Strawberries

Strawberries are one of the first fruits of the season and have long been associated with rebirth and spring. In ancient times, they were used not only for food but, also for medicinal purposes. Strawberries are an aromatic, glistening-red, roughly conically shaped berry covered with what looks like tiny black dots. The dots are called achenes and are the true fruits of the strawberry plant. Each achene is really an individual fruit containing a single seed. This is why the strawberry is a 'false' or 'accessory' fruit because it comes from the base of the flower rather than the ovary.

Strawberries are divided into two categories: Cultivated and Wild. There are hundreds of varieties of cultivated strawberries. The modern hybrids were developed to make the strawberry more commercially viable i.e. improving size, appearance and shipping quality, extending the growing season, and overcoming diseases. There are spring bearing and ever bearing varieties, so strawberries are now available year-round. The best tasting cultivated berries, however, are in the spring and summer months. The small, sweet, deep-red wild strawberry (fraise des bois) is difficult to pick, fragile and has a low yield so they are not cultivated commercially. This makes them expensive, as their flavor is far superior to the cultivated strawberries.

When choosing strawberries look for fragrant, plump, firm, uniformly sized, bright red berries with no white or green "shoulders" at the stem end. The green leaf-like cap or hull should still be attached and not brown or wilted. There should be no soft spots, bruising or mildew. Always check the underside of the container to make sure there are no squashed berries or red juice (sign of overripe berries). Strawberries range in size and can be as small as a grape to as large as a golf ball. Size is not the deciding factor to taste; the larger berries are not as flavorful. Even though strawberries are usually picked before they are fully ripe, they do not ripen further after picking. They only get softer.

Strawberries are a delicate fruit and do not store well. If they are not being used immediately, store them in a single layer on a paper towel-lined tray in the refrigerator up to 2-3 days. Do not wash or remove caps before storing as strawberries absorb moisture. Immediately before using, quickly wash berries (do not soak), with caps still intact, so the berries will not fill with water, which dilutes the flavor of the strawberry. Remove the leaf-like caps with a sharp knife or strawberry huller.