Large, ruby-hued Ponchatoula strawberries ripen under the sun, filling the warm spring air with their sweet fragrance as the morning dew dries on their surfaces. Louisiana’s strawberry industry generates an impressive $8 million annually and is consistently ranked among the top 10 strawberry producers in the United States.
Native Americans initially cultivated strawberries long before European settlers arrived. However, Louisiana’s commercial strawberry industry began in the mid-1800s, during The Great Economic Migration, which brought a wave of Italian and Hungarian immigrants to America in search of work. Many of these immigrants settled in Louisiana, establishing strawberry farms in the region’s warm climate and fertile soil. By the 1920s, the industry was thriving; Louisiana farmers sold their berries to local associations that shipped them across the country.
In 1901, Robert Cloud developed the Klondyke strawberry, which was more durable and suitable for shipping. By 1924, farmers had planted more than 14,000 acres of strawberries, as noted in “The Louisiana Strawberry” (1984) by Ginger Romero. The industry reached its peak in 1931, when Tangipahoa Parish became the top-producing region, growing 75% of the state’s strawberries.
Today, most Louisiana strawberries are consumed locally, supplying grocery stores and farmers’ markets. Strawberries grown in Southeast Louisiana are renowned for being the sweetest in the nation.
Louisiana Strawberry Panna Cotta
Shared by Chefs Jordan Herndon & Amarys Koenig-Herndon, Palm&Pine Restaurant
Serves 8
2 tablespoons powdered gelatin
1/2 cup whole milk
10 ounces Louisiana strawberries, quartered
1/2 cup of raw Louisiana cane sugar, plus additional for dipping berries
5 dried Hibiscus flowers (optional), available in Hispanic markets
1 teaspoon canella (Mexican cinnamon), available in Hispanic markets
1 cup heavy cream
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons Mexican vanilla extract (available in Hispanic markets)
1. Add the gelatin to the milk in a small cup. Allow the gelatin to bloom while you make the custard.
2. In a 1.5- or 2-quart pot set over medium heat, lightly caramelize the strawberries, sugar, hibiscus (if using), and canella over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. The ingredients are caramelized when they are sticky and highly aromatic.
3. Add the cream and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the hibiscus flowers (if using) and puree the berry/cream mixture with an immersion blender.
5. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the yolks and vanilla together.
6. Slowly whisk in the strawberry cream to temper the egg yolks.
7. Return the mixture to the pot and whisk in the bloomed gelatin over medium-low heat. Once the panna cotta reaches 180 F (gelatin should be fully dissolved, and egg yolks will have reached the temperature to achieve custard consistency), strain through a fine mesh sieve and portion into desired serving dishes, either 8 small or 1 large.
8. Chill until set, about four hours. Serve with fresh strawberries dressed in sugar, lemon or lime zest and flake salt.
NOTES:
- Strawberry season is brief, prices are thrifty, and the berries spoil quickly. Here are some tips for making them last: Leave the stems on and do not wash them before refrigerating them in a single layer so they are not touching. You can also store them in a sealed glass jar. In either case, wash them just before you use or eat them. You can also wash, hull, and freeze them.
- For this recipe, any fresh berry — blueberries, raspberries, blackberries — may be substituted
- Granulated sugar may be substituted for the cane sugar
- The optional hibiscus will add additional color and a tart flavor
- 2-3 fluid-ounce ramekins are recommended for individual portions. Four-ounce mason jars also work well.
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