Are you familiar with the children’s picture book The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear, by Don Wood?  The field mouse has her eye on a very large and very ripe strawberry.  She manages to take it from the plant and haul it home, but the narrator has her fearing that a bear will want to steal it, so quick! better share half with him!  Every time I go strawberry picking I think of this story.  An occasional strawberry will have little nibble marks, so I know a critter has visited. (But so far, no bear sightings.)

Grocery Store Strawberries

I first read this story years ago to the preschoolers I taught and then to my own children. That strawberry sure looks good; all red and juicy throughout. But all too often what I find at the grocery is usually hard and white inside.  Or the container might be hiding moldy, mushy berries at the bottom.

You can find strawberries almost year round, but you’ll pay for that privilege. And strawberries being shipped across the country, or coming from another continent all together, run the risk of being picked before they’re fully ripe so they can survive the shipping process. Unlike many other fruits, strawberries don’t ripen any further after being picked. 

Be picky.  Whether at the store or a farm stand, look the strawberry container over carefully.  Use your senses.  Ripe strawberries will have a sweet, strawberry scent.  They will be firm, but not hard.  Look for an even, overall bright, glossy red color.  Check the tops and the tips.  If you see white or green, then the strawberries were picked too soon. And stay away from containers that have even one mushy or moldy berry.  If there’s mold on one, the mold spores are probably on the others as well, so steer clear.

Farmers Market Strawberries

Strawberries at the farmers market are going to be uber fresh.  They were likely picked that morning or the day before. There are many varieties of strawberries, and the ones you find at the farmers market may be smaller than what you see in the store.  Since they don’t need to be transported long distances these strawberries are likely grown for flavor and sweetness, rather than sturdiness.

Feel free to ask to taste one, though it’s been my experience that the folks working the farm stand will lure you over with samples of berries anyway!

Please don’t worry about offending the farmer if you inspect his or her berries at the farmers market.  You’re the consumer and have the right to expect high quality.

Pick Your Own

Have you ever gone strawberry picking?  My friend Shelley and I took our kids strawberry picking years ago and I was hooked!  There is nothing like eating a strawberry straight off the plant.  Especially one that’s been warmed by the sun. Heaven.

PickYourOwn.org is a good resource for finding orchards near you. Wear old clothes because you’ll be covered in strawberry juice, and probably a little mud, by the time you’re done.  And bring an old towel or blanket for the floor of your car to set the baskets of strawberries on for the ride home.

Storing Strawberries

Store unwashed strawberries in a single layer, covered in the fridge. Sometimes I’ll put a paper towel under the strawberries to absorb any extra moisture.  Strawberries should be eaten within a day or two of purchase or picking for best quality.  Hold off on washing strawberries until right before you’re ready to eat them.  Ditto for removing the stems.  They just get mushy really quickly after being de-stemmed and washed.

Quick Nutrition Facts

As with any fruit or vegetable, the fresher the more nutritious.  Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, manganese and fiber.  They contain fiber, iodine, copper, biotin, phosphorus and potassium as well. They’re also rich in phytonutrients, which help prevent disease and promote overall wellness. (Note: strawberries are on the Dirty Dozen list, so buy organic, if possible.)

Let’s Eat

Strawberries are great eaten all by themselves and really don’t need any dressing up.  I used to love dipping them in sugar, but I think that was to make out of season store bought berries taste better.  Add them to yogurt, granola or ice cream.

For over 15 years, our family’s favorite strawberry containing food has been my Berry Salsa.  I bring this to summer parties and am always asked for the recipe.

These Strawberry Oatmeal Bars from Erin at Wellplated.com are healthy and quick to make. (She includes a glaze, but I skip that.)

How about strawberries added to your salad?  Here I put together a mix of spinach and spring greens with some leftover chicken, strawberries, goat cheese and poppy seed dressing.  I topped the whole thing off with toasted pumpkins seeds, but pecans or almonds would be good too. No recipe needed!  Just get creative!

And strawberry season just wouldn’t be complete without a tray of chocolate covered strawberries.

You can keep it real by using dark chocolate in place of semi-sweet or milk chocolate.  Make sure to quickly rinse and then carefully, but thoroughly, dry the berries with a paper towel before dipping in the melted chocolate.  Let cool and harden on a baking sheet covered with wax paper. Putting them in the refrigerator for a short while will help the chocolate harden more quickly.

Now make like that little mouse in the story and eat up your red, ripe strawberries before the big hungry bear gets them and they’re gone until next summer!