-grown strawberries, raspberries and redcurrants, but we didn’t have a large enough quantity that were ripe all at the same time. I made a quick trip to the supermarket for a punnet of strawberries to bulk up our rations.

Slater used orange juice and passion fruits in the original recipe. However, I used a few glugs from a bottle of grenadine syrup I’ve had in the store cupboard for ages. What a fantastic, last-minute idea – it worked brilliantly, with the strawberries especially. From this day forward, I’ll always team my fresh strawberries with it!

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Vanilla cream with red berries

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Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Ingredients

250 g/9oz crème fraîche
250 g/9oz mascarpone
1 vanilla pod
800 g/28oz mixture of red berries I used strawberries, raspberries and redcurrants
50 ml/1 ¾ fl oz grenadine syrup
sprig of mint to garnish

Instructions

Place a sieve or small colander over a mixing bowl and line it with a piece of muslin (I used a jelly bag)
Spoon the crème fraîche and fromage frais into a mixing bowl
Split the vanilla pod in half lengthways with a sharp knife, open it flat and scrape out the dark, sticky seeds. Fold the seeds through the crème fraîche/fromage frais mixture and spoon it into the muslin-lined sieve
Cover the sieve/colander and its under-bowl with cling film (Saran wrap) and leave in the fridge overnight, during which time the vanilla cream will thicken to cheesecake-like texture
Hull & slice the berries (not redcurrants if using), put them into a mixing bowl, pour over the grenadine syrup. Mix gently to cover all the fruit with the liquid, cover with cling film and refrigerate for about an hour
Upturn the sieve/colander on to a plate and allow the muslin and cream to slide out
Carefully peel away the muslin
Spoon the marinated red berries and liquid around the vanilla cream
Drizzle an extra capful or two of grenadine syrup over the top of the vanilla cream
Serve!

Keyword raspberries, redcurrants, strawberries, vanilla

Strawberry ice cream

I was planning to bake a loaf for this week’s Cakes & Bakes post, but it’s been sooooooo hot that I couldn’t bear the thought of having a hot oven on for hours! I’ve returned to one of my hot summer favourites – no churn ice cream – this time one I’ve not made before, strawberry ice cream.

It may be mid-June and a fortnight before Wimbledon begins, but none of the strawberries in our garden have even begun to ripen yet. That meant that I had to use shop bought ones… but I may make another batch when ours are ready!

I’ve used both fresh and tinned strawberries in my recipe – and the result knocks spots off many shop bought brands. I think the secret is in reducing by half the liquid the tinned strawberries are in and adding it to the mix. It really intensifies the strawberry flavour and the sweetness.

Strawberry is one of the best summer flavours, but what is your favourite ice cream?

Click here to pin my recipe for later!

Strawberry ice cream

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Ingredients

1 tin strawberries in syrup
600 ml/21fl oz double cream
1 397g/14oz tin condensed milk
300 g/10½oz fresh strawberries finely chopped

Instructions

Strain the tinned strawberries, putting the liquid into a small saucepan
Simmer the syrup until it's reduced by half. Set aside and allow to cool
Purée the tinned strawberries
In an electric mixer using the whisk attachment, whip the double cream, condensed milk and strawberry purée on high for 5–7 minutes until the mixture thickens
Gently fold in all but a couple of tablespoons of the chopped strawberries until evenly mixed through
Decant into a 2-litre lidded container (or two 1-litre containers) and sprinkle the reserved, chopped strawberries evenly over the top
Freeze for at least 4 hours - better still, overnight

Once fully frozen, remove from the freezer 20 minutes before scooping & serving

Afternoon Scones

I’ve been meaning to make some scones for a while – in fact, ever since coming back from our holiday in Wells-Next-the-Sea. While we were there, I spent a sunny afternoon at Wiveton Hall Fruit Farm picking strawberries. I filled this massive punnet with sweet, fat, fragrant strawberries – specimens such as I’d never tasted before!

Those that didn’t get eaten there & then returned home with us and made into a massive pan of strawberry conserve. We gave lots away to friends & family and kept a couple of jars for ourselves. We’ve had it on toast & croissants, some was used as sponge cake filling, but you can’t beat it on warm, freshly baked scones!

To make the scones, I once again used a recipe from The Great Big Cookie Book by Hilaire Walden. Here it is:

Home-made scones, home-made strawberry jam and clotted cream | H is for Home #recipe #scones #pastry #afternoontea

Afternoon scones

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Ingredients

225 g/8oz/2 cups plain flour
pinch of salt
2.5 ml/½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
5 ml/1 tsp cream of tartar
25 g/1oz/2 tbs butter
150 ml/¼ pint/? cup milk or buttermilk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas mark 7. Flour a baking sheet. Sift the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar into a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Gradually stir in just enough milk to make a light, spongy dough.
Turn the dough on to a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Roll to 2½cm/1in thick. Cut into rounds with a floured 5cm/2in cutter.
Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with milk.
Bake for 7-10 minutes until the scones are well risen and golden brown.

Serve with jam and a big dollop of clotted cream!

PS – We usually buy Rodda’s clotted cream which is delicious – but don’t you just love the folk artsy packaging too?!

H is for Home Harbinger

Tag: strawberries

Price Points: Strawberry pots

Vanilla cream with red berries

Vanilla cream with red berries

Ingredients

Instructions

Strawberry ice cream

Strawberry ice cream

Ingredients

Instructions

Afternoon Scones

Afternoon scones

Ingredients

Instructions