A Beautiful California-Grown Strawberry Eton Mess Recipe - California Grown (2024)

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Introducing a truly delectable dessert, where the classic British Eton Mess meets the sun-kissed California strawberry! Creating a mouthwatering California-grown Strawberry Eton Mess at home is easier than you might think and will definitely impress your taste buds, all while looking absolutely stunning.

A Beautiful California-Grown Strawberry Eton Mess Recipe - California Grown (1)

Gather Your Ingredients: The Eton Mess Essentials.

This recipe celebrates the exceptional quality of California-grown strawberries. Get ready to indulge in a delightful classic dessert, where crunchy meringue, fluffy whipped cream, sensational strawberry curd, and juicy strawberries come together in perfect harmony.

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To create the perfect Strawberry Eton Mess, you’ll need the following ingredients:

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Juicy California strawberries.

California is known for producing some of the best strawberries in the world, thanks to its ideal climate and fertile soil. Most are grown along the central coast, from Ventura County to Santa Cruz County, with peak season running from April to October. When selecting strawberries, look for plump, bright red berries with fresh green leaves.

Click here to learn more about how strawberries are grown in California.

Heavenly whipped cream.

Did you know that 99% of California dairies are family-owned?

When you see the Real California Milk seal, you’ll feel good knowing that the product is certified as having been made with 100% Real California Milk from California dairy farm families.

Click here to learn more about the Real California Milk seal and California Dairy.
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Bring the flavor with a fruit-filled curd.

This delicious Strawberry Curd recipe from Bakes by Brown Sugar has an intense strawberry flavor.

It’s creamy, delicious, and perfect for adding to Eton Mess, as a filling for your next cake, or just on its own with a bowl of whipped cream and fresh strawberries for dipping.

Alternatively, you could also use lemon curd to create a pop of contrasting color and flavor.

Click here for the recipe for Strawberry Curd.

Crisp meringue, the crunch factor.

You can either purchase ready-made meringues or make your own by following our recipe for Mini Pistachio Pavlovas.

You can opt for a classic vanilla meringue or experiment with flavored meringues, like almond or chocolate.

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Make it personal.

Personalize your Eton Mess by adding your favorite toppings or mix-ins, such as toasted nuts like California almonds, chocolate chips, or even beautiful edible flowers for a pop of color.

Are you curious about how strawberries are grown and harvested or how they get to market? Keep scrolling!

California grows about 88 percent of the US-grown strawberries on approximately 34,000 acres along the California coast. Fresh strawberry production averages 50,000 pounds per acre each season. In fact, last year, 206,037,844 trays of fresh strawberries were harvested – that’s more than 1.8 billion pounds of strawberries!

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Want to learn more about how strawberries are grown in California?

Have you ever wondered how strawberries are grown? Joe Schirmer, of Dirty Girl Produce in Watsonville, California (Santa Cruz County), toured us through his rows of organic strawberries to talk about life and sustainability on the farm. We also learned a few things about how he grows those luscious strawberries!

Click here to learn how strawberries are grown in California.

Penny Ice Creamery: Green Strawberry Sorbet

For a few short weeks in the spring, when Dirty Girl Produce has an abundance of green strawberries, you can taste their delicious intense strawberry flavor in a scoop (or a cone) at Penny Ice Creamery.

Just look for Green Strawberry Sorbet in the ice cream case! Do your taste buds a flavor when you are there, and be sure to get your sorbet fluffed and torched with their homemade marshmallow fluff. It is the ultimate ice cream experience!

Plan a visit to The Penny Ice Creamery!

Strawberries are always in season in California.

California strawberries are available year-round. In winter, strawberries ship from Southern California; production moves north with the warming spring temperatures.

Click here to learn more about what’s always in season in California.
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Get creative with your Eton Mess creations!

Probably our favorite part about an Eton Mess, besides how delicious they are, is how completely customizable they are.

  • Looking for a red, white, and blue dessert? Add blueberries or blackberries to the mix.
  • Don’t have time to make a batch of homemade Strawberry Curd? No problem, buy store-bought lemon curd.
  • Not a fan of almonds? Try chopped toasted pistachios, walnuts, or pecans.

Trust us, no matter how you serve this spectacular dessert, you can’t go wrong.

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BE SURE TO SHARE YOUR ETON MESS-INSPIRED CREATIONS WITH US BY SNAPPING A PIC AND TAGGING US ON SOCIAL USING #CAGROWN.

Craving more CA Grown goodness? Follow us onPinterestfor fresh and fabulous recipe inspiration!

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California Grown Strawberry Eton Mess

Meg van der Kruik

Eton Mess is a classic dessert where meringue, whipped cream, strawberry curd, & strawberries come together in perfect harmony.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Britain

Servings 4 servings

Calories 309 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 lb strawberries tops removed, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 cup whipped cream
  • 1 cup prepared strawberry curd
  • 8 small meringue cookies or homemade pavlova
  • 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

Optional garnishes

  • whole meringue cookies, macerated berries, lemon zest, toasted nuts, whole strawberries with tops.

Instructions

  • First, toss the sliced strawberries with the granulated sugar. Stir to combine and set aside.

  • To build the Strawberry Eton Mess divide the whipped cream and strawberry curd between 4 serving dishes of your choice.

