Use Science for Maximum Strawberry Flavor | What’s Eating Dan?

From their vibrant red color to their sweet aroma, strawberries are a beloved fruit enjoyed by many. Dan shows you the secrets to achieving the ultimate fresh strawberry flavor in desserts.
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[@raffaellac.3333]

Yes to the rhubarb episod!🎉🎉

[@lorijudd2151]

I can always use a new rhubarb recipe!😏

[@dubya13207]

+1

[@HLR4th]

I love all pies, but Strawberry Rhubarb transports me back to my childhood (store bought versions, but still, it blew all the other pies away!)

[@cherylegrognet7715]

Yes to rhubarb 😊

[@psalm148.1]

Yes Please!

[@mdbbox5660]

I'm surprised there wasn't more mention of the use of lemon juice. I have brought kind-of-sad out of season strawberries up to par with judicious use of lemon juice. This is especially useful for ice cream, but it works when making pretty much anything with strawberries.

[@laurenceadelinedelphinegas6850]

Good call! My French mum always used lemon juice for strawberries, it is the perfect flavour enhancer for them. Even below par strawberries benefit from this association - it's actually the secret to upgrade them when nothing else is available!

[@dezarydrak8241]

He did add lemon to his pie recipe

[@nuggyfresh6430]

it's a good point, I'm a sweet and sour guy so fair, but I can see why some people wouldn't need it.

[@roberttschaefer]

TOTALLY Agree. I always add lemon to strawberry preserves and compotes. That sour flavor is also what makes strawberries and rhubarb pair so wonderfully. I also add lemon juice to apple pie.

[@marjoriepeters3114]

Yes to the Rhubarb episode, and the strawberry rhubarb pie! This was a 4th of July must-have at our house. Favorite strawberry dessert, strawberry shortcake, but the shortcake has to be more of a lumpy, kind of raggedy buttermilk biscuit that has a *little* sugar in it - with some whipped cream even better. At home in PA when strawberries came on in the garden, mom and dad would let us have one dinner of strawberry shortcake :-) as a summer treat! Unorthodox, yes, but so good, and a great memory

[@KenS1267]

Yes, I love rhubarb so much and it is sadly underutilized in the US. After living in the UK for a couple of years I cannot get enough of the stuff.

[@kimedo61]

Yes to the rhubarb episode, and strawberry rhubarb pie is my fav!

[@nancycy9039]

Yesss! And isn’t this one of the best ways to eat a sweet fruit: as dinner. Seems as though it could prevent over, indulging in the meal as a whole.

[@jonslg240]

You notice he doesn't experiment with cut blueberries on maceration.. why not? Because he's performing Berry Propaganda 😂😂 Even the difference between blueberries and whole strawberries on the timescale he provides isn't much different.

[@ScottJenson]

I just made the strawberry sauce EXACTLY as he described, blitzing it really well in my high speed blender and it is spectacular. I've been making strawberry sauce on the stove for years and I'm never going back. This is far superior.

[@ScottJenson]

BTW, I just tried the same technique for Blueberry sauce (fresh blueberries + a bag of dried blueberries and sugar) Also... amazing.

[@Kriegpanzer90]

Add some fresh sliced berries in the sauce after blitzing it and you have a wonderful toping for pancakes.

[@christinewaite8568]

Dan is one of my favorite Test kitchen presenters. This was so informational, fun, and easy to follow. At 66, I didn't know there was anything else for me to learn about strawberries and strawberry preparation but I certainly learned a lot in this video, and I'm definitely going to make his strawberry vanilla ice cream. Thank you Dan!

[@ericmgarrison]

My grandmother always added a turn or two of the pepper mill in her strawberry ice cream base, and she swore it made them more "strawberry-ish." In my mouth, it did!

[@DavidChong]

black pepper & balsamic vinegar are classic flavour intensifiers for strawberries

[@MrWnw]

@@DavidChong thanks for sharing! where could I learn more of such info please?

[@DavidChong]

@@MrWnw youtube has a habit of deleting comments with links in them, but googling "strawberry black pepper balsamic" should turn up recipes and/or articles

[@jasonbean2764]

I want to see the strawberry -rhubarb pie!:)

[@lorijudd2151]

There actually are varieties of strawberries that do have higher sugar content. However, they can only be grown by those that are going to eat them because their shelf life is very short. I grew up growing, hoeing, picking and eating strawberries. Seems everyone had their favorite varieties. They also had their favorite ways to turn them into jams, pies, and such.

