Snacking on juicy red strawberries is a delight. Since this fruit is harvested at the peak of ripeness, there’s not much concern about landing an unripe batch. However, finding yourself with overripe strawberries is actually quite common. If this is your situation, don’t worry. You don’t have to toss those mushy strawberries and watch their incredible sweetness go to waste. These soft fruits are perfect for creating delicious frozen desserts – think strawberry popsicles, sorbet, or strawberry swirl ice cream.
One interesting advantage of overripe strawberries is that they freeze better than their fresh firmer counterparts. The mushiness means they’ve started breaking down hence they don’t form big ice crystals when frozen like the firmer fruits. Additionally, overripe strawberries are much sweeter due to the concentration of their flavor, hence you can expect a more flavorful dessert from them. Furthermore, making strawberry frozen desserts involves processing the fruit by blending or mushing, therefore, the mushy texture and appearance won’t be a problem.
How to use overripe strawberries to make frozen desserts
If you’ve ever made any of these icy treats with fresh firm strawberries, then you’ll find it easy to use overripe strawberries since the process is the same. The simplest is making strawberry popsicles. Just put the mushy strawberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice (this helps round out the sweet flavor with a pleasant tartness) in a blender, blend, pour into molds, and freeze. After a few hours, you’ll be happily licking your bright red, deliciously sweet pops. If you prefer a creamy popsicle, simply add a dairy product like yogurt to the mixture when blending.
Strawberry sorbet is another fantastic strawberry dessert to sweeten up your life. The key difference from making pops is that you freeze the strawberries before blending them. This small extra step is what produces that signature slushy consistency of a sorbet. After blending the frigid fruits, add water and lemon juice, blend again, and transfer to a container before freezing.
For those who enjoy ice cream, overripe strawberries are a perfect addition. Puree the fruit with water and lemon juice then cook for a few minutes until the mixture reduces by about a third. Cool then refrigerate. In the meantime, make your ice cream as usual or simply get a store-bought tub. Now add the strawberry puree to the ice cream in a swirling motion, freeze, and it’s ready to devour.