  • Layer in a generous amount of the macerated berries.

  • Break up 1 or 2 of the meringues or pavlovas, depending on what you are using and sprinkle them on top of the berries in each dish.

  • Layer in another spoonfull of macerated berries then sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds.

  • Garnish with elements of your choice: Whole meringue cookies, whole strawberries with tops, more strawberry curd, or whipped cream.

Video

Notes

You can substitute the strawberries in this recipe for raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries, or a mixture of all three.

You can sub in store-bought prepared lemon curd for the homemade strawberry curd called for in this recipe.

To make whipped cream at home:

  • 1 cupheavy whipping cream
  • 2 Tablespoonsconfectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoonpure vanilla extract
  1. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3–4 minutes.
  2. If you accidentally over-whip the cream, and it looks curdled and heavy, pour in a little bit more cold heavy cream, and fold it in gently by hand with a spatula until it smooths out.
  3. Use immediately or cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

Nutrition

Calories: 309kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 4gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 172mgPotassium: 238mgFiber: 3gSugar: 44gVitamin A: 116IUVitamin C: 67mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 1mg

Keyword almond, eton mess, strawberry, strawberry curd, whipped cream

Tried this recipe?Mention @cagrownofficial or tag #CAGROWN!

A Beautiful California-Grown Strawberry Eton Mess Recipe - California Grown (2024)

FAQs

How do you make strawberries taste better? ›

Add a little sugar and salt! Wash your strawberries, cut them, and hit them with a pinch of salt and a couple good three-finger pinches of granulated sugar, give them a little tossy-toss, and watch them magically start to darken and get extra juicy.

What to do with sour strawberries? ›

Toss them in sugar, honey, or maple syrup, along with a little fresh juice or alcohol (an herbal liqueur, like elderflower spirit, would be great). You don't need a lot to get the berries rocking; a quarter- to a half-cup of juice or booze, and about double the amount of sugar, is all you need.

What is the secret to sweet strawberries? ›

Sun it is that develops sugar levels in the berries – so make sure your plants get lots, and lots of it.

Do coffee grounds help strawberries? ›

Because coffee grounds are slightly acidic, they are ideal for strawberries and other plants that prefer a slightly acidic soil. Although coffee grounds are high in nitrogen, they should not be used as the only fertiliser for strawberries, as they contain hardly any other nutrients.

Does Epsom salt make strawberries sweeter? ›

Delicious Fruits

Adding Epsom salt to your fruits and vegetables soil will mean sweeter fruit and delicious vegetables. The Epsom salt will help to boost the chlorophyll levels in your fruit and nut trees. The more chlorophyl means more energy, and more energy means sweeter fruit.

Does vinegar make strawberries sweeter? ›

A mixture of vinegar and water can destroy harmful bacteria and kill off mold spores on the strawberries. Vinegar gives berries a thorough cleaning and can get rid of any dirt or little bugs that may be on them. Soaking your berries in vinegar won't affect how they taste.

Should fresh strawberries be refrigerated? ›

Where is the best place to store strawberries? Unless you plan to use the strawberries right away, it's best to store them in your refrigerator to preserve freshness. Unrefrigerated, berries will last only a few days; stored in the fridge, they could last up to a week.

How many strawberries should you eat in a day? ›

It is recommended that individuals eat a serving of 8 strawberries a day. Clinical research has determined that this recommendation can have some hefty benefits, including potentially improved heart and brain health, reduced risk of some cancers, and better management of type 2 diabetes.

How long do strawberries last in the fridge? ›

Here are some tips for storing strawberries in your refrigerator to keep them fresh throughout the season. When stored properly, strawberries will stay firm and fresh for about a week. It's important to keep strawberries very dry and cold.

What brings out the flavor of strawberries? ›

Macerate the berries.

Just a little bit of sugar is all you need. Spoon it over chopped or sliced berries, stir together, then let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes before digging in. Want to up the flavor even more? Consider adding a splash of juice or your favorite booze to give berries a flavorful twist.

What does putting sugar on strawberries do? ›

The sugar will coax out the berries' juices, creating a thick and succulent syrup, while the strawberries will deepen in flavor and soften in texture. The result is a versatile, sweet-tart topping that's hard to resist.

What is it called when you add sugar to strawberries? ›

Macerating fruit simply means to soften or steep it. It might sound fancy, but the process is really quite simple: Macerating typically involves adding sugar and often a liquid (like fruit juice or liquor) to fruit, and letting it all marinate until the fruit is soft or more tender.

What is the fastest way to sweeten strawberries? ›

Sprinkle some granulated sugar on them. Then crush them using a plastic tumbler and let them sit for a few minutes. The sugar will mix with the juices and make the entire batch sweet. That is what you can do before you pour them over shortcake.

What is the healthiest way to sweeten strawberries? ›

Use a sugar substitute.

Stevia is a naturally-occurring alternative to sugar that is growing in popularity since it is healthier than granulated sugar. The taste difference is marginal at best so if you're desperate for a sprinkling of sugar over your strawberries, Stevia is the healthier option.

What intensifies strawberry flavor? ›

Additional ways to add flavor to tasteless strawberries

The most common method is to add some sugar and citrus juice to raw chopped berries. Add as much sugar and lemon juice as you prefer and let the ingredients macerate the berries for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

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