I love fresh fruit. I don’t mean the beautifully displayed, sort of minimally processed selection in the produce area of the grocery store. I mean when you grab baskets and haul yourself out to pick what you want right from the source.
I am old enough to remember pick-your-own where the orchard/patch/farm owner pointed you in the right direction and left you to your own devices. Pick-your-owns have evolved since then to create an ‘experience’ with hayrides, corn mazes, on site kitchens or markets and they are mostly lovely (except when the location fully embraces the personification of fruit and vegetables. My food does not need to be friendly, smile at me, or be cute in any way. I just want it to be delicious). I do miss the simplicity, the space to get lost in, and the kind of silence that is full of bugs, birds, breezes, and a prowling barn cat.
Nevertheless, I make time to go and pick. What I forget every year is how much pain I am in the following day. In my daily existence or exercises, I never squat, kneel, or bend at the waist the length of time required to pick two 6-quart baskets of strawberries. Makes me not want to share with those who refuse to come with me. Two 6-quart baskets of strawberries to myself might be a bit of stretch… I could do it if were cherries.
Solution. Eat a pint before going home. Then (I just thought of this) drink a pint at home (purely for medicinal reasons, of course).
Actually, my inspiration today is to purée some strawberries, add some soda, lime, simple syrup, and a generous dash of tequila…
PS. I am not a doctor, so any medical advice is to be taken with a grain of salt. Wait. Forget I said that… :)
Oh.
My.
God.
(Please explain how it was for you, I might try it!)
Puree 1 pint fresh strawberries
Add juice of 1 1/2 limes
1 oz. or more simple syrup
3 oz. good tequila
Combine, stir.
Pour over ice and top with soda. Enough for two.
(pretty good for first time through, maybe more lime)
What is simple syrup? I guess could Google it rather than reveal my inadequacies here… :p
Simple syrup.
There are multiple different ratios. I use 1:1.
1 cup water,
1 cup sugar.
Combine in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stiring so the sugar dissolves and doesn’t burn.(reduce heat if it bubbles up too much).
I let mine boil for about a minute. Remove from heat. Cool.
I store it in a mason jar in the fridge. It lasts a while.
(I also use it to make awesome fresh lemonade.
1 part simple syrup
1 to 2 parts fresh squeezed lemon juice or lime or both
Pour over ice and add soda or water. Stir. Adjust ratios and amounts to your taste. A splash of Ribena and less simple syrup with lemon/lime is pretty fabulous too)