Our family has made strawberry picking an annual summer event. We love getting in the middle of a big strawberry patch and spending about an hour picking anywhere from 15-35 lbs. of strawberries. Crouching down in the hot sun for an hour isn’t exactly fun, but there’s nothing like a fresh, juicy strawberry straight from the plant.

Here are 10 ideas that I use with our fresh picked strawberries

1. Eat them plain. Freshly picked strawberries are the best! They’re sweet, juicy, and nom-nom! Just make sure some make it into your bucket, as your picking, so you can have some later too.
2. Freeze them. Strawberries won’t stay fresh forever. If you have a more than you can eat in a few days, freeze them. Just hull, rinse, and flash freeze on a cookie sheet. Once they’re frozen stick them in some freezer bags for later use.
   
3. Strawberry shortcake sauce.  Put sliced, hulled berries in a bowl with plenty of sugar and let them sit for a few hours. It makes the perfect strawberry sauce for your Strawberry Shortcake. This is a great way to use your frozen berries, after they are defrosted.
4. Strawberry Muffins. Warm muffins, with cooked berries, and slathered in butter, these will make a great addition to the breakfast table.
   
5. Fruit Pizza. I love fruit pizza, using fresh summer fruit and berries makes it even better. Even if you just make a strawberry pizza, it will be eaten right up.
6. Strawberry Freezer Jam. I make jam with the majority of my berries. We love having fresh strawberry jam all year round. We like to put it on toast, pancakes, waffles, and ice cream. Make sure you check out the post at The Unlikely Homeschool on Making Strawberry Jam 101.
   
7. Add them to Greek Yogurt. You can make a tasty, healthy snack by adding your strawberries to greek yogurt. Your frozen berries will also be a great addition to a smoothie.
8. Strawberry Pie. I haven’t had a lot of experience making strawberry pie, since I am the only one in my family who will eat it. It’s a great pie to share with friends though!
   
9. Strawberry Spinach Salad. Having salad for dinner? Stick some strawberries on top for a sweeter taste.
10. Strawberry Popsicles. I use a super easy recipe from Martha Stewart to make popsicles. Just crush your strawberries and add a little powdered sugar. This makes a great treat on those hot summer days.

There are countless ways to use your strawberries, but these are at the top of my list.

What other ideas do you have for fresh strawberries?

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