Living in sunny south Florida has many perks. Going to the beach in the winter, fresh citrus, amazing wildlife, and not having to buy winter clothes. What many people don’t know, is that we have an extremely long winter garden season. We get most of our fresh summer produce from December till June. Most of it is shipped up north for the enjoyment of our neighbors, but the one thing we get a ton of for cheap is strawberries! We can pick them fresh at local fields or buy them 3 quarts for $5 all season at the local grocery store. I can’t stop coming up with ways to eat strawberries. Every year I buy them fresh, lop the tops off, and freeze them for smoothies all year round!
For this recipe I am going to use the berries raw but frozen. Freezing does not kill the potential for bacteria. This recipe is intended for nine months and older, and is sure to be a hit with toddlers and older children. If you want to feed this to a child under nine months I recommend blanching the fruit as we did in with the blueberry apple sauce.
I use frozen berries for a few reasons. First they blend into a smoother texture that mimics Italian ice. When blended raw they turn into a soupy jelly that can be a little stringy. We are looking for that smoothness here. Second they will freeze back up quickly if we start with a frozen berry. So lets get started!
4 quarts Frsh Strawberries
1 large Cantaloupe
1 cup Apple Juice or water for less sugar
1- Soak the strawberries in a water bath to remove dirt and residue. Wash out the quart containers with soap and water.
2- Line the containers with paper towel. Cut off the tops of the strawberries and refill all of the containers.
3- Place them in the freezer for 30-45 minutes. They do not have to be completely frozen.
4- Now cut the cantaloupe into 1 inch chunks.
5- I am working this recipe in batches using my smoothie blender. This ensures a good blend with no large pieces. Place 4-5 strawberries into the blender with an equal amount of cantaloupe. Make sure you put the cantaloupe on top. Add 3 tablespoons of apple juice or water and blend until smooth.
6- Portion into your Kiinde Twist bags for future snacks! Bring them frozen and serve icy cold.
