|
Ever since I was a kid I've been pretty berry obsessed. Growing up with 3 siblings, you had to fight for the good stuff! When my mom would bring home a haul of berries from the grocery store, I would try to eat an entire pack as quickly as I could before my sisters had a chance at them. Fast forward 25 (or so!) years and not much has changed except now I need to compete with one very hungry toddler of my own! Driscoll's Berries are a staple in my fridge; before the world went slightly upside down, I would stock up on a few fresh containers each week at the grocery store, buying just enough for what we'd use in a week.
Now that we are limiting trips to the store to bi-weekly excursions, I've been stocking up on two weeks worth and stretching them by reserving half in the freezer. What I like to do is add about 12 ounces of Driscoll's Berries to a saucepan and add about 1 cup of water to the pot. The berries are so sweet and delicious, you really don't need to add anything at all, but if I'm feeling fancy I might add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a tablespoon on honey to highlight the natural flavors of the berry. I then bring this mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook the berries for about 5-7 minutes. They will start to release all of their beautiful juices and soften. Once the berries have cooked, I cool them slightly and either process them until smooth and strain, or mash them by hand through a fine mesh strainer. The strained berry puree gets frozen in cubes and the options for using them are endless!
For frozen cubes, I like to pop a few into a glass of seltzer, use them the spruce up a cocktail or mix them into a smoothie. Alternatively, you can thaw the cubes to swirl into yogurt, top ice cream with, or stir into baby cereal or a bowl of hearty oatmeal. Although fresh Driscoll's keep very well thanks to their unique packaging, freezing them into berry puree cubes really helps me stretch the delicious flavor!
|
