Strawberry Granola with Dried Strawberries

Enjoy this healthy and hearty Strawberry Granola for breakfast, made from scratch including an easy method for drying your own strawberries!

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I used to think that a pint of strawberries was a pint of strawberries.

However, now I know that is SO not true! Ever since learning about Florida Strawberries, I have started paying more attention to the origin of my strawberries, and I have to say that the ones from Florida are fresher and sweeter than from other locations, like California and Mexico.

First of all, I had no idea that the Florida Strawberry season is actually November – April. So right now is the perfect time to get amazing, in-season Florida strawberries! In fact, they are so good, you will want to stock up. But how to stock up on perishable produce?

There are lots of ways, and this #SundaySupper event will give you great ideas on how to preserve them and how to use the preserved strawberries. I decided to try my hand at drying strawberries in the oven and using them in a delicious homemade granola recipe.

If you live in Florida, you can even take advantage of the opportunity to visit a U-Pick farm and pick out your own strawberries! It doesn’t get any fresher than that! Plus it can be a lot of fun for the whole family, as well as educational.

There are some things to know as you head out to enjoy a day in the strawberry fields. It is best if you pick only ripe berries (strawberries do not further ripen once they are picked!), and also try to clear every ripe berry from a particular plant before moving on, which helps to reduce the number of ripe strawberries that go to waste from being left behind. And don’t forget the sunscreen!

My plan is to buy lots and lots of Florida Strawberries now, while they are at their best, and preserve them to last all year long! There are so many different ways to preserve the berries, like freezing, pickling, canning, and dehydrating.

I decided to try the method of drying first, since I have been wanting to do that for a while, but you can visit all of the recipes below to find out more about all the different processes.

The process of drying strawberries is actually not tough, even if you don’t have a dehydrator. It took me a couple of tries to get the process just right for my oven, but even the first batch tasted wonderful! The drying process seems to concentrate the sweetness, so each dried strawberry tastes a bit like candy!

Here is my drying process that worked best:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
2. Slice the washed and hulled strawberries from top to bottom, in about ¼ inch thick slices.
3. Soak the strawberries in a bowl with a mixture of lemon juice and cold water in a 1:1 ratio (i.e. 1 cup of lemon juice and 1 cup of water). This helps to prevent darkening and also acts as an anti-microbial.
4. Remove the slices from the bowl with a slotted spoon and place them on parchment paper on a baking sheet.
5. Bake for about 4 hours.
6. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Want to check out the other awesome recipes or get more information?
Visit the Florida Strawberries website, or on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Google+ | YouTube.

Strawberry Granola

Print Recipe

Recipe Author: Kristin

Enjoy this healthy and hearty Strawberry Granola for breakfast, made from scratch including an easy method for drying your own strawberries!

CourseBreakfast

CuisineAmerican

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time40 mins

Servings10

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon strawberry extract
• 3 cups puffed kamut
• 2 cups puffed wheat
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup dried strawberries (see drying directions in blog post)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Combine the syrup and butter in a small saucepan and heat on medium until the butter is melted and the mixture is hot. Stir in the strawberry extract.
• In a large bowl, combine the puffed kamut, puffed wheat, rolled oats, and almonds.
• Slowly pour the syrup mixture over the cereal mixture, stirring as you go to coat evenly.
• Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the mixture and stir to combine (this helps them to stick to the other pieces of cereal instead of just ending up on the bottom of the bowl).
• Spread evenly over a large baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes.
• Let cool. Add in the dried strawberries and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 491kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 45mg | Potassium: 528mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 145IU | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 4.1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @dizzybusyandhungry or tag #dizzybusyandhungry!

Tools used for this recipe:

• baking sheet
• bowls
• measuring spoons and cups
• slotted spoon
• parchment paper

Spices and other grocery products:

• pure maple syrup
• strawberry extract
• puffed kamut
• puffed wheat
• rolled oats
• sliced almonds
• sesame seeds

Check out more #SundaySupper Florida Strawberry posts:

Canning

• Strawberry Cheesecake Icebox Pie by Food Done Light
• Strawberry Eton Mess by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Strawberry Compote Pavlova Parfaits by My Sweet Zepol
• Strawberry Crepe Cake with Homemade Strawberry Syrup by Recipes, Food and Cooking
• Strawberry Crumble Bars by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Drying (Dehydrated)

• Dark Chocolate Strawberry Granola Clusters by Simple and Savory
• Strawberry Dust Grilled Pork Tenderloin by Gluten Free Crumbley
• Strawberry Granola with Dried Strawberries by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
• Strawberry Pancakes Recipe by Life Tastes Good
• Strawberry S’mores by The Crumby Cupcake

Freezing

• Strawberry Frosted Baked Cardamom Donuts by The Chef Next Door
• Strawberry Mocha Yogurt Smoothie by Casa de Crews
• Strawberry Parfait by Desserts Required
• Strawberry Smoothie Bowls by Family Foodie
• Strawberry Swirl Coffee Cake by Renee’s Kitchen Adventures

Pickling

• Balsamic Pickled Strawberries Sundae by A Mind “Full” Mom
• Pickled Strawberry Pepper Feta Salad by Go Epicurista
• Shortcake with Vanilla Bean Pickled Strawberry by Authentically Candace
• Sparkling Strawberry Cocktail by Sunday Supper Movement
• Strawberry Detox Vinegar Drink by Cricket’s Confections
• Tuna Burger with Pickled Strawberry Relish by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

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This post is sponsored by the Florida Strawberry Growers Association in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are my own.

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Enjoy!