Strawberries are the flavor of summer; they are a delight that many take advantage of in the hot season. They can be eaten fresh or made into a dessert. Among the most common preparations we find biscuits and strawberry tart. These fruits are also great decorations for ice cream, crepes and you can turn them into delicious jams. This article will help you decide how to prepare and enjoy strawberries.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Preparation
Step 1. Choose the freshest and most vividly colored fruits
Avoid shriveled, dry, or moldy ones. Don't buy soft ones, it means they are overripe. A good strawberry is firm and bright (if possible buy those deriving from organic production because strawberries are among the most cultivated fruits with pesticides).
Some cooks argue that small strawberries are the ones that have a higher concentration of sugar. Famous Australian cook Maggie Beer says: "Wild strawberries are… superior in both taste and scent. They are small and should be picked when ripe.", in Maggie's Harvest (2007)
Step 2. Rinse the strawberries under running water but be careful not to soak them
Rub them gently to make sure you get rid of any dirt. Most of the strawberries you buy from the greengrocer are already clean and a good rinse is more than enough.
Step 3. Drain them in a colander or place them on kitchen paper
Step 4. Remove the stem and upper leaves using a small knife
Step 5. Cut it
Sweeten them with powdered sugar, if you like, and prepare them within a couple of hours. Leave them in the refrigerator until it's time to serve them.
Step 6. Store the strawberries in the refrigerator
They can be kept for up to 7 days after purchase. Don't wash or prepare them until you need to use them.
Part 2 of 2: Freezing
If you want to keep strawberries for a long time, it is worth freezing them. This section tells you how.
Step 1. Rinse, drain and remove the strawberry stem as explained in the previous section
Step 2. Line a high-sided baking sheet with parchment paper
Step 3. Arrange the strawberries on the baking sheet with plenty of space between them
Step 4. Freeze them until they become hard
Step 5. Remove the frozen strawberries from the pan and transfer them to a freezer bag
Step 6. Store them in the freezer and use them whenever you want
Use
Strawberries lend themselves to many preparations! Here are just a few wonderful ideas to try:
Drinks
- Strawberry granita.
- Strawberry and banana smoothie.
- Strawberry Daiquiri.
- Strawberry milkshake.
- Strawberry juice.
- Sparkling strawberry soda.
Sweets and delicacies
- Strawberries dipped in chocolate.
- Strawberry Sorbet.
- Strawberry margarita cupcake.
- Strawberry and yogurt pancakes.
- Strawberry truffles.
- Strawberry soup.
Advice
- You can do various searches online and discover many ways to store and enjoy strawberries.
- There are many varieties of strawberries.
- Varieties such as Alba, Gemma or Roxana produce fruit in early summer, while remontant varieties such as Diamante or Anais bear fruit until late autumn.
- The United States and Spain are the two largest producers of strawberries.
- Strawberries belong to the Rosaceae family.
