When you first encounter freeze-dried berries, you may think of them as astronaut food. Or maybe that was just my perspective? That does not mean I did not like them. Quite the opposite! I found myself devouring an entire bag of freeze-dried strawberries in minutes. What I didn’t initially consider was using them in my kitchen creations. However, as I am always thinking about food and things I can make, it did not take long to find some uses for this fruit.
Fall back on a favorite
Biscotti was the first baking creation where I started to implement creativity. I would think about flavor pairings that I would enjoy and figure out how to deliver that via the confines of this baked good. So, why not utilize freeze-dried fruit in biscotti? Wanting biscotti to be a dry cookie, fresh fruit does not work. While dried fruit does work, why not give its cousin, freeze-dried, a chance?
Thus, my first foray into cooking with freeze-dried berries was my recipe for Sweet as a Summer Day Strawberry Biscotti. If you read the post, you will see there was some trial and error in regards to quantity of fruit. However, after a couple of tests, I had a batch that was delicious. When you are debating how to use freeze-dried berries, consider a baked good you like to make and how you can add them there.
Be adventurous
While still in the baking category, another way that I implemented freeze-dried fruit was in a Double Strawberry Pavlova. Pavlovas are newer to my baking repertoire, so I wasn’t sure how the addition of some powdered fruit would impact the final product. The answer: beautifully!
When trying a new recipe, there always is the possibility of failure. Be conservative in your efforts, so as to save time and money. Make as small a batch as possible, or make a whole batch but add the new ingredient to only a single serving. In that way, you can bake the single serving and then adjust the rest of the batter accordingly.
More options for freeze-dried berries
Thus far all of my cooking with freeze-dried berries has involved baked goods. Seeking other inspiration, I found some great ideas from other recipe creators:
- Berry-infused whipped cream from Serious Eats
- Overnight oats from Food Network
- Syrup for dessert or drinks from Martha Stewart
If you haven’t cooked with (or tried) freeze-dried fruits, stop delaying. If you are anything like me, you are going to open a bag and find yourself utterly delighted. Then, let your culinary creativity run wild. Feel free to share your ideas with me in the comment box below.
