Strawberries: Heart-Shaped Fruit of Queens

Strawberries – delicious, delightful fruit that usually make an appearance around this time of year – Valentine’s Day. These luscious heart-shaped fruits have long been royal treasures. Strawberries are highly perishable and require delicate handling, so at one time they were luxury items found only on the finest tables in Europe. Widespread availability of strawberries was made possible by the advent of train travel, bringing the pleasures of these fruits to the common market.

Worldwide, there are more than six hundred varieties of strawberry plants, some of which have been transported across oceans and cross bred for heartier, larger fruit. Strawberries got their English name from the practice of placing straw beneath the vines of cultivated plants.

We have the great fortune to be able to eat strawberries all year round, but they are generally harvested late spring to early summer. Most strawberries grown in the US come from CA, and arrive on our grocery store shelves in protective plastic containers, prices rising and falling as the seasons change.

Preparation
Strawberries should be kept cold and unwashed until ready to serve. Choose organic whenever possible, as conventionally grown are often heavily doused with pesticides. Remove any moldy berries from the container immediately as to not contaminate the others. Strawberries will not ripen off the vine, so select those that are already deep red in color. Midsize, riper berries tend to be a bit sweeter and will last two to three days in the fridge.

If you plan to freeze berries for future use, wash them thoroughly, place on a cookie sheet and place in freezer overnight. Then they can be bagged and stored for months. It is not necessary to remove the stems if you plan to use them in a smoothie – the greens are edible.

Health Benefits
Besides the fact that they are lovely to look at and sweet to eat, strawberries pack a nutritional punch. Strawberries are high in vitamins C and K and folic acid and are a great source of dietary fiber.

Is it any wonder strawberries were fit for a Queen?

Top ten ways to treat yourself like royalty:

1. Enjoy frozen strawberries in smoothies
2. Mix with other berries for a fruit salad
3. Add to a spicy arugula salad
4. Soak them in balsamic vinegar
5. Layer them with HMR 70 Plus made as a pudding for a beautiful parfait (or with yogurt, for a Phase 2 treat)
6. Make them into whole fruit pops for the kids
7. Slice and serve them over HMR Multigrain Hot Cereal
8. Create a bouquet by artfully arranging strawberry kabobs in a vase
9. Mix chopped berries with cinnamon
10. Stew them with rhubarb

Strawberries are high on the list of the healthiest foods and they weigh in at a mere 45 calories a cup. More is better!

How will you delight in strawberries this week?
 

by luv2run on 02/12/2013 | Share Story With a Friend

tags: Recipes, holidays