Home cooks on the East Coast of Australia are waking to the news of that their strawberries may contain sewing needles. Authorities are advising customers to bin them.
But don't ditch your strawberries!
Short of running a metal detector over the punnet, the best way to check if your strawberries are safe is by cutting them up. Here are ten great recipes that use cut-up strawberries.
11 great strawberry recipes
mini strawberry shortcakes
These mini strawberry shortcakes are petite - perfect for little mouths (or not getting too messy at a cocktail party!)
low sugar banana and strawberry bread
Banana bread freezes incredibly well, so you can make Kidgredients' Strawberry Banana Bread to use your strawberries today, then freeze slices for next week's lunches!
strawberry cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese frosting
Cupcakes with a strawberry surprise baked right inside! Half-fill your muffin tins, then add a slice of strawberry before topping them off! Plus everything is better with cream cheese icing!
three minute strawberry mug cake
It's 8pm, the kids have finally gone to bed and your sweet tooth starts asking for a little dessert. Cooking for Busy Mums has you covered with her three minute strawberry microwave mug cake!
yoghurt and mixed berry oat cups
Swap strawberries for the mixed berries in Mumlyfe's Yoghurt and Mixed Berry Oat Cups.
fruit and choc chip muffin tin pancakes
Muffin tin pancakes are perfect for little hands and little lunchboxes. These fruit and choc chip muffin tin pancakes from Goodie Goodie Lunchbox are a perfect way to get the kids involved in the kitchen!
no-bake strawberry cheesecake slice
Use your surplus strawberries to make my delicious no-bake strawberry cheesecake slice. It's seriously simple!
strawberry yoghurt cake
The almond meal in the Annoyed Thyroid's strawberry yoghurt cake, give it a diving texture. Plus conventional AND thermomix methods - winning!
strawberry scones
How long has it been since you had a really good scone? There's seriously nothing better and this cool strawberry variation from Cooking For Busy Mums is a great way to use any extra strawberries you need to use.
sugar-free strawberry coconut cookies
Sssssh! They'll never know these strawberry coconut cookies from Goodie Goodie Lunchbox are healthy!
strawberry and white chocolate muffins
Strawberries and white chocolate go together like mac and cheese or, if you prefer, gin and tonic. These strawberry and white chocolate muffins from The Annoyed Thyroid are a delicious way to use your surplus strawberries.
Finally, this is the busiest time for our strawberry growers and this scare will likely see a downturn in sales during the peak of their season.
Please don't stop buying strawberries - their sales during the season help sustain them for the rest of the year.
If you need tips of how to choose strawberries, you can read my interview with Di West, a Sunshine Coast strawberry farmer here.
I won't stop buying strawberries - I love them too much. Thanks for including some of my recipes in such a delicious round up!
Pleasure Sam, thanks for joining in. I feel so sorry for the farmers who were set to have a really profitable season in an often dim industry.
A x