[@DJBillyQ]

Mara Des Bois strawberries are my favorite that have a super sweet but delicate flavor!

[@jonslg240]

Not even the sweetest of strawberries tastes nearly as sweet as a Fuji apple, though, let alone a red delicious (which is sweet but not so delicious unless you use toppings like peanut butter =p)

[@AronBagel]

I'm a little bit disappointed that you didn't mention one of the most surprising - and in my opinion downright magical - strawberry desserts: strawberries & balsamic vinegar! When I first learned of this combination, it blew me away, because on paper it just doesn't make any sense. But when you slice up some strawberries and drizzle on some balsamic, it's like you unlock a cheat code for life. The balsamic neutralises the acidity of the strawberry, leaving you with just the sweetness. It's delightful. Finely slice some mint for a pop of colour contrast and a hint of freshness, and if you still want some more sweetness, a touch of sugar on top can do just that. Best enjoyed while outside in the sunshine!

[@zer0nix]

Speaking of which, finding the best and the best value balsamic vinegar would make an excellent topic of research for the test kitchen - although it seems they already have a video regarding the aging of supermarket balsamic

[@sheetalpatel7083]

Yes to rhubarb please!!! Loved this episode.

[@hotbeefman69]

I grew up eating a fresh strawberry pie and thus far I have been unable to reproduce it. Now I know how to make it! Thanks Dan and ATK!

[@susanwoodcarver]

Wait! You didn’t address frozen strawberries. Are they terrible? Can I use them in the winter? I wish you would’ve told me. Maybe you can do a video on frozen fruit.. good or bad. Maybe you’ve already done a video on frozen fruit and I missed it. Please let me know. Thank you.

[@fabkury]

Dan nails it again. He's such a boss. I'm suddenly about to run get some strawberries and pie crust.

[@njboesman]

Same

[@ladeevolfan]

I have vivid memories of being a child in the 70s and going to Shoneys with my family and getting one of their strawberry pies and a can of whipped cream in their drive through. That pie was similar to your whole berry pie. A lot of nostalgia for that pie....as well as strawberry rhubarb...that was my Nannie's favorite pie to make.

[@m3vt2seffn]

It reminds me of going to Bob's Big boy and asking for the fresh strawberry pie

[@edeyden1326]

I love fresh strawberry pie and I love fresh rhubarb pie but I prefer them separate - not as a strawberry - rhubarb pie. Can't wait to see your next episode

[@EastSider48215]

I agree 100%. Strawberry rhubarb pie is OK, but strawberry pie and rhubarb pie are spectacular.

[@mgkleym]

Macerated strawberries are already one of my favorite pancake toppings, I'll have to try this strawberry sauce next time I make some.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

A fresh, fresh episode of ‘What’s Eating Dan?’ drops and I get so excited! 👏🏽 P.S. Shoutout to the person who compiles the edited frames.

[@joanneebel4839]

Yes to Strawberry Rhubarb pie, please.

[@mariateresazapiain9604]

Lovely!!! Thank you Dan!!!

[@jeffabell6604]

I just went out to the kitchen and made your fresh/freeze-dried strawberry sauce: OMG!

[@annalockwood3021]

What about strawberry cheong ? Or popsicles? A touch of balsamic vinegar and freshly ground black pepper really make them next level.

[@barbarawebb9413]

Can you have an episode for strawberry jam, canned and freezer? Love all of What's up with Dan!!

[@robertcounts5300]

i found a strawberry/mango jam that is to die for, can't remember where i found it, do a search for it.

[@lorrifrogget911]

We always just followed the freezer jam recipe that came in the package of gelatin/pectin. It was spectacular!

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Thank you for the Strawberry Ripple Ice-Cream recipe. It’s awesome.

[@marilyngrossholz6054]

I remember as a little girl visiting my grandmother in the summer and all of the wonderful fresh from the garden treats - fresh strawberries and cream, blackberries, peaches, “roasting ears “, and rhubarb sauce (fresh rhubarb cooked up like applesauce). Everyone cringes when I say I love rhubarb. I’d love it if you presented rhubarb in a positive light🙂

[@fifthposition]

omigosh...I NEVER hear anybody call them "roasting ears" anymore! It makes me think about my grandpa (of course, being from WV, we pronounced it as one long word: "roastinears" ;)

[@jayleno2192]

I make a similar kind of fruit pie, but I generally use a graham cracker crust and put a layer of goat cheese under the fruit. Kind of like a no bake cheese cake, except it's mostly fruit so it's not so rich and heavy.

