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Strawberries
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 Note
from Cheri:
Strawberries! Nearly everyone loves this popular
fruit. Not only that, strawberries are so good
for you, it's O.K. to indulge. Eight medium
strawberries contain 140% of the US recommended
daily allowance for vitamin C, as well as being
a great source of folic acid, potassium and
fiber. Another added bonus? They're low in calories!
Some of the recipes in this article were finalists
in the California Strawberry Festival's
1997 Berry Off cooking contest. We also have
the grand prize winning recipe, Strawberry
Truffles. The festival is held each May
in Oxnard California and is a celebration of
all things strawberry. There's food, music,
interesting shopping, children's events and
much more. For
additional information, visit the California
Strawberry Festival website.
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 Strawberry
Tips
- When buying, look for plump, bright red, fully ripe berries.
The top leaves should be attached, green and fresh looking. The
size of the strawberry is not important. All strawberries, large
and small, have the potential to be equally sweet and juicy.
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Sort and remove any bruised or damaged berries
as soon as possible, being in contact with spoiled fruit can
cause good fruit to go bad quicker.
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Place the berries in cool, well ventilated containers
(32 to 40°F / 0 to 5°C). The moisture content of Fresh
Strawberries is high, so store uncovered or loosely covered.
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Hull strawberries and rinse gently right before
serving. Careful storing and handling will help the berries
maintain maximum flavor, colour and texture.
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To keep strawberries from absorbing large quantities
of water, hull after washing. A salad spinner works well for
removing excess water from berries.
- Use individual frozen strawberries as cubes in a fancy drink
or cocktail.
Strawberry Measurement Equivalents
 1
basket= 1 pint strawberries- 1 pint= 3 1/4 cups whole berries
- 1 pint= 2 1/4 cups sliced berries
- 1 pint= 1 2/3 cups pureed berries
- 1 pint=about 12 very large stemmed berries to about 36 smaller
berries
- 20 oz. frozