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Helpful Tips!

Strawberry Picking Tips!

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Pick Ripe Berries

  • Select firm, fully red, ripe berries​

  • Strawberries DO NOT ripen after they are picked. Most varieties will reach their peak flavor when they are completely red. 

  • Look carefully for berries under the leaves and along both edges of the row

How to Make Your Strawberries Last

After Picking at Thompson's

  1. Store the berries in the coolest part of your home (refrigerator, basement, garage floor, etc.)

  2. Do not remove hulls before washing

  3. Do not rinse off berries until you're ready to use them

  4. Grade your berries -- use ripest ones first

How to Pick

  • Pinch & twist, leaving the caps on.

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  • Grasp the stem just above the berry between the forefinger and the thumbnail and pull with a slight twisting motion. Leaving the caps on will help your berries stay fresher for longer. Remove caps only when you are ready to use the berries

  • Pick thoroughly, making sure you are getting all the berries that are ripe. 

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Freezing Strawberries

Wash, hull, and slice into large, shallow pan. Sweeten -- ¾ cup sugar to 4 cups prepared berries. Stir and let stand in pan until sugar dissolves (just a few minutes), then put into freezer containers leaving ½ inch head space for expansion. Put into freezer immediately. Berries can also be crushed, then sweetened and frozen.

Using Frozen Strawberries

Thaw only until berries can be broken apart. Serve while fruit still has ice crystals for fresh-like flavor!

Raspberry Picking Tips!

Pick Ripe Berries

  • Select firm, fully red, ripe berries​

  • Raspberries DO NOT ripen after they are picked. 

  • Look carefully for berries under the leaves and along both edges of the row

  • The bushes do have thorns, so be careful when grabbing the bush to look for berries.

How to Pick Raspberries

  • A fully ripe raspberry will gently fall into your hand when you pull on it slightly, without effort

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  • When picked, raspberry fruit detaches from the receptacle, so the fruit will have a "cupped" shape cavity at its center

  • If you need to tug at the berry, it is not ready to be picked!

  • Pick thoroughly, making sure you are getting all the berries that are ripe. 

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How to Make Your Raspberries Last

After Picking at Thompson's

  1. Store the berries in the coolest part of your home (refrigerator, basement, garage floor, etc.)

  2. Do not rinse off berries until you're ready to use them

  3. Pour them into shallow pans and remove any mushed, soft, or rotting berries

  4. Grade your berries -- use ripest ones first

Freezing Raspberries

Rinse the berries in a bowl of cold water. Gently stir them with your fingers to remove any dirt or bugs. Scoop the berries out of the water, and let the water drain off. Sprinkle with sugar. Then pour the berries into freezer bags or containers leaving some room for expansion. Put into freezer immediately. Berries can also be crushed, sweetened, and frozen. 

Using Frozen Raspberries

Thaw only until berries can be broken apart. Serve while fruit still has ice crystals for fresh-like flavor!

Tasty Recipes

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For Recipe

Strawberry or
    Raspberry Jam

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For Recipe

Strawberry Salsa

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Strawberry or
    Raspberry Muffins

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For Recipe

Strawberry Bread

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For Recipe

Strawberry 

Shortcake

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For Recipe

Raspberry Streusel Bars

Strawberry or Raspberry Jam Recipe

Strawberry or Raspberry Jam

*Most Popular*

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups fresh crushed strawberries

  • 4 cups sugar

  • 1 box of SURE-JELL

  • ¾ cup water

 

Instructions:

Step 1

  • Prepare fruit - wash and remove stems and crush 1 quart of strawberries

  • Use 2 cups crushed strawberries and 4 cups sugar

  • Measure fruit into a large bowl

  • Measure sugar into a medium bowl (scrape excess sugar from top of cup with a spatula to level for exact amount)

  • Stir sugar into fruit. Set aside for 10 minutes, stir occasionally (Do not reduce sugar or use sugar substitutes. The exact amounts of sugar, fruit and pectin are necessary for good results)

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Step 2

  • Stir 1 box SURE-JELL and 3/4 cup water in small saucepan (It may be lumpy before cooking). Bring mixture to a boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Remove from heat.

 

Step 3

  • Stir pectin mixture into fruit or juice mixture. Stir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy, about 3 minutes. (A few sugar crystals may remain)

  • Pour quickly into clean plastic containers to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; cover with lids. Let stand at room temp for 24 hours to set. Some jams are slow to set. If not set after 24 hours, refrigerate for time indicated on recipe

  • For immediate use, store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks. Freeze remaining containers for up to 1 year. To use, thaw in refrigerator

Strawberry Bread Recipe

Strawberry Bread

*Top Favorite*

Ingredients:

  • 3 eggs

  • 2 cups sugar

  • 1 cup salad oil

  • 1 tbsp. vanilla

  • 2 cups flour

  • 1 cup Quick Oats

  • 1 tbsp. cinnamon

  • 1tsp baking soda

  • 1 tsp. salt

  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder

  • 2 cups crushed strawberries

 

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  2. Beat eggs and sugar, add oil and vanilla.

