Using a Glut of Strawberries

A Glut of Strawberries

 I think everyone is agreed that this year has been or rather, is being a very good year for strawberries.

The season has been very late to start as the spring has been particularly cool though, it has also been neither too wet nor too dry.

For the first time, I have put loose netting over my strawberries to discourage the birds [blackbirds mostly, I believe], I think the netting is safe enough for them if they should push their way in although, I see they have just been nibbling round the edges where the netting doesn’t quite cover. Of course the slugs are still doing their bit of damage.

I grow my 2 strawberry beds through porous matting to help keep the weeds down and with enough space between the plants to allow for air circulation to avoid botrytis [grey mould]. In a wet year this can damage a lot of the fruit. I use two beds so that I can replace a bed every couple of years without running out of a strawberry crop. It is suggested that we don’t harvest from a bed in its first year but allow the plants to establish. My opinion is that if I have established the bed in the previous autumn this is the bed I will get the best and largest fruit from and I have yet to see that it does any harm. However, if you are planting up the young runners in the spring it really is probably better to stop the fruit from forming.

Having said all that, I find that, this year I have a lot of delicious fruit. I am harvesting large bowlsful every 2 or 3 days. I probably could harvest every other day but, although reasonably sunny, the temperature is still quite cool and the fruit is slow to ripen fully.

There is a difference between those fruits which are picked freshly from the plot and those which are bought in the supermarket. I have noticed that the shop bought varieties are usually very red and look very delicious. They will also keep quite well in the fridge for a few days. They are , usually also quite ‘hard’ and fairly tasteless.

The plot grown varieties may be less red [this will depend on the varieties], may be slightly sharper but also sweeter and will definitely have much more flavour.... they will really taste of strawberries. The downside is that they won’t keep as long – they are best eaten on the same day or at least the next day.

When we have lots of them, this can present a problem. In previous years I have put punnets of them on my garden wall and invited passers-by to help themselves. I give some to my neighbours and friends. I see a fellow plot holder is inviting other plot-holders to help themselves from his plot.

I also make strawberry jam and strawberry conserve [ although I don’t eat jam, other members of my family certainly do].

This year, thinking of my eldest grandson who is allergic to dairy and eggs I have made strawberries which he will be able to enjoy. I have put strawberry ‘slush’ into containers in the freezer for use in puddings, cocktails, etc.

Some other ideas include strawberry flan, Eton Mess and what about strawberries in a salad;

Strawberry Jam

2kg ( 4lb) strawberries

1¾ kg  ( 3½ lb) sugar

Juice of half a lemon

Method

1.      Hull the strawberries and wash only if really necessary ( it is important that no more liquid is added to the fruit).

2.      Put the strawberries into the preserving pan with the lemon juice and heat very slowly until the fruit is really soft and has released much of its juice. ( 20 minutes or so).

3.      Add the sugar and stir over a gentle heat until you are sure that all the sugar has dissolved.

4.      Bring it to the boil and boil briskly until setting point is reached – test  a little on a saucer or use a sugar thermometer.

5.      Leave the jam in the pan for 10 – 15 minutes until it has cooled slightly. (when it has cooled slightly the setting process has started and this prevents the fruit rising to the top.

6.      Heat sterilised jam pots then place them on a wooden surface to pot the jam.

7.      Pot up the jam, cover and label.

( my personal preference is for the jam to be only lightly set, I think it has a better flavour.)

Strawberry Conserve

There are many recipes for strawberry conserve and all saying much the same thing. This particular one is from ‘Allotment Growing Recipes’ – www.allotment.org.uk

2lb (1kg) small strawberries or halved, hulled larger strawberries

2lb (1kg) granulated sugar

Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tblsp bottled lemon juice)

·         Place alternate layers of strawberries and sugar into a bowl.

·         Add the lemon juice, cover and leave to stand overnight – 12 hours.

·         Next day, transfer the fruit and the sugar to a pan, bring slowly to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

·         Pour back into the bowl, cover and leave again for another day.

·         Finally, transfer to a pan, bring to the boil and simmer until setting point is reached.

