Culture & Community: Brew Up a Witchy Surprise This Halloween With Carbonated Strawberries

Fresh strawberries and dry ice combine for a mysterious taste sensation.

Monsters and vampires won't be the only thing making your friends and family shiver with delight this Halloween. Carbonated strawberries will haunt the minds of your little ghosts and goblins and make your ghoulish gathering the talk of the neighborhood.

That's right -- Carbonated strawberries! Fresh, delicious California strawberries feel like Pop Rocks when you put them in your mouth. Cool and fizzy, they also make an enchanting centerpiece for Halloween entertaining, according to Peggy Dillon of the California Strawberry Commission.

The scene is set with a cauldron (or large metal bowl) filled with blood red strawberries and a spooky fog of dry ice swirling like a mist over haunted moors. Just add werewolf howls.

The secret seems more like a science experiment than a recipe. It's an easy combination of strawberries, dry ice and water.

Dry ice really isn't frozen water, but rather carbon dioxide in its solid state that holds a temperature of around -100ºF. It doesn't melt but turns into carbon dioxide gas when it warms up. Carbon dioxide is what makes sodas bubbly. When it infuses the strawberries, it carbonates them just like a beverage.

How to make Carbonated Strawberries:

Place dry ice in a large metal bowl. Cover dry ice with a barrier -- a piece of stryofoam, plastic or other material -- to keep strawberries separated from the dry ice. Make sure to leave some space between the barrier and the edges of the bowl. Place strawberries on a plate and set on the barrier. Slowly pour water into the space between the barrier and the bowl so that it contacts the dry ice. The dry ice will then begin to create a "fog" around the berries. You don't want to pour too much water in all at once -- add as needed once the "fog" starts to dissipate. Strawberries will be carbonated in 20 to 30 minutes. Carbonation will last approximately 10 hours.

Dry Ice Tips:

• Dry ice is found at specialty ice stores, some party stores or even welding supply stores. An internet search for "dry ice" is a good way to find a location near you.
• Do not touch dry ice with your bare hands. It is -109ºF and can damage skin. Use tongs or insulating gloves when handling it.
• Do not store dry ice in an air-tight container. It is best stored in an ice chest or other insulated container.
• A 20-pound piece of dry ice will last about 48 hours, if stored properly.

For more great strawberry recipes any day of the year, visit: http://www.calstrawberry.com.

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