  3. Mix in flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and baking powder.

  4. Add strawberries and mix well.

  5. Pour into two greased and floured 4" X 8" bread loaf pans and bake for 1 hour

Strawberry Salsa Recipe

Strawberry Salsa

Strawberry Shortcakes Recipe

Strawberry Shortcakes

Betty Crocker's Cookbook Recipe

Ingredients:

  • One large naval orange

  • 2 kiwi

  • 1/2 large crisp apple (like royal gala or empire)

  • 2 cups strawberries

  • 1 tablespoon of honey/splenda/sugar/maple syrup

  • 1 package of tortillas

  • 1 tablespoon melted butter/margarine

  • Cinnamon sugar

 

Instructions:

  1. Finely chop the four fruits; kiwi and orange are peeled first. Apples cored and strawberries hulled. Final result is more eye appealing if fruit is evenly chopped. We use a chopping utensil like the one used for making salsa. Add sweetener.

  2. Refrigerate fruit salsa until serving.

  3. Brush tortillas with melted butter/margarine. Sprinkle each with cinnamon sugar, stacking each on top of the other as you do the entire package.

  4. Cut into triangle bite sized pieces for scooping up the salsa. Scissors work well for this job, doing 2 or 3 at a time.

  5. Spread out on cookie sheets and cook for 325°F for 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Serve salsa in a decorative bowl set onto a platter surrounded with the tortilla chips.

Strawberry or Raspberry Muffins Recipe

Strawberry or Raspberry Muffins

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup butter, softened

  • 1 ¼ cup + 1 tbsp. sugar, divided

  • 2 eggs

  • 2 cups flour

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • ½ tsp salt

  • ½ cup milk

  • 2 cups fresh or frozen* strawberries or raspberries

 

Instructions:​​

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Cream butter and 1 ¼ cup sugar; add eggs one at a time.

  3. Combine dry ingredients, and stir in the creamed mixture with the milk

  4. Pour in the berries to the mixture

  5. Fill greased pan, or paper-lined muffin cups â…” full of the mixture and sprinkle remaining sugar on top

  6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes, remove from pan to wire racks and serve warm

Ingredients:

  • 1 quart strawberries, sliced

  • 1 cup sugar

  • â…“ cup shortening

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour*

  • 2 tbsp. sugar

  • 3 tsp baking powder

  • 1 tsp salt

  • ¾ cup milk

  • Margarine or butter, softened

  • Whipped cream

 

Instructions:

  1. Mix strawberries and 1 cup sugar; let stand 1 hour

  2. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut shortening into flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, the baking powder, and salt until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in milk just until blended.

  3. Gently smooth dough into a ball on lightly floured cloth-covered board. Knead 20-25 times. Roll to ½ inch thickness; cut with floured 3-inch cutter. Place about 1 inch apart on the uncreased cookie sheet

  4. Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Split crosswise while hot. Spread with margarine; fill and top with whipped cream and strawberries.

 *If using self-rising flour, omit baking powder and salt

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Pat-In-The-Pan Shortcake: Do not smooth dough into a ball. Pat in greased round pan, 8x1 ½ inches. Bake 15-20 minutes

Raspberry Streusel Bars Recipe

Raspberry Streusel Bars

Ingredients:

Crust​

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

  • ¼ tsp salt

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)

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Filling

  • ¾ cup raspberry preserves

  • 12-16 fresh raspberries

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Streusel

  • ½ cup old-fashioned oats

  • â…“ cup packed light or dark brown sugar

  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed

  • vanilla icing (optional but encouraged!)

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Instructions:​​​

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang on all sides. Set aside

  2. Make the crust: Stir the melted butter, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir until everything is combined. Press the mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

  3. Remove the crust from the oven, and turn the oven to 350 degrees

  4. Spread preserves over warm crust. Dot the preserves with raspberries on top.

  5. Make the streusel: Whisk the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour together in a medium bowl. Cut in the chilled butter with a pastry blender or two forks (or even with your hands) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the filling with streusel and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown. The raspberry filling should be bubbling on the edges.

  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or overnight). Lift the foil or parchment out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into bars. Drizzle the bars with vanilla icing, if using. These raspberry bars can be enjoyed at room temperature or cold.

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Notes:

  • Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The bars will stay fresh in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days. You can freeze the bars for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving and glazing.

  • Fruit Preserves: Try these bars with other flavors! Strawberry preserves, peach preserves, orange preserves, you name it!

  • Raspberries: You can use frozen raspberries instead. Thaw and pay dry before using.

  • Double Batch: This recipe can easily be doubled and baked in a 9x13 pan. Bake for 45 minutes and cool completely as directed in this recipe. 

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From Our Customer's Kitchens

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