Fresh strawberries - nothing tastes better. It's hard to resist the unique colour, fragrance and flavour of a plump, juice, red-ripe strawberry. They are simply delicious and very nutritious as well. Strawberries are rich in vitamins A and C, folic acid, selenium, calcium polyphenols (such as ellagic, ferulic and coumaric acids, quercitin, anthocyanins and phytosterols). Strawberries are fat-free and salt free - no fat - no cholesterol - no sodium. They are low-calorie, about 8 to 10 medium-sized berries contains only 45 calories. In fact, by weight, strawberries contain more vitamin C than oranges.
Many people pick strawberries as their favourite fruit. No wonder. The fruit is pretty to our eyes, sweet to our taste, and juicy in our mouths. In addition, they can also easily be prepared as preserves, fruit juice, pies and cakes, ice creams, and milk shakes.
Fresh berry season begins with strawberries. Although strawberries can be found in supermarkets almost any time of year, during late spring and early summer locally grown berries are ripe and ready to eat and enjoy in many areas across the country.
Traditionally, part of the strawberry's appeal is that its short, six-week season, from early June until mid-August, coincides with the brief, long-awaited British summer. These days, however, the British strawberry season extends from mid-April until mid-December.
Pick your own!
The best strawberries are the ones you pick yourself or buy from your local fields. And there is another great appeal to it: it becomes a family adventure or simply a different thing to do at weekends when the weather becomes more stable. Farm-fresh strawberries are hours old with little or no handling and no traveling and it is the best way to get the freshest and most delicious foods from field to fork.
Look for plump, bright red and fully ripe berries. Caps should be attached, green and fresh looking. The size of the strawberry is not important. All strawberries, large and small, are equally sweet and juicy. Once you have picked the strawberries they will continue to get redder and softer but they will not get any sweeter. They are best used within two to three days of picking.