Helpful Ways to Save Slushy Strawberries

Strawberry season has arrived, and we can’t wait to make shortcakes, tarts, and berry salads. Even if you can eat a whole pint of strawberries in one sitting, buy enough strawberries and you’ll have a few go mushy on you. You know, the ones that got smashed and squished or simply spent too much time in the fridge. Although you may not want to snack on them, these berries are delicious and should not be thrown away. (Around here, we’re all about wasting less.)

What are you going to do with those sad leftover strawberries? We’re here to help! Here are some options you can try on your mushy strawberries:

• Create a Delicious Sauce

Make a simple sauce out of your not-so-perfect strawberries, and the possibilities are endless. You can simply purée them in a blender until saucy, but for added flavor, place the berries in a heatproof bowl, sprinkle with sugar, cover with plastic wrap, and heat gently over a saucepan filled with simmering water. The heat will help to extract some of the water from the fruit, which will condensate the flavor.

Once you’ve made a sauce, you can use it as a syrupy topping for pancakes, sundaes, cakes, and everything else. Freeze the sauce for instant granita or popsicles. Alternatively, add some oil and vinegar to make a salad dressing or steak marinade. 

• Create Strawberry Pie

Sure, you want perfect-looking berries for snacking and salad. However, once the strawberries are exposed to heat, they turn to mush regardless of how they began. If you end up with a pint of berries that aren’t quite right, no one will know if they’ve been turned into a pie, cobbler, or crumble. Alternatively, you can roast them without the pie crust and serve them with whipped cream for a quick summer dessert.

• Blend The Strawberries

Throw those berries in the blender for instant satisfaction—the mushiness helps them break down faster and into a smoother mixture. Use as directed above for sauce, or blend with milk or yogurt to make a smoothie. You can also add ice cream to make a milkshake, or keep it simple with blended ice for a new spin on a slushie. 

• Add Strawberries to Muffins

Brown bananas are delicious when mashed into bread. Overripe strawberries can be mashed or simply chopped and mixed into sweetbreads, muffin batter, pancake mix, or any other cake or baked good in the same way.

• Transform It into a Jam

Making jam for canning. It’s best to use blemish-free fruit and berries. However, bruised and blemished berries will suffice for a small batch of jam that will be consumed quickly or stored in the freezer. (As an added bonus, no canning jars are required!)

• Create a Lemonade from It

To get that pinkish hue, skip the packaged stuff and instead spike your summer lemonade pitcher with mashed strawberries. Toss them into a glass of rosé for a refreshing cocktail. You can also combine some of your puréed strawberry mixtures with lemon curd to make the most beautiful pink lemonade bars.

• Froze the Strawberries

You’re not quite ready to turn your mushy strawberries into dessert yet? Instead of throwing them away, freeze them and you’ll have a great mix-in the next time you make a smoothie or ice cream. Alternatively, puree them into the sauce and freeze them. You can even freeze it in ice cube trays and use it for salad dressing, meat marinades, and quick desserts whenever you want.

Get the freshest strawberries from any of our locations! And worry no more in case you have strawberry leftovers as these options can come handy.