"Indeed, my good scholar, we may say of angling, as Dr. Boteler said of strawberries, " Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did "; and so, if I might be judge, God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling." (from The Compleat Angler, 1653-1655) Izaak Walton, 1593-1683In about a week, I'll be participating in an event at the Gateway Arch, focusing on the May 1780 British Attack on St. Louis. That has me thinking about strawberries. Well, that and the 4 lbs. of berries in my fridge--thanks for the 75 cent sale, local grocery store! This is the time of year when wild strawberries are ripe and plentiful. When the French citizens of St. Louis were attacked on May 26th, many of them were out on the fields around the town gathering strawberries. The day before was the feast day of Corpus Christi, and most of the population of the town had gone out to relax and gather the treats. The attackers spent that day hunkered down just outside the fields watching the French residents, sometimes even within arm's length. They could have easily taken the town, but they were not sure just how many French might be still inside the fortifications.
The wild strawberry certainly was not limited to French Louisiana. American Indians from all over the continent had been enjoying them for centuries, as well as using them for medicinal purposes. The berry picked by the colonists was not the huge hybrid berry you can buy year-round now at your grocery store. It was small, sometimes not much bigger than a raspberry, but far more fragrant and packed with flavor. The Americas were not the only place to enjoy these berries. They've been enjoyed in Europe for at least 2,000 years, and were a great favorite of Louis XIV, who eventually had to be told, "Hey, lay off!" due to digestive issues.
So, after the French colonists picked these berries, did they make strawberry shortcake? Well...they certainly COULD have. The shortcake (REAL shortcake, not the packaged spongy concoction of today) had been kicking around Europe since at least the 1500s, and the colonists certainly had sugar and the means to make cream. So far, though, no one has found any reference to this dessert, which seems to be more of an American specialty. The French women were known to be excellent cooks, and probably did use the berries in some desserts. The French were very fond of thin, crepe-like pancakes, which always benefit from a strawberry topping. They also would have eaten them plain, sprinkled with sugar, dipped in cream, or in the salads they were known to enjoy. It wouldn't be far-fetched to think they probably dried some of them, too. Another possibility would be that they made strawberry vinegar!
As for strawberry shortcake, it didn't start showing up in American cookbooks until the late 1840s ("The Lady's Receipt Book" by Miss Leslie, 1847, may be the first). About this time, it was also becoming possible to ship strawberries further afield, and strawberry shortcake parties became a popular way to welcome in the summer. The dessert could have been washed down with strawberry shrub, a popular fruit drink during the 19th century Temperance Movement.
Miss Leslie's Lady's New Receipt Book: A Useful Guide For Large And Small Families (1850)
Strawberry Vinegar
12-14 oz. bottle balsamic vinegar
half a pound of strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 cup of sugar
coffee filters or a few sturdy white paper towels
glass canning jar
In a non-reactive pan, simmer the vinegar and sugar for about half an hour on medium heat. Remove from heat, add the sliced berries. Allow to cool, then cover and let sit overnight or at least 10 hours. After sitting, place a funnel in the mason jar and line with your filters. Slowly pour the vinegar into the jar, this step takes a while. Cover when done!
Strawberry Shrub
http://www.culinaryhistorians.ca/historic-recipes/GALT-shrub.pdf
Strawberry Shortcake (for 6-8)
2 lbs. strawberries, hulled and sliced
3/4 cup plus 1-2 tablespoons of sugar, divided
1 cup whipping cream
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1 /4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
8 oz. sour cream
Mix sliced strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar together in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
Beat whipping cream (this is easier if the bowl and beaters or whisk are chilled first) until it begins to thicken. Gradually add up to 2 Tbsp of sugar (depending on your own taste) and beat until soft peaks form. Refrigerate.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and baking powder; cut butter into flour mixture until crumbly. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and sour cream. Stir into the flour mixture until just blended. Don't overmix or the shortcakes will be tough. Divide into 6 equal parts on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, they will spread out. Allow to cool. Slice each in half horizontally. Remove about 1/4 cup of the strawberries into a separate bowl and mash them with a fork. Add the mashed strawberries back to the sliced strawberries and mix together. Top each shortcake bottom with strawberries, allowing to spill down the sides, and replace the tops. Top with whipped cream.
