It’s sad, but true. We have no fresh strawberries from Florida during this time of the year. Not even one. It’s just too hot! With that said, you may be surprised when I suggest that you eat them anyway—all year round. Why?
Once you’re in the habit of including strawberries on your shopping list each week, you’ll be hooked on their deliciousness and we’ll catch you as a customer from Thanksgiving through April. No worries.
The reality is that there are no better-tasting berries than those that come from our Florida family farms, but you’ll discover that for yourself. As our markets expand further and further westward, chefs and consumers are appreciating the sweet, succulent strawberries that we grow and harvest. Think about it—Florida strawberries—a taste of summer all winter long.
We do hope you’ll insist on U.S. grown strawberries and let your grocer know how you feel about homegrown. It’s so important that we support products made and grown in our own country and in doing so support the people who produce them for our pleasure.
Following are a few tips to help you enjoy our berries this coming fall and winter and those grown in other states in the spring and summer, too.
Strawberry Tips
- It’s best to eat strawberries on the same day they’re purchased.
- Strawberries are at their best when allowed to come to room temperature.
- Use the clamshell packaging as a colander. All you need to do is rinse them with cool water right in the container, drain, remove the caps (or calyx) and eat them out of hand or use in a favorite recipe.
- Drizzle a small amount of balsamic vinegar over prepared berries. You’ll be surprised at how tasty they are when served this way.
- Look for strawberries that are fully ripe and deep red in color. They don’t continue to ripen after they are picked.
- Seek out berries where the color has spread from one end to the other. Also look for berries where the calyx, the strawberry’s leafy cap, is fresh and green.