·         Remove from the heat and leave to cool a little (until the fruit begins to sink in the syrup).

·         Stir and pour into small, hot, sterilised jars and cover immediately. Label.

Strawberry Slush and Strawberry Iced Lollies

I am thinking of my elder grandson who is very allergic to dairy and eggs. This ‘recipe’ uses only strawberries and sugar. His Mum will allow me to give him these iced lollies but, she says, if he gets on a sugar high I will have to deal with him. So, not too much sugar.

Strawberries – hulled, sliced and enough to fill the food processor

Caster sugar – 1 Tblsp. Poured in on top of the strawberries

Method:

·         Whizz the strawberries and sugar in the food processor until smooth.

·         Pour the mixture into ice-lolly moulds and freeze

·         Enjoy and let the children enjoy

·         Any extra mixture can be poured into a freezer container and used scooped out or cubed into ice cream or champagne to make a delicious cooling cocktail.

Strawberry Tart

For the Pastry

I use a Pyrex flan dish which is approx. 10 inches or 25 cm across. Adapt your ingredients for a larger or small flan dish. Grease well

150gm [6 oz] plain flour

100gm [4 oz] butter – soften slightly

Small pinch salt

1 small egg – well beaten [ or half of a large egg]

You may use a little sugar if you wish for sweet dishes although this is not necessary

Method

·         Rub the  butter into the flour and salt being careful to not allow the mixture to become sticky.

·         Add enough egg [but no more] to allow the mixture to join and give a workable but, not sticky, pastry.

·         Roll out the pastry on a floured board or table until wide enough and thin enough to ease into the prepared flan dish. Prick all over with a fork.

·         Trim off the excess but allowing enough to stay over the edges to allow for shrinkage.

·         Place a piece of non-stick grease-proof paper onto the pastry and into the corners and cover with ‘pastry beans’ to prevent the pastry from rising.

·         Bake in a moderate oven 180º C or No 5 gas until the pastry has partially cooked and set. Remove the greaseproof paper with the baking beans and return the flan case to the oven to continue cooking.

·         When the pastry is an even golden brown, remove it from the oven and allow to cool.

For the Pastry Cream filling [crème patisserie]

4 egg yolks or 2 whole eggs

50 gm [ 2 oz] caster sugar

1 tsp icing sugar

25 gm [1 oz]  plain flour

25 gm [1 oz ] cornflour

350 ml milk

Method

·         Whisk together the egg yolks [eggs] and caster sugar until the mixture is smooth and pale.

·         Add the flours and whisk in, ensuring there are no lumps.

·         Heat the milk in a saucepan then mix in gradually to the egg and flour mixture.

·         Return to the saucepan and stir constantly until the mixture thickens.

·         Pour into a bowl and sprinkle on the icing sugar to avoid a skin forming on the crème.

·         Chill until needed. Then stir in the icing sugar to give a smooth custard

For a glaze you can use strawberry jam sieved and thickened or you can use a commercial glaze.

Spread the crème patisserie over the cooled flan case and arrange whole or sliced strawberries over the custard. Top off with the glaze and serve with whipped cream.

Strawberry Salad

1 Cos [Romaine] lettuce – washed if necessary and dried, sliced or leaves broken into small pieces

1 good sized punnet of strawberries – 500g [1lb] or equivalent – wiped to remove dirt and sliced

2 Tblsp chopped chives or 1 small red onion finely chopped

100g [ 4oz] walnuts or pecan nuts – broken into small pieces

100gm mild blue cheese – Stilton, Gorgonzola Dolce or Bleu d'Auvergne are good choices

Dressing

2 Tblsp Balsamic vinegar

1 Tblsp good quality olive oil

½ tsp whole grain mustard

Freshly crushed black pepper and sea salt to taste.

Method

·         Prepare the dressing – the easiest way is to put all the ingredients into a jam-jar with a lid, or similar and shake well before adding to the salad.

·         Put all of the salad ingredients into a large bowl and tossed briefly together ensuring the strawberries are not broken up.