[@meizhou9279]

Thank you for putting this episode on YT at the beginning of the season. 🍓🍓🍓

[@MCH077]

Thanks for the tops, Dan! I look forward your series, it the best, so creative! 🙂

[@redmoondesignbeth9119]

Thank You for this! My strawberry patch is maturing and I've been fantasizing what I was going to make. Strawberry/Rubarb is on my list. One of my fav memories of my mom is her baking this pie in 1958.

[@tsukiraaquarius8746]

That strawberry pie looks delicious! I will be looking forward to seeing the rhubarb pie when the time comes!

[@jennijapanime]

I love knowing the science behind their wonderful smell and I am going to have to try the dehydrated strawberry sauce sometime! They are my favorite berry for sure!

[@food4sail]

My favorite is sliced strawberries, sugar, balsamic vinegar and mint served with fresh whipped cream. Delicious 😊

[@apollotiger]

I’m so excited at the prospect of a rhubarb episode. Not only is rhubarb delicious but I’m also certain the mine of weird rhubarb science goes deeper than I know.

[@fauxtaux]

I have been very partial to a strawberry galette recipe that uses a bit of graham cracker in the crust for the past couple of years. Deee-luscious!

[@adedow1333]

Oh yum!

[@JulieMossTheAftermathOne]

Love ur vids Dan! Thank u!😊🎉

[@OfficerA1C5.9Dovetonsils]

Thanks Dan, This really expanded by knowledge of Strawberry prep abt 2fold. Delighted in Cincinnati. ! Best, Rich Hall

[@user-eo7mt6uo2c]

Yes, to the rhubarb episode, and my household loves the strawberry rhubarb pie. And yes, to the all butter pie crust. Thanks Dan

[@RomantiCynic]

Looking forward to trying the strawberry pie!

[@julienicholls4465]

Yes to rhubarb! Loved this episode, though, and to answer your question about favorite strawberry desserts, I love strawberry mochi (ichigo daifuku), where a fresh Japanese strawberry is enrobed in white bean paste and then a soft mochi shell. It is a burst of springtime flavor!

[@paulsmith9341]

I buy strawberries when they are a dollar a pound. I process them into ripe red, not so ripe and slightly over ripe. I mash the not so ripe and slightly over ripe(a immersion blender works great!). The ripe red I slice. I mix all three together with powdered sugar. After measuring out one pound portions I freeze them in zip lock bags so I can pull them out for short cake or strawberries over vanilla ice cream.

[@miss-ck3xf]

My favorite is like a strawberry shortcake, but with chocolate cake and chocolate frosting 🤤 Love this!!!! 🍓❤️

[@terriw]

That pie looks awesome!!

[@lisamoore6804]

Yes on the strawberry rhubarb pie and I love chocolate dipped strawberries.

[@BooBaddyBig]

I've been lightly microwaving my strawberries as well as macerating them to get that 'eating strawberries in hot summer'. OMG so good.

[@momc1134]

Yes can't wait for your strawberry rhubarb pie recipe!!!!!

[@cindyharrington5958]

I love that fresh strawberry pie you made at the end of the video. The only thing I do different is I require some whipped cream on top. Yummy.

[@Karen-vs2fo]

My mouth is watering!!

[@joangavrilik3009]

Yes to strawberry-rhubarb pie - my favorite (or S-R crisp in a pinch)

[@jw77019]

I love everything and everyone involved in America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country.

[@rebeccatelgenhoff3540]

I am really looking Forward to the rhubarb episode!! Also, one of my favorite things is picking Strawberries in the field when they are fresh and Juicy. Nothing beats a fresh picked 😊strawberry on a warm spring day!.

[@MrAtheistQueen]

Just bought my first rhubarb plant a couple weeks ago. Looking forward to seeing your amazing ideas! :)

[@lorrifrogget911]

Strawberry freezer jam made with Hood strawberries (a type of strawberry, just like honey crisp is a type of apple) is my favorite way to have fresh strawberry flavor year round. We just followed the freezer jam recipe on the package of fruit pectin. We always served it on pancakes with whipped cream for breakfast.

