Skip to main content

Preserving Berries - Freezing Berries

Ft Lauderdale Personal Chef Event Catering


Freezing is the easiest way to preserve all types of fresh berries. But it's no fun to go into the freezer to get a few berries for your pancakes only to find that you've got a huge clump of way more than you need. Here's how to freeze fresh berries so that they remain loose and you can take out just as many as you need:
1. Spread the berries in a single layer on a baking sheet or plate.
2. Freeze, uncovered.
3. Transfer to freezer bags or containers



Palm Beach Personal Chef
Fort Lauderdale Personal Chef
Miami Personal Chef
Freelance Chef

Popular posts from this blog

Easy Soft Caramel Recipe - No Candy Thermometer Needed

These easy soft caramels can be whipped up in about 15 minutes. You do not need a candy thermometer to m ake these caramels and they literally melt in your mouth! EASY 4 INGREDIENT SOFT CARAMELS (NO CANDY THERMOMETER REQUIRED) INGREDIENTS 1½ sticks butter ½ cups/100g sugar 3 tablespoons/45ml light corn syrup 14 ounces/415ml/397g sweetened condensed milk optional: coarse sea salt, ½ teaspoon/2ml vanilla (see note) INSTRUCTIONS In a medium sauce add butter and sugar and stir over medium heat until melted. Stir in corn syrup and condensed milk. Bring to a boil and then decrease to simmer 7-10 minutes or until mixture achieves deep golden color, stirring constantly. (*For lower altitudes, simmer time may need to be reduced 2-3 minutes, watch carefully for coloring!) - See update below recipe! Pour caramel into a foil-lined 8x8 inch pan and allow to cool completely. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt if desired. When completely cooled, cut into squares and wrap in wax paper. NOTES...

History of Veterans Day

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.” In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the counc...

Andre Daguin's Vanilla Ice Cream with Prunes and Armagnac

Four to six servings 16 pitted soft prunes 1 cup/250ml Armagnac 1 cup/250ml whole milk 1 long vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise, giving four quarters—or 1 tablespoon/15ml pure vanilla extract 6 large egg yolks 1/2 to 3/4 cup/125-185ml natural wildflower honey to taste Pinch of salt 1 cup/250ml whipping cream Two weeks or more in advance, place prunes in a large clean jar or crock. Add Armagnac to cover. Cover jar or crock and set aside in a cool place to steep. When ready to make ice cream, measure out 1 cup moderately packed prunes and fill up remainder of cup with Armagnac; set aside. Use remaining prunes for garnish. Scald milk with vanilla bean (but not vanilla extract); set aside. Whisk egg yolks over very low heat in medium, nonreactive saucepan until warm. Continue whisking, adding honey gradually. When all honey is added and honey has begun to dissolve, remove saucepan from heat. Do not boil. Whisk in hot milk and salt. 4. Return saucepan to low heat. Cook...

New Summer Time Grilling Recipes

It is that time of the year across the country.  Here in South Florida we have the honor of being able to grill outside almost year round.  The summer time months, to many, are synonymous with grilling and cookouts. Hot dogs, hamburgers, sausages, steak and chicken sizzling away on the grill with the guys gathered around the coals with a cold drink in hand all “knowing the best way it should be done”.  For me I think of clams, lobsters, mussels. No matter what it means to you it usually evokes memories of good times past and thoughts of those to come. I’ve decided to shy away from the usual recipes and give what I hope will become some new favorites.  All are quick and easy. Most important is they are Tasty! Fire up the grill, whether it is gas, electric, brisket or natural charcoal (my choice) and let’s get ready for some good times. Haddock Fillets (sub tilapia, red snapper, ling fish) Serves 4 4 fish fillets 1 tsp/5ml fresh ginger, minc...

Gluten Free Kedgeree Recipe

It's As Easy As One, Two Three Originally when the dish was brought back to the UK lentils were the protein. They were taken out perhaps beca use they were not readily available and eggs were added. What is this dish you ask? Kedgeree is a wonderful dish of rice, smoked fish (usually haddock, onion and eggs all mixed together with with Indian spices, butter and cream...if you are feeling naughty. The bold warm spices, the smoky fish and the creamy egg yolk are surprisingly rich and filling. Imagine yourself in a tuxedo or ball gown chattering away about the affairs of the day. Wash it down with a cool ale or light and crisp white wine. serves 4 1 pound/405 g smoked haddock 1 1/2 cups/375ml white long grain rice 1 onion, diced 4 ounces/115g butter 1 teaspoon/5ml garam masala 1/2 teaspoon/2ml turmeric, or a pinch of saffron threads 4 boiled eggs, 2 chopped , 2 cut in half 1 1/2 cups/375ml heavy cream 1 teaspoon/5ml salt 1 teaspoon/5ml black pepper ...

