Fighting heat, high humidity, imminent thunderstorms, and voracious mosquitoes at my favorite U-pick farm, I picked our year's strawberry supply earlier this week. Due to our somewhat odd spring here in Minnesota, the season was early and short. Most of the berries were small and many were verging on over ripeness. Despite this, I managed to haul home a solid five or so pounds of berries. Most of these are hanging out in the freezer already, but I kept a few out so Nick and I could indulge in some seasonal berry desserts.
I made a batch of shortcakes from the recipe in my Foster's Market Cookbook. They turned out well, with the exception of being a little flat. It's probably time to get some new baking powder and soda for the pantry. I've read that for best results, these should be replaced every six months or so. That seems like such a waste, as I barely use any in that time frame. Have any of you experimented with keeping them in the freezer? Does that extend the shelf life at all? I may need to do a bit of research on that topic.
Anyway, back to the shortcakes. Filled with freshly whipped cream and topped with just-picked strawberries, this dessert is hard to beat. We've enjoyed it the last two nights now. The rest of the berries will likely get made into some jam, with some reserved for use in smoothies throughout the year.
1 comment:
I guess I bake a lot because I've never had any problem with baking powder or baking soda getting flat! You can always use the old baking soda for cleaning instead of just throwing it out. Six months seems excessive, but it is probably good to do a purge once a year or so.
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