[@alexzinkon4552]

Love me some Rhubarb! Look forward to the Rhubarb episode and seeing how to better utilize this tangy celery stick 😊

[@showqueenG]

Yes Dan please share that Strawberry Rhubarb recipe and I love what you're doing here

[@jase_allen]

I definitely want to see an episode on rhubarb. My grandma had a rhubarb patch in her back yard and often had some kind of rhubarb treat when we visited. Having it now always reminds me of her.

[@patlawler5532]

Thank you Dan. I have an immersion blender, and making my own mayo is on my list! In

[@lydiad3575]

Thoroughly educational and enjoyable m. And I will make that pie

[@fifthposition]

YES to the rhubarb episode. I love strawberry-rhubarb pie...BUT...my first experience was with rhubarb-only pie because that's what my Grandma made....I didn't even hear about the strawberry-rhubarb combo till I was like 30...and finding out that IT seemed to be the default version that EVERYBODY else knew was, for me, one of those times when you wonder if the whole world is conspiring to gaslight you! So, yes to a Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie recipe...but would you consider also including any tips to adapt it to an all-rhubarb version? :) Love all your vids!

[@amyhorton7168]

Strawberry anything is my favorite, but I will admit to a special fondness for strawberries and whipped cream on just about any baked good and strawberry rhubarb pie. I'm really looking forward to your strawberry rhubarb pie episode.

[@clairressagoad2789]

Yes to the strawberry and rhubarb pie recipe and to everything else in this video! YuUM!

[@SPshaun]

One (and just one) of my favorite things to do with strawberries is to make fresh strawberry freezer jam. I will never go back to cooked strawberry jam. I grow June berries and I have also known for years that fresh, not cooked is best. I have a freeze dryer and that is what I do with the fresh berries that I don’t have time to preserve in other ways or eat fresh, like homemade fresh strawberry ice cream and shortcake. Thanks for the glaze recipe! That makes fresh strawberry pie even better! Let the strawberry season begin!

[@julseabate4173]

love Dan!!!

[@merseltzer]

One of my favorite treatments of fresh strawberries is to macerate them with a bit of sugar & a red fruity wine like an Old Zinfandel. My Italian family did this all the time in the spring. 😋 In the summer we did this with fresh nectarines or peaches. Very yummy.

[@chrisb9365]

4:26 "I would eat that sauce on anything" I was lowkey expecting a recipe for something like Pork Tenderloin with Strawberry Sauce.

[@user-hg3xm5vo5m]

Strawberry rhubarb is my favorite too! Absolutely dying for the rhubarb episode, what an unsung hero!!

[@stevef.8708]

Yay! More Dan content!

[@MrPuddinhead61]

Yes! Rhubarb episode is a 👍🏻👍🏻 Especially the strawberry rhubarb pie!

[@csbollard2698]

Love the idea of adding freeze dried strawberries to sauce, yes p,ease on rhubarb pie, love the sweet tart flavor Summer is strawberry shortcake season at my house, from butter cakes to homemade biscuit to store bought sponges, it is all good.

[@Christopherhlee]

This is the fancier and much better tasting of the Marie Calendar’s strawberry pie I grew up with. 🤤 And yes on the rhubarb video!!

[@RC-yb5dp]

The science of food makes food even more exciting. Love this info😅

[@TheManAshley]

One idea presented is incredible - for my business. Add freeze dried strawberries to fresh strawberries. I have just started growing Mara des Bois, an incredibly sweet and favorable berry. I have access to a freeze dry company. My berries freeze dried and mixed with my fresh berries absorbing Mara des Bois juice instead of water will make an incredible blend. Awesome tip.

[@NathanBreese]

I would ring the bell if I could only be notified of What's eating Dan. I don't want to see other the other stuff. Love this series!

[@choicedecision]

Strawberry season is in full swing in late Feb/early March, and can last until May. The weather jumps up really fast, but what helps to beat the heat is a delicious glass of strawberry mint fruit smoothie. Even better, freeze it and enjoy it chilled - my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

[@maryjeanneadam420]

Yes, please share the rhubarb/strawberry pie recipe. The season is soon and short as you said! Thanks

[@v.k.winner7766]

Made one today. It's Gorgeous! Can't wait to cut it at the party!! Thanks, Dan.

[@user-gl2yo8yf5n]

I definitely am anxiously awaiting your rhubarb recipe so that I can make pie!! Thank you Dan for who you are.

[@cynthiavalenzuela5149]

I Love Love rhubarb pie!!! My grandma used to grow a big patch for me.

[@harryjames2299]

This is a really great idea.

[@KillerCornMuffin]

I'm always excited for a new episode of What's Eating Dan. The education combined with his charm is a work of art.

