We u-picked a lot of berries last summer–strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and marionberries. For the first time, my son was old enough to toddle among the rows, eat berries and amuse himself (for the most part – I did have to cut one trip short because he was “harassing” another little boy). And I took full advantage! We picked 25 lbs of gorgeous and perfectly ripe strawberries one day. I hadn’t really thought through how I was going to process them all and didn’t have time for much. I rinsed them, hulled them and packed them in 1 quart yogurt containers and tossed them in the freezer. I thought I’d make jam or ice cream or sauce when I had more time. Well I did the same with the blueberries and the raspberries. I never made any of those other things except for a few batches of jam. So my generous stash of frozen berries has lasted me this long. I opened my last quart of blueberries and strawberries this morning for one of our favorite breakfasts.
Throughout the late fall and winter I’ve cooked a pot of steel-cut oats (I soak the oats over night which makes cooking them in the morning a quick affair) and topped them with frozen berries and maple syrup. It is perfect in so many ways. The berries thaw and soften in the steaming cereal and cool the oats down to a perfect temperature. The berries literally taste like they were just picked. As corny as it sounds, every bite is a vivid flashback to summer–the smells, the warmth, the dirt and berry juice under your fingernails.. .. it is lovely, warm, and nourishing. And a wonderful way to start the day.
This is also an incredibly inexpensive breakfast. You can’t beat the price and quality of fresh (frozen) u-picked fruit and steel-cut oats in bulk cost next to nothing. And then you can splurge on good maple syrup. All of this to say, if you have the chance to u-pick berries this summer and have a freezer, pick lots and lots and don’t feel badly about not processing them. You will enjoy the fruits of your labor (pun intended!) all winter long. I will remind you of this come June and we’re in the swing of berry season.
Steel Cut Oats with Berries
2 cups steel-cut oats
1/2 tsp of salt
water
Fresh or frozen berries
maple syrup (or brown sugar or honey)
The night before you’re planning on making this, put the oats in a saucepan and cover with a couple inches of water. By morning the oats will have absorbed most if not all of it. Add the salt and another 2 cups of water, cover, bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes. If you forget to soak them you’ll just have to cook them for about 30 -40 minutes with much more water in the morning.
Top with the fruit and maple syrup, stir well and eat!
Laura says:
I love it Katherine! I have been wondering how I am going to use up all of the berries that I froze last year so that my freezer is ready for the next batch. Somehow I forget about them!
Nico says:
We love us some Bob’s Red Mill oats in the morning, but hardly ever do it because of the 40 minute wait. Your soaking tip may well change that forever, thanks for the tip!
Eve says:
I finally tried this last night/this morning and it’s such a brilliant tip! There’s absolutely no substitute for steel cut oats but the cook time has made it a weekend treat until now. Thank you!