·         The dressing can be served in a small jug separately or tossed with the salad.

Serve with an excellent crusty bread and a good white wine or with a first class fillet or rib-eye steak

What to do on the Allotment in July

July on the Allotment

From July into the autumn months most of the frantic sowing and planting out has been finished although there are still some varieties of beans which can be sown or planted out as they really don’t like cold nights and have just about and salad crops can continue to be sown for some months.

However, while the sowing and planting may have slowed down the harvesting and dealing with the resultant crops is only just starting. What joy!

Maintenance around the plot and in greenhouses or poly-tunnels –

ü  watch for caterpillar attacks on tomato plants – pick off and destroy as you find them – tomato caterpillars, which can be green or beige coloured and really quite chunky will feed on leaves and fruits , destroying the fruits and allowing botrytis [grey mould] into the plants.

ü  Watch, also, for red spider mite on indoor plants – they like dry warm conditions and can take over and destroy your indoor aubergines, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and chilli plants. The leaves of affected plants will take on a mottled unhealthy appearance. On closer inspection you will see webs, mostly on the backs of leaves and when the infestation is severe, between leaves and stems [if the infestation reaches this level, it is best to dig up and remove the infected plants – keeping a close eye on nearby plants for similar infection].

ü  For me, at any rate, slugs and snails are not a problem indoors but can still be a serious issue on outdoor plants, especially brassicas. Do keep an eye on their activity – slug traps, pellets, etc are useful though, they can be quite a pest underground with root crops and potatoes.

ü  Birds are always a problem though, thankfully, not indoors. Netting brassica plants is essential. Berries, especially gooseberries, are especially susceptible to harvesting by blackbirds. They also enjoy redcurrants and whitecurrants. I have found, over the years that blackbirds will take the ripe [red] sides out of ripening strawberries and will harvest the odd raspberry, it is not worth the trouble and expense of covering these fruits though redcurrants, cherries and gooseberries are a whole different ballgame – the birds are not prepared to share but, will take the lot.

A couple of years ago I also noticed that my rows of carrots were diminishing daily. One early morning I saw a plump pigeon eating off the lush green tops of my developing carrot plants – and I thought the only problems were poor germination and carrot root fly.

ü  Carrot Root Fly – an ongoing problem in the UK for carrot crops. I have tried many methods of beating this pest, including planting above 30cm or in raised beds. I have sown in a carrot box – made for me by a kind neighbour – about 1 metre off the ground. It seems the carrot fly on my allotment field have not read the manual – they also attacked my penthouse crops.

I have also tried inter-planting rows of carrots with plants like marigold with little success. I have found that earlier sown carrots and especially white carrots which seem to have a less ’carroty’ smell, are less likely to be attacked by carrot fly.

My best success has been with indoor grown carrots early in the season – with a suitable variety; sowing early – though possibly not as early as some seed houses suggest

ü  By June you should have finished harvesting asparagus. The plants should now be allowed to grow on into ferns, watch out for asparagus beetle and remove any beetles or larvae as soon as they are seen. It is important to allow all the spears to grow to maturity from now on, to feed and strengthen the roots for next year’s crops.

ü  Aphids - particularly on broad beans, whitefly [on brassicas], caterpillars can all weaken or eat you precious young plants. Watch out, also, for ants [especially red ants which seem to be more destructive and quicker to bite than their black ant cousins] – while they don’t, in themselves, damage the plants, they encourage aphids and will build their nests under plants undermining them. Broad beans are particularly susceptible to black aphids. Remove the top growing points as soon as the plants have set pods at lower levels. While this does not eliminate the aphids it should discourage and hopefully encourage them to move elsewhere.

ü  Continue to pinch out the side shoots of cordon tomato plants as they appear [not from bush tomatoes], on plants already growing on in green houses and poly-tunnels. Stake or tie up tomato and cucumber plants as they develop to keep them upright. By now the plants should be setting the young fruits;

ü  Peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, courgettes and squashes are greedy feeders and are thirsty. They will require regular feeding and watering especially in warm dry weather;

ü  Pick courgettes regularly to prevent them from becoming too large and to encourage the plants to produce more;

ü  Strawberries will now be sending out lots of new runners. Peg these into the ground near the ‘mother’ plants or into pots of compost, to create new plants. They will need to be watered regularly especially if in pots.

