By Brandy Cavanagh

Purdue Extension, Elkhart County

Recently I saw photographs of a new variety of strawberry that was a cream color; I can’t remember the name of the variety, but I can tell you that to me they just didn’t look right. The person who had tasted them shared that they were sweet and juicy.

When the local berries are ripe is the time to eat them every way that you can think of. Yes, I know we can buy strawberries year-round and they are red and have a great aroma, but they are white inside and don’t taste like vine-ripened berries.

I enjoy fresh and frozen strawberries just about every way that I can think of. Some of my favorite ways are fresh berries with homemade shortcake, fresh strawberry pie with ice cream and just berries by themselves. So, are your saliva glands working? Are you about to drool just thinking of a bowl of sliced fresh strawberries?

As I write this the local berries need rain. The weather, be it rain or lack thereof, and of course the varied temperatures, affect the strawberries! So my advice is when strawberries are ripe start eating them and eat them several times a day.

One of the best things about strawberries is that a cup has only about 60 calories. Sweet, juicy strawberries are a great addition to your healthy eating. When it comes to food value strawberries are an excellent source of Vitamin C. You may not think so, but strawberries are a source of iron.

The flavor of the berry is at its best when the berry is at room temperature. I personally think that the flavor of the berries is best if you eat them while you are picking them, yes I know there is a food safety issue but to me the risk is worth it. If you’re picking them at a u-pick establishment, I encourage you to be mindful of how many berries you’re eating while picking. If you eat a lot you might want to pay for an extra quart.

When selecting, or picking remember to choose fully ripened, bright red strawberries. The berries do change color after picking but their flavor is not the same as plant-ripened berries. The berries you choose should have a natural shine, be plump, well rounded and have a rich red color with a bright green fresh cap. To insure the highest nutritional value, flavor and appearance, it is best if you use strawberries as soon as they are picked and/or purchased. If you want to store berries, they will keep best if arranged in a single layer on a cookie sheet or other shallow container for refrigeration. The cool refrigerator temperature will help keep the berries fresh and bright for several days.

To keep berries at their best don’t rinse them or remove caps until just before using. Washing removes the natural protective outer layer. The caps protect the strawberry’s nutrients, helping preserve flavor, and texture.

Remember that strawberries are delicate and require gentle handling. Never remove the caps before rinsing strawberries. The caps prevent water and soil from soaking into the strawberries, changing the texture and diluting the flavor. To rinse, place berries in a colander or large strainer and rinse with a gentle spray of cool water.

There are many ways to remove the caps, you can give the cap a gentle twist or use the point of a sharp paring knife. I have a clever little tool for cap removing with a nice ergonomically correct handle and it really works. Pat the strawberries dry with paper towels before serving whole for dipping in chocolate, in fresh pie, sliced, fresh, cooked, flambéed or any other way.