Strawberry in Latin is fraga, which refers to it's sweet sweet fragrance. Nothing says summer like the sweet sweet smell of freshly picked strawberries (shipped grocery store kinds don't count).
buying: plump, firm, dry and blemish-free (take bad ones out to prevent the others from catching molds). the more fragrant, the better tasting they will be. it's always good to smell your produce and strawberries should smell fragrantly candy sweet. the fruit should be completely red - no white bits - and the green cap-hats should not look dried out. shake the box a little to make sure that the strawberries aren't stuck together, which would be a bad sign of mush or mold. remember, bigger isn't always better - it is very often that the small, darker strawberries are much sweeter and more flavorful.
storing: it's probably not that hard to hold back, especially at the height of a short season, but it's best to eat your strawberries as soon as possible because they begin ripening as soon as they have been picked (local farmer's markets produce are usually picked that morning). don't wash the entire quart - only wash what you are going to eat. the moisture will easily spoil the berries - even if it's a rainy farmers market, keep them out to dry a bit before putting them in the fridge. also - don't take the little green cap-hats off until ready to wash and eat because they will help prevent moisture absorption. Lying them on a single layer is the best way to prevent bruising and on top of a paper towel will absorb excess moisture. strawberries also freeze very well, so laying them flat on a baking sheet to freeze then moving them to a freezer bag is a great way to have tasty strawberries all year round (although nothing tastes more like summer than a freshly picked juicy strawberry!)
strawberries and shortcake galore at the farmer's market.
tips: strawberries taste best at room temperature so leave them out for a bit before eating them. refrigeration kinda spoils the flavor, but they are so delicate that it really is best to eat them the same day.
if you're cooking with strawberries, the colour will turn from red to a deep purple however adding citrus like lemon or orange, or even baking with rhubarb, will preserve the red.
medical: apparently eating strawberries can help whiten teeth!
recipes: i overheard this recipe by a woman who stopped by the farmers market and bought a whole bunch of strawberries for her husband. I asked her what she was going to make with all them - jams? - but she said her husband just loved them and they are just so good at the peak of the summer season she wanted to take advantage. i suggested adding them to spinach salads and told her the night before i had a snack of crackers with goat cheese, sliced strawberry and cracked black pepper, which she loved the idea of. she said the Blue Strawberry, which is now the Black Trumpet, used to serve strawberries with sour cream and brown sugar. each in their own bowl, the strawberries get dunked into the sour cream and then into the brown sugar. everyone loves to dip, what a great combination!
Like fruity sangria, add strawberries to summer cocktails
I've also heard a lot of people who have eaten too many strawberries and have become allergic to them.
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