- Keep the plot tidy - cut grass on paths regularly to prevent weeds and grass from encroaching on your plot and to reduce slugs and snails.

- Weeding – keep seed beds, particularly, free from weeds. Hoeing is useful but take care to not damage young plants [hoeing is not very effective in wet weather as the hoed weeds will often re-root].

- As soon as they are big enough to handle, thin carrots and parsnips – dispose of carrot thinnings carefully to avoid attracting carrot fly.

- Keep fruit cages tidy and weeded – for particularly vulnerable bushes like redcurrants and gooseberries, ensure the cages are secure although do allow an escape hole for those intrepid birds which find a way in, in case of predators – cats and foxes will force a way in to catch trapped birds.

- Pruning of Plum and cherry trees should be done when the plant is in full growth and not when dormant, to avoid Silver Leaf – early July is considered by many to be the best time. On the allotment it is important to keep the size of the trees [height and spread] under control, not just for your own use but, also to avoid them overhanging neighbours’ plots or blocking neighbours’ light. Whatever the shape you choose, aim to keep the tree open, cutting out crossing stems or any branches or stems which are diseased. Cut out any new stems which are growing from the root stock.

·         Preparation and planning

- re-dig beds as soon as crops are harvested, to create a good workable tilth - ready for planting out. Many brassica crops will now finish harvesting - cauliflowers [Romanescu and all Year Round]. Onions, shallots and garlic which have been grown from sets in autumn should now be available to harvest. Overwintered onions don’t keep well so, use  up before harvesting and eating the spring grown crops.

·         Sowing and planting

You can still sow – French beans [some varieties are better sown a bit later. Read the instructions from the seed supplier], beetroot [although you may have sown earlier in the season, if you like this crop you can continue to sow until August]:-

-      Some brassicas can be sown outdoors and can be transplanted from pots or seedbeds – broccoli/calabrese, spring cabbage for next year, winter-cabbage can still be planted out, kale can be sown outdoors and planted out until the end of July;

-      Of course, carrots can be sown until the end of August, if you have suitable conditions although, I have found that I have had more success with earlier sown carrots;

-      Florence Fennel – a wonderful vegetable whose fresh aniseed flavour is such a wonderful addition to salads – sow from May until July outdoors;

-      Leeks can be transplanted as soon as the ground can be prepared. If it is very dry, water it well beforehand;

-      Spinach and Swiss Chard can still be sown;

-      Salad crops – lettuce, radishes, rocket, spring onions, can all be sown outdoors;

-      Turnips can be sown until the end of August for harvesting into winter.

 

·         Harvesting –

Second-Early and Early-Maincrop potatoes should now be ready for harvesting.

Globe artichokes are now coming into their main harvesting season.

Early sowings of peas – if sown under a cloche should start to provide a crop in now.

Some varieties of cauliflower and broccoli will be developing wonderful heads, usually all together. When you see them beginning to ‘head-up’ give them lots of water to encourage larger curds. Once ready they will not ‘sit’ well in the ground. Harvest them as soon as they are ready and store the whole plant, hung upside down in a shed or store the curds in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Over wintered onions and garlic will now finish its growth – look out for yellowing leaves and some withering. In onions, the leaves will fold over. Lift them and set them on the ground, in dry weather or on a rack, to allow them to dry out before storing in a cool dry place.

Young turnips, sown under cover in early spring should now be available for harvesting.

Continue to harvest rhubarb.

Soft fruit - redcurrants, blackcurrants and white currants as well as gooseberries, early varieties of raspberry and strawberries should now be ripening. Keep them protected from birds – they do seem to love redcurrants and gooseberries particularly. If you have lots of fruit, make sure you have containers for freezing and lots of jam-pots ready for preserving. If you still have produce in your freezer from last year, now is the time to use it up so that you have space for the new crops.