All About Strawberries
Brittany, France boasts the first garden bred strawberries, dating back to the 1750s, but the strawberry has been referenced in history as early as the 1300s. Today strawberries are still enjoyed around the globe.
Strawberries ripen fully on the vine before being harvested. Much like they always were, the delicate fruit is still picked by hand then rinsed and packaged on many farms in the fields.
Health Benefits
Strawberries are high in vitamin C and manganese and offer anti inflamitory and anti cancer benefits.
Season
Strawberries are grown in the states anywhere from January to November, depending on the location, but peak from April to June. A small number of strawberries are grown in greenhouses making the delectable fruit available during the off season.
How to pick it
The strawberries you pick or purchase should be bright red in color, plump and firm. Give your strawberries a quick sniff before purchasing, they should smell just as sweet as they look. Strawberries should be fully ripe when picked so avoid white or unripe looking berries, as they will not ripen later.
How to store it
To prevent molding rinse berries in a 3:1 water to vinegar mixture. Rinse vinegar mixture off berries completely with cold running water, drain, then dry completely. Berries then should be stored in the refrigerator. Make sure to line your berries with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture and do not store in an air tight container because moisture should be able to escape.
How to prepare it
Wash fresh strawberries just before consumption. Strawberries can be enjoyed a variety of ways including raw, dried, in baked goods, smoothies, yogurt, ice cream and jams.
Tips
Try using dried strawberries in baked good to still receive the delicious strawberry flavor with less moisture.
Instead of cutting off the tops of the berries, use a straw through the bottom of the berry to pop off the stem from underneath. Less waste!
Recipes
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Meringue Roses
Strawberry and Mascarpone Tart
Fun Facts
The red flesh of the strawberry is not the fruit, the part that looks like tiny seeds are actually the fruit that contain small seeds inside them.
Strawberries smell is so frangrant because they are part of the rose family
The average American eats over 3 lbs. of strawberries per year.
80% of the Strawberries produced in the United States are from California, boasting 2 billion pounds per year!
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