[@prattsmark1]

Definitely want a strawberry rhubarb pie recipe. I have to try the strawberry ripple ice cream!

[@patriciamoore3166]

Rhubarb pie on its own, no strawberry...is the bomb.!! Have it with cream or ice-cream or hot custard, yum! So yes please to that info!

[@seedsaverdiane5636]

When our mom came home from grocery shopping, back in the 60’s, we all got so excited when it was strawberry season. That meant we got strawberries with a side of powered sugar for dipping for a snack

[@MatthewBorkowskiG]

Another awesome episode, especially the Mattceration section! QOTD: "... holds them in its sticky, syrupy love-nest." 😂

[@annieclaire2348]

Freeze dried strawberries are AMAZING!!!

[@mattfisher8568]

Delicious! Every summer when I was young, several times per week my dad would bring home strawberries, macerate them right away, and we would have strawberry shortcake with Sarah Lee pound cake (yummo) and fresh whipped cream… so Ono!

[@iamme453]

I've always made strawberry shortcake with the biscuit style shortcake like my grandmother always did. Basically a biscuit with some sugar added to the dough, although we both always made a single large biscuit, the size of an Irish Soda bread, sliced horizontally.

[@kevinc1956]

YES to the Rhubarb episode!!! How about a Rhubarb Crisp video Dan? My fav dessert is a toss-up between a Rhubarb Crisp or a Creme Brûlée (I use the ATK sous vide recipe). I love the mixed tart and sweet flavors of Rhubarb Crisp, but Creme Brûlée has a flavor reminiscent of the perfect fire-toasted marshmallow that I always tried to achieve as a kid (but never quite did).

[@somacarr7528]

Love strawberries!!

[@michaelarighi5268]

Rhubarb, yes! Having just eaten most of 4 rhubarb pies in the last couple of weeks, it still sounds good!

[@enerstar]

Please, Dan and ATK, strawberry rhubarb pie is one of my favorite things period!

[@johndoe09876]

I wash fresh picked strawberries, place on paper towels to get most of the surface water off and then gently warm them up for 5-20 minutes in a food dehydrator. Gives that nice dry outside and concentrates everything in a warm bursting bite of juiciness. I use this method with the larger varieties (haven't tried with the little guys) . It's like giving them sunshine and a warm, dry breeze. 😊

[@markvpinkham]

Rhubarb and strawberry is an excellent combo! Let’s see that episode!

[@morganchilds9054]

Every year I go to Downey's Farm near Brampton, Ontario and buy two flats of strawberries at the peak of the season. It is the highlight of my year. I make ice cream, strawberry rhubarb pie, and strawberry shortcake galore. The strawberry shortcake I make the way my grandma made it, with freshly-baked buttermilk biscuits, macerated strawberries and loads of fresh cream. There is nothing else on earth I would rather eat. When it comes to rhubarb, although I do like and make strawberry rhubarb pie, my absolute favourite is straight rhubarb.

[@thecuratorscorner3658]

Yes to the rhubarb episode! I loved how specific the info got - I'd always wanted to know this sort of detail.

[@lydiaferwerda1374]

Strawberry rhubarb is my favorite pie too! Anxiously waiting for the rhubarb episode!!

[@Kriegpanzer90]

I made the strawberry sauce with the dehydrated berries and added fresh sliced strawberries to top pancakes. Simply amazing! New staple sauce in our house. :)

[@jeanvignes]

Hi Dan, your strawberry pie is gorgeous. Have you tried layering your ice cream concoction in a pre-baked pie shell? My favorite strawberry concoction is driven by the fact that I can’t have sugar added to my food (health stuff.) I like to wash, prep, and slice perfectly ripe berries. I mix them with plain, full fat Greek yogurt and then sprinkle the top with savory roasted, salted, and roughly chopped pecans. The fat content of the yogurt is key. The fat buffers the acidity of the yogurt and makes everything sweeter without adding sugar. Yum!

[@merseltzer]

Great idea. Thanks.

[@marcbrule3205]

Thanks for the tips! Bring on the strawberry-rhubarb pie recipe!

[@gwendolyneholman4230]

"love nest" My new term for macerating fruits.🥰

[@alospm]

This is why strawberry freezer jam is so much better than cooked strawberry jam. It actually tastes like ripe seasonal strawberries! We are a month away from local strawberries where I live in Atlantic Canada and I just can’t wait!