Status: 06/02/2023 10:29 am
Bright red and fragrant: Strawberries are healthy, delicious and in season now. If you want to enjoy their full aroma, you should buy regional goods or pick the fruit yourself. tips and recipes.
In sweet or savory dishes, as jam or simply pure – strawberries are one of the favorite fruits of the Germans. Strawberries have been popular for a long time: even our ancestors knew wild strawberries. The first finds date back to the Stone Age. In ancient times, Roman poets such as Ovid, Virgil and Pliny praised the qualities of the small, aromatic fruit. They called them “frega” or “fregum”, derived from the Latin “fragare” (to smell).
Recognizing ripeness, freshness and quality when shopping
Since strawberries do not ripen later, consumers should make sure when buying them that all berries are evenly red, shiny and plump. Overripe fruit or bruised strawberries spoil quickly. Other signs of freshness include a short, green stem and sepals that are solid green with no white tips. Strawberries can only fully develop their aroma when they are ripe on the plant.
Strawberries imported from Spain are often not fully ripe and are often contaminated with pesticides.
This is rarely the case with imported goods from Italy, Spain or Morocco, which some supermarkets already sell at the beginning of the year. They have mostly matured under foil in huge monocultures and can be contaminated with pesticides. So it’s worth waiting until the season starts in Germany in May and reaching for regional fruits.
Which varieties are particularly sweet and aromatic?
Although there are many different types of strawberries, they are hardly differentiated in the trade because labeling is not required. If you buy directly from the producer, you can ask. Popular and aromatic varieties include the early variety “Elvira” and the very sweet varieties “Senga Sengana” and “Honeyone”.
Pick yourself: Early morning is the ideal time to harvest
If you pick strawberries yourself, you are guaranteed to get fresh fruit.
If you want to be sure that the strawberries are fresh, you can either buy them directly from the producer at the weekly markets or pick them yourself in a nearby field. If possible, choose an area that is not directly on a busy road. The pollution level is lower. It is best to use flat strawberry baskets when picking. Buckets or other deep containers are less suitable, as the fruit will be squeezed in them.
The best time for your own harvest is early in the morning, when the berries are at their most aromatic. It should also be dry, because wet-picked strawberries have less flavor and have a shorter shelf life. Pull the fruit off the plant together with the green sepals and a piece of the stalk to avoid spilling the juice. Harvest only ripe fruits, immature ones can be recognized by the white-yellow edge.
Preparing strawberries: only wash before consumption
Strawberries are sensitive to pressure. Use cardboard packaging for transport.
Strawberries are extremely delicate and perishable. Breathable packaging, such as cardboard or wood chips, is suitable for transport. In no case should the berries be squeezed. To preserve the aroma, wash the fruit just before eating, remove the stalks and leaves. Water also removes the aroma from the fine fruits, so do not leave them in water for long and do not clean them under a strong jet of water.
Proper storage in the refrigerator and freeze
Unwashed strawberries will keep in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator for a day or two – preferably covered on a plate or in a bowl. Frozen whole fruit tends to become mushy after thawing. An alternative is to puree them before freezing. Strawberries are also good for making jam or compote. The combination with rhubarb or red currants is very tasty.
Healthy strawberries: lots of vitamin C and few calories
In addition to their unique taste, strawberries have other advantages. 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 remarkably high. Strawberries also lower blood pressure and stimulate kidney activity.
Despite the wealth of healthy ingredients, strawberries are also low in calories. A large portion contains no more calories than a small praline.
Further information