Grunt Cooking Term(s)

Grunt: There are 2 surprisingly different definitions of grunts in cooking: A type of fruit cobbler or pie, traditionally served on America's east coast that is a combination of a pie and a cobbler. It consists of fruit, most often berries, which are cooked beneath a crust of biscuit dough. The Grunt was named for the echo of sounds coming from the bubbling fruit under the dough as it cooks. A Grunt is similar in preparation to the Slump with the exception that the Grunt is steam cooked and the Slump is baked. Type of fish. White grunts could be the most under appreciated fish in the Gulf of Mexico.   People love to catch grouper and snapper, but these bottom dwellers rival both species as table fare and can be caught by just about any angler, regardless of skill level.  "That's how I built my reputation," joked Dave Zalewski, one of the longest running charter boat captains on the west coast of Florida. "That's why they call me Captain Grunt." ...

Frankfurter, PIckled Beets, and Horseradish Salad

Jewish cooking has a wonderful thing called khrame, which is horseradish sauce with beets. It is probably this that makes us think of this combination. 6 frankfurters 6 small pickled beets, drained and chopped (see pickled beets recipe here) 2 onions, chopped 2 teaspoons/10ml capers olive oil wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon/2ml finely grated fresh horseradish OR 1 teaspoon/5ml bottled red horseradish cream to taste salt and freshly ground pepper Put your frankfurters into boiling water, bring back to a boil, remove from heat, and leave for 10 minutes. Drain, chop, and place in a bowl with the beets, onions and capers. Make a dressing with the remaining ingredients. Be sparing with the vinegar as the beets may be tart.  Add a little cream to the horseradish before adding it to the dressing if you find it too strong. Mix the dressing with the frankfurter mixture. Cover and leave overnight before serving.  Recipe by Clarissa Dickson Wright private c...

Holy Mackerel—it's Good and Good for YOU -- Packed with nutrition and good taste

When we think of fish to eat rarely does this “heavenly” fish come to mind. It has rather gone out of style. Truth be told the mackerel is one of the fish that is LOADED with the “good fats”, Omega 3 and the coenzyme Q10. It is not as trendy or pretty as many fish, but even the tinned/canned version is loaded with nutrition and has a multitude of health benefits. Mackerel is also known as maccarello. The slim torpedo shaped fish is found in deep warm tropical waters. It is rich in essential oils, vitamins and minerals. Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids occur in high quantities. It contains vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E and K, not to mention minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, sodium and selenium. Anti-Carcinogenic Mackerel can help you fight and prevent cancer by reducing the amount of agents that cause cancer in your cells, primarily in the breast, colon and prostate areas. Coenzyme Q10 helps to eliminate cancerous agents from afflicted cells. T...

The 4th of July and How the Celebration Began

Celebrating the 4th of July We were under the impression as many of you probably are that that the Fourth of July is a national holiday .  In the United States there is no such thing as a national holiday ; a national holiday would be a holiday that is observed in all fifty states. There is much conflicting information and truthfully I am still confused. The President and Congress can only legally establish an “official” holiday for its “federal” employees and the District of Columbia.   Independence Day is a Federal Holiday.  Do we not just take for granted it always was? We just accept it for what it is without knowing how it came about. What is surprising is how much federal legislation was passed to get the Fourth of July recognized as a federal holiday. 1870 – Senator Hannibal Hamlin introduced a Senate Bill titled “Legal Holidays in the District”? This bill was designed to establish the Fourth of July as a holiday for federal employees and the Dis...

This Super Simple Trick Has Me Peeling Potatoes Faster Than Ever

  ASHLEY ABRAMSON published   FEB 17, 2021 Whether I’m making crispy fries in the air fryer or my favorite goat cheese, bacon, and sweet potato hash on the stovetop, I almost always end up leaving the potato skin on — mostly because it just takes too long to peel each potato before cooking them. Some recipes, of course, specifically call for peeled potatoes — say,  mashed potatoes  or hash browns. You  could  take the time to hold the potato and carefully peel it over the trash can, delaying your delicious meal. Or, you could try this game-changing  TikTok  trick I found recently. What’s the Trick? Apparently, the creator’s method — which has almost 50,000 likes so far — is the fastest (and easiest) way to peel a potato. Ready? Just stick a fork in the potato, peel the sides, pull the fork out, and finish peeling the top and bottom. Sounds pretty foolproof, right? I Tried the Potato Peeling Trick from TikTok When I first tried this trick, I o...