It’s strawberry season in Maine.
Whether you pick your own or buy them from your local farm stand, nothing beats the taste of fresh Maine strawberries. You can eat them as is, but if you want to get creative with the season’s bounty, here are nine dishes you can make with fresh Maine strawberries.
Strawberry Tart
This rustic strawberry tart is the perfect way to celebrate strawberry season, and it’s less work than making a pie: Instead of stretching the dough to fit a pie plate and then creating a neat crust on top and neatly scalloped edges, you simply roll the dough out into a circle, place some berries in the center, and flip the edges in toward the center.
Strawberry Shrub
Shrub, also known as drinking vinegar, is a traditional fruit syrup that’s preserved in vinegar and mixed with water or alcohol to create a tangy, refreshing drink. Strawberries make a delicious shrub, and you can make a batch to enjoy their sweet taste all year round (though because they’re so tasty, they won’t last that long). Follow these basic steps to make a shrub to create a delicious summer drink.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb are the perfect combination for a pie. Plus, in early summer, both are ripe and in abundance at produce stands and farmers markets. This strawberry rhubarb pie recipe is super quick and easy to make, as pie goes.
Flagoncello
Like its citrus cousin, Limoncello, Flagoncello is an alcoholic strawberry drink that’s surprisingly easy to make. Follow the basic Limoncello recipe and use diced strawberries instead of lemon rind to bring a whole new flavor to this traditional aperitif.
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
This magical strawberry rhubarb jam recipe doesn’t need any liquid because cooking the fruit with the sugar and lemon zest releases all the liquid it needs and breaks down the fruit to create the perfect consistency. It also makes a small amount so you don’t use up all of your berries in one go but still get to enjoy a delicious spread.
Strawberry lemon fridge jam
If you like your jam to taste a little different, try this Strawberry Lemon Fridge Jam. It takes about an hour to make, but it’s easy and worth it: just add the ingredients to a saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and place in the fridge to set.
Strawberry Compound Butter
Compound butter is a sweet or savory mix of butter that adds extra flavour. Fresh diced strawberries are delicious mixed into compound butter with orange zest and a pinch of honey. The finished butter can be spread on freshly baked biscuits for a delicious summer treat.
Strawberry Rhubarb Upside Down Cake
This Strawberry Rhubarb Upside-Down Cake recipe combines a light and moist favorite with a layer of sweet, buttery strawberry rhubarb at the bottom of the cake. It’s delicious with coffee in the morning or served with vanilla ice cream for dessert.
Mini strawberry cheesecake
Strawberries are the perfect topping for this creamy, sweet cheesecake, and with a gingersnap cookie crust and fluffy texture, you won’t be able to finish just one of these mini strawberry cheesecakes.
Strawberry season in Maine is short, so enjoy them while you can – your taste buds will be delighted.
