How do you intensify strawberry flavor?

Add a little sugar and salt ! Wash your strawberries, cut them, and hit them with a pinch of salt and a couple good three-finger pinches of granulated sugar, give them a little tossy-toss, and watch them magically start to darken and get extra juicy.

How do you soften and sweeten strawberries?

By simply adding sugar to cut the berries , they'll become juicer and sweeter, and their flavor will intensify. The whole process works quickly, but you do need to allot for a bit of time as they take about half an hour to an hour to macerate.

What is the secret to sweet strawberries?

Sun it is that develops sugar levels in the berries – so make sure your plants get lots, and lots of it .

What seasoning is best for strawberries?

In addition to mint, you may also consider complementary herbs such as lavender, tarragon, rosemary, angelica, fennel and lemon grass .

What makes a strawberry taste good?

The balance of sweetness and acidity is very important to the taste of a strawberry. As strawberries ripen, their sugar content rises from about 5% in unripe green fruit to 6–9% on ripening.

What can I use for strawberry flavoring?

While there is no direct replacement for fresh strawberries, especially as a garnish, natural strawberry extract allows you to add authentic strawberry flavor to any recipe. Strawberry extract can be used to flavor cakes, cookies, ice cream, beverages, breads, and more.

What can I add to strawberries to make them sweeter?

Add sugar: If you want to make your strawberries even sweeter, sprinkle a little bit of sugar on top of them.

Does Epsom salt make strawberries sweeter?

Delicious Fruits Adding Epsom salt to your fruits and vegetables soil will mean sweeter fruit and delicious vegetables . The Epsom salt will help to boost the chlorophyll levels in your fruit and nut trees. The more chlorophyl means more energy, and more energy means sweeter fruit.

Why aren't strawberries sweet anymore?

Certain pesticides might be responsible. A team reporting in the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has found that two common strawberry fungicides can affect cellular mechanisms, creating berries with subdued flavour and sweetness , as well as a lower nutritional value.

Why do you put lemon juice in strawberry jam?

To ensure that my jam has a proper acid level to gel properly and limit bacteria growth , I always add lemon juice to a jam mixture. Plus, I like the flavor a pop of lemon juice adds to my jam. It balances the sweetness of the fruit and brightens most fruit jams.

Is strawberry jam better with or without pectin?

No extra pectin– You may wonder if strawberry jam is better with or without pectin. Strawberries are naturally low in pectin, so some people prefer to add additional pectin to jams and jellies. However, I actually prefer homemade jam without extra pectin . They are a bit softer in texture, making it more versatile.

What's the difference between strawberry jelly and strawberry jam?

Jams and jellies are both soft, sweet spreads made from fruit, sugar and pectin. The main difference between jam and jelly is that jam is made with fruit whereas jelly is made with fruit juice .

What is the healthiest way to sweeten strawberries?

Stevia is a naturally-occurring alternative to sugar that is growing in popularity since it is healthier than granulated sugar. The taste difference is marginal at best so if you're desperate for a sprinkling of sugar over your strawberries, Stevia is the healthier option.

What can I add to soil to make strawberries sweeter?

Strawberries perform best in well-drained, fertile, and slightly acidic soils. In fact, these plants tend to yield more and are sweeter when grown in compost-enriched, sandy soil.

Old Fashioned Strawberry Bars Recipe (2024)

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A buttery crumb topping goes on the bottom and the top of these easy Strawberry Crumb Bars. Use fresh strawberries for an easy summer dessert that is ready in under 1 hour. It’s like strawberry shortcake in a bar!

In Ohio, early June is strawberry season. You’ll find Strawberry festivals, farmer’s markets selling beautiful big, ripe berries, and grocery stores with berries on sale for 99 cents a pound.

That can only mean one thing…it’s time to bake everything with fresh strawberries. This easy strawberry dessert is perfect when you are craving something sweet. It makes a small amount…enough for you to sample and maybe share with a friend.

These strawberry bars with fresh strawberries are a great take along dessert for summer picnics, potlucks and family reunions.

