It’s finally here ….strawberry season.
This plump, juicy red fruit is so delicious and so nutritious. The ladies in my free and private online community are having a blast sharing recipes using strawberries. Me? I’m sharing this strawberry jam recipe and also my strawberry dressing recipe.
So the first step is the purchase these berries but we must choose only the best. As always, I recommend fresh and organic from your farmer’s market.
- Choose plump, firm, deep-colored strawberries, with bright green caps and no signs of mold or soft spots.
- Store strawberries in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
- Wash and hull strawberries just before using them.
- A 12 oz. basket of strawberries will give you 3 1/2 cups whole strawberries or 2 1/4 cup sliced strawberries.
Did you know that strawberries are from the rose family?… I didn’t either lol!
Nutrition Profile of Strawberries
Strawberries are loaded with antioxidants which help to fight the negative impacts of stress, pollution, chemicals, etc… but they are also full of vitamin C. That said, recent studies suggest that 2 days as the maximum time to store strawberries without a major loss of vitamin C and polyphenol antioxidants. It’s not that strawberries become dangerous to eat or invaluable after 2 days, but it is just that more storage time results in substantially more nutrient loss.
Strawberry Balsamic Dressing
So today I’m sharing with you two ways that I like to eat my strawberries outside of just diving into the basket. The first one is strawberry jam where I use chia seed as a binder as opposed to pectin and the other a delicious strawberry balsamic sauce or dressing.
You can find the recipe for the dressing by clicking RIGHT HERE
Strawberry Jam Recipe
Now onto the delicious strawberry jam recipe which is SUPER easy – trust me!
PrintStrawberry Jam
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups strawberries, de-stemmed and chopped in half
- 2 Tbsp. Chia Seeds
Instructions
- Place chopped strawberries and chia seeds into a blender.
- Blend on medium to high speed until the jam is at your preferred consistency.
- Pour contents of the blender into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until the jam begins to bubble. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until the jam starts to thicken.
- Remove from heat and immediately pour into a mason jar.
- Allow to cool completely and then store in the fridge for up to one week.