Spring into Summer!

 

 
We are now moving into the busy LOCAL growing season.  We are so excited to have blueberries, blackberries and (regional) peaches on the menu. Here are some tips and recipes for your delicious Spring produce!

Storage tips for berries

Remember with berries — “dry and in the container in which you bought them.” That means washing only the amount of berries you plan to eat, right before you eat them. Otherwise, store them without washing and be sure the container is breathable. Soggy or damp berries go downhill fast.

When you’re ready to eat, wash each berry differently. Blueberries can take about any method, apart from a long soaking. Strawberries, with their delicate, absorbent skin, require a little more care: Quickly swish unwashed berries in a bowl of water, move them to a strainer, then move them to paper towels, placed in single layers and let them dry.

The freezer is your friend

Say you can’t possibly eat all those berries before they spoil. This is where the freezer steps in. Wash berries and dry thoroughly, then lay them out in a single layer (so they don’t freeze in giant clumps) on a wax paper-lined pan or baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer the berries to an airtight, zip-top bag. If they freeze separately on the sheet, they’ll stay that way in the bag, too, which is optimal for smoothie-making or popping straight into your mouth on a hot day!

 

Peach Blue/Blackberry Delite
 
Recipe from GottobeNC.com
 

1 c cold milk
8 oz sour cream
1 pk instant vanilla pudding (3.4 oz.)
2 c heavy whipping cream (whipped)
8 c cubed Angel food cake (divided)
4 c cut-up peaches (about 5 peaches)
1 pt blue/blackberries

In large bowl, beat milk, sour cream and pudding mix on low speed until thick. Fold in most of berries (save some for top of the dessert). Then fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream.

Put ½ of cake cubes into 9 x 11 baking dish. Put half of peaches on top of the cake. Next, add the pudding mixture, then a layer of cake and finish with peaches and blue/blackberries on top. Chill and enjoy!

The layers should be: cake, peaches, pudding, cake, peaches and blue/blackberries.