The strawberries are ripening! And these days it’s even more important to choose organic strawberries. Methyl bromide, which is heavily used on chemically grown strawberries, is one of the most toxic agricultural chemicals in use (toxic to humans and to the atmosphere). I just read that a new chemical was approved for strawberries, since methyl bromide is loosing its effectiveness. This new chemical, methyl iodide, is so toxic it’s actually used to CREATE cancer in lab rats. That’s us, the lab rats! Something tells me that chemotherapy won’t taste as good as this dessert recipe!
Certified-organic strawberries are available at your local supermarket, and perhaps at your farmer’s market (although make sure to ask if they are ORGANIC!), or better yet, grow your own. I use them as ground covers in my flowerbeds, and we pick them as they ripen. I don’t have enough to make this dessert, but it’s a light, refreshing way to keep fed while I’m weeding.
This dessert can be served by itself, used as a cake icing or garnish…try it on rhubarb pie!
Strawberry Whip
Serves 8
Ingredients:
4 cups fresh organic strawberries
4 Tablespoons organic sugar
½ pint container whipping cream
Sprig of mint
Directions:
1. Wash and clean the strawberries, cutting off the green top and any bad spots, and cutting the berries in half. Put them in a bowl.
2. Sprinkle the sugar on the strawberries, and refrigerate.
3. Whip the cream until it’s thick, but not butter! Refrigerate.
4. When it’s time for dessert, mix the two together and stir until it’s a lovely, frothy pink.
5. Scoop some into pretty serving cups, and add a sprig of fresh mint to garnish!
This works well with frozen strawberries, too.
I too grow my own strawberries. i have a whole border full of them. I also plant lettuce in and among the berries. They seem to like each other and each grow better. I pick what has ripened each day, wash them and put them in a container in the freezer. Each day I add more to the container until it is full. In a short time, I have 2 or 3 cups, enough for a dessert or smoothie. When they are coming on faster, you can do this in the frig. and have fresh ones pretty fast also.
If you add in some crumbled meringue, it’s called Eton Mess! A summer staple in my house =)
Thank you so much for alerting us to the chemicals used on conventional strawberries. I don’t even trust the store bought organic ones any more. Seems we have to grow our own or we just don’t know what we’re eating.
Just a note…I have a HUGE garden of tea roses. The entire bottom is full of strawberries. They both love acid additives. They both love the sun. The strawberries shield the bottom of the roses from the hot sun. Rabbits get in there and fertilize, but don’t eat the strawberries…don’t know why. Totally organic….don’t need chemicals for either. Froze a gallon of strawberries last night and still more to go!
Kelly, that sounds lovely!
I never get enough strawberries to do anything with – no matter how many I plant! The neighbourhood kids all know about them. But the sight of a group of kids after school carefully searching for strawberries, learning to pick with two hands and not step on plants and identify weeds (and then do the same with the peas) ranks up there with a strawberry whip for one of the great pleasures of life.
Gosh, I wish I would have had that ifnoramotin earlier!
Maria,
Why don’t I have the option to print a recipe I’m interested in?
I do not use face book or any of the other features you show.
Tried this tonight. Simple. Delicious! (w/meringue bits, yum) Thanks!