Pick your own strawberries, store them properly, and recognize their ripeness

 


Bright red and fragrant: strawberries are healthy, delicious and in season again. If you want to enjoy the full aroma, you should buy regional products or pick the fruit yourself. Tips and recipes.

In sweet or savory dishes, as jam or just plain - strawberries are one of the favorite fruits of Germans. Strawberries have been popular for a long time: our ancestors already knew about wild strawberries. The first finds date back to the Stone Age. In ancient times, Roman poets such as Ovid, Virgil, and Pliny praised the aromatic qualities of the small fruit. They called it "frega" or "fregum", derived from the Latin "fragare" (to kiss).

Know ripeness, freshness and quality when purchasing

Because strawberries do not ripen, consumers should ensure when purchasing that all berries are evenly red, shiny, and plump. Overripe fruit or bruised strawberries will quickly spoil. Other signs of freshness include short green stems and consistent green sepals with no white tips. Strawberries can only fully release their aroma when they are ripe on the plant.

This is rarely the case with imported goods from Southern Europe or Morocco, which are often offered before the start of the domestic season. These crops are usually matured under foil in large-scale monocultures and can be contaminated with pesticides. High water consumption when grown in dry areas such as Andalusia and long transportation are also problems. So it's worth waiting until the season starts in Germany in May and opting for regional fruit.

Which variety is especially sweet and aromatic?

Even though there are many types of strawberries, they are difficult to differentiate in trade because labeling is not required. If you buy directly from the manufacturer, you can ask. Popular and aromatic varieties include the early variety “Elvira” and the very sweet varieties “Senga Sengana” and “Honeyone”.

Take your pick: Morning is the ideal harvest time

If you want to ensure that the strawberries are really fresh, you can buy them directly from the producers at the weekly market or pick them yourself in a nearby field. If possible, choose an area that is not directly on a busy road. This means the pollution is lower. It is best to use a flat strawberry basket when picking. Buckets or other deep containers are not suitable because the fruit will be compressed in them.

The best time to harvest yourself is early morning, when the berries are most fragrant. Strawberries should also be dry, as wet-picked strawberries have less flavor and a shorter shelf life. Remove the fruit from the plant along with the green sepals and stem pieces to avoid sap leakage. Only ripe fruit is harvested; Unripe fruit can be identified by its yellowish-white edges.

Preparing strawberries: Wash before eating

Strawberries are very delicate and easily damaged. Breathable packaging, such as cardboard or chipboard, is suitable for transportation. Under no circumstances should the berries be crushed. To preserve the aroma, wash the fruit briefly and remove the stems and leaves immediately before consuming. Water also removes subtle fruit aromas, so don't leave fruit in water for too long and don't clean it under a strong stream of water.

Proper storage in the refrigerator and freezing

If not washed, strawberries will last for one to two days in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator – ideally covered in a plate or bowl. Frozen whole fruit tends to become mushy after thawing. An alternative is to puree it before freezing it. Strawberries are also suitable for making jam or compote. The combination with rhubarb or red currants is especially delicious.

Are freeze-dried strawberries recommended?

An alternative to strawberries from the freezer is freeze dried fruit. During this process, the fruit's moisture is removed, while its color and aroma are retained. This complicated process comes at a price: freeze-dried strawberries are very expensive, production is energy-intensive, and the fruit is often imported from abroad. According to the consumer advice center, this product also contains a lot of sugar, so it is not recommended.

Healthy strawberries: Lots of vitamin C and few calories

Apart from its unique taste, strawberries have other benefits. They contain more vitamin C per 100 grams than lemons, as well as vitamins B1 and B2 and the minerals calcium, potassium, iron and magnesium. The content of folic acid, a vitamin that is important for cell formation, is very high. Strawberries also lower blood pressure and stimulate kidney activity.

Even though they are rich in healthy ingredients, strawberries are also low in calories. A large portion contains no more calories than a small praline.

Popular posts from this blog

Should you drink raw milk?

Image
In America, health authorities warn against consuming raw milk because of bird flu. In many countries, there are strict regulations regarding the distribution of raw milk. However, some people consider raw milk to be very healthy. Cleaner skin, strengthened immune system, better digestion. Raw milk from cows, sheep or goats is often touted as a superfood on social networks. In contrast to heated milk, this milk must contain more nutrients, among other things. Therefore, some influencers advise pregnant women to drink raw milk - contrary to all medical recommendations. Is raw milk actually that much healthier than “conventional” milk? What exactly is raw milk? Milk sold in supermarkets is usually heat treated to kill pathogens. This also makes breast milk last longer. Shelf life varies depending on the type of heating process. The milk is heated to about 75 degrees Celsius for 15 to 30 seconds. This kills pathogenic microorganisms and the milk can last up to ten days. By increasing the
Read more

Benefits of Vitamin E For Health

Image
Vitamin E: Top grade antioxidant For years, vitamin E has been hailed as a top-class anti-aging vitamin. It makes you beautiful and fertile and, it is said, also offers excellent protection against heart attacks, strokes, cancer and Alzheimer's. After people dutifully swallowed high doses of vitamin E pills for years, it has now been announced that while vitamin E is not effective, it can also increase the risk of stroke and even premature death. Now what is true? Vitamin E and its effects Vitamin E is not just one substance, but refers to a whole family of powerful antioxidants. These include, for example: B. tocopherols and tocotrienols. Alpha-tocopherol has been well researched. Although tocotrienols were considered the most effective form of vitamin E, it has now been discovered that tocotrienols can be 40 times more effective in terms of their antioxidant effects. To date, the vitamin E family has 16 members, each of which has different levels of antioxidant activity. The task
Read more

Benefits of Lo Han Guo fruit for health

Image
Lo Han Guo, a fruit from southern China, can relieve sugar addiction. The natural sweetener it contains is 500 times sweeter than sugar, but does not have dangerous side effects. Luo Han Guo is not only a good sugar substitute, but also an old remedy for diabetes, colds, lung diseases, and digestive problems. This fruit came to the United States in the early 20th century. The seeds, purchased from a Chinese shop in San Francisco, were included in the general botanical description of the variety in 1941. The development of Luo Han Guo products in China has continued to progress since then, with the development of concentrated extracts playing a very important role. Cultivation and marketing Luo Han Guo is mostly grown in southern China, especially in Guangxi Province, with the largest amount of production coming from the Guilin Mountains. Steep mountains provide shade and are often surrounded by mist, protecting plants from excessive sunlight. However, the climate in this southern provi
Read more