Old Fashioned Strawberry Bars Recipe (1)

About this Strawberry Crumb Bars Recipe:

Flavor: Buttery sugar crust and topping, with a sweet fresh strawberry filling on the inside. It’s such a rich, yet fresh combination.
Texture: The easy strawberry bars are soft and easy to eat. The streusel is slightly crumbly, yet the bar holds together well.
Method: This bakes in an 8×8″ baking pan, so it makes just a small amount of bars. If you line the pan with foil or parchment paper, you can easily remove the bars for cutting.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️Reader Val says,“Made this strawberry crumble bars recipe to use up some of my frozen berries. Turned out great! Top with extra strawberries and whipped cream and it makes a fun breakfast.”

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️Reader Alicia says,“I love this recipe so much! We discovered it last summer and have been just waiting for fresh local strawberries to be in season again to make it. Thank you for such a delicious recipe!”

Are strawberries good for baking?

The short answer is yes. From strawberry bread to strawberry rolls, they make a sweet dessert with eye-popping color.

Strawberries are high in water content, which can make them tricky for baking. For that reason, it’s best to use slightly underripe strawberries for this recipe so that you don’t end up with a juicy mess.

Slightly underripe strawberries are red, but have just a small amount of white at the top of the strawberry by the hull.

Save those bright red, juicy & sweet strawberries for enjoying fresh!

Old Fashioned Strawberry Bars Recipe (2)

can you use frozen strawberries?

Yes. You can use frozen strawberries in this recipe. Thaw the strawberries first and let them drain off any liquid. Then use them as described below.

Tips for Making Strawberry Crumb Bars

Line the baking pan with parchment paper or foil. Crumb bars can be tricky to cut and remove from the pan without it.
The base of the bar is also the crumb topping. Mix up the crumb mixture, then press half of it into the bottom of the pan. The rest of the crumbs go over the strawberry filing as a crumble topping. It’s like a strawberry crumb sandwich…which would be my favorite kind of sandwich.
The fresh strawberry mixture in this easy bar recipe is simply diced strawberries, sugar and corn starch. The cornstarch is what will thicken the strawberry filling just a little bit to make the bars stay together.

Can i use jam instead of fresh strawberries?

Yes! Strawberry jam crumble bars are a popular recipe. Instead of fresh strawberries, use strawberry jam (or your favorite flavor of jam) in the middle of the bars. Plan to use about 1 to 1 ½ cups of jam.

Storage Instructions

The bars are best if you store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. You can also pop them into the freezer and store for up to 6 weeks.

Recipe Variations

Try adding lemon zest to the crumble mixture. It adds a delicious, fresh flavor. You could even add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to the strawberries.
Use half brown sugar and half white sugar for a warm depth of flavor.
Serve with vanilla ice cream on top. It’s a unique twist on strawberry shortcake.
Use all-purpose gluten free flour for a gluten free dessert.

You may also love our blueberry crumble oatmeal bars.

Strawberry Crumb Bars

4.65 from 67 votes

Servings 12

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

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Ingredients
US Customary – Metric

For the crust & topping:

½ cup granulated sugar
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup salted butter (cold)

For the strawberry filling:

1 pound fresh strawberries diced up
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Prepare a 8×8 inch baking dish by lining it with foil or parchment paper allowing the edges to overhang the pan for easy removal. Then, spray the lining with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, add the ½ cup sugar, flour, baking powder and salt and mix until combined.
Then, add the egg and vanilla. Mix well.
Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until it is crumbly.
Take half of the flour mixture and pack it down in the bottom of your pan. Reserve the remaining crumbs for the topping.
In a medium bowl, combine the diced strawberries, &frac13; cup sugar and cornstarch. Mix until the strawberries are coated well.
Spread the sweet strawberry filling over the bottom layer in the pan and spread out evenly.
Sprinkle the rest of the flour mixture evenly over the top of your strawberries.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Allow to cool completely before cutting with a sharp knife.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Video

Notes

The calories shown are based on the bars being cut into 12 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 strawberry bar. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.

Nutrition

Author Julie Clark

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Calories 198

Keyword berries, brunch, picnic, shower, strawberry, summer

Have you tried this recipe?

Share a review below or share on Instagram with the tag #tastesoflizzyt.

Tools to Make This Recipe

Pastry Cutter: I use this tool all the time. It cuts butter into flour perfectly for streusels, crusts and other pastries.
8×8 Cake Pan: For small cakes and casseroles.
Strawberry Slicer: Get perfectly sliced strawberries to decorate your desserts.

Old Fashioned Strawberry Bars Recipe (2024)

About this Strawberry Crumb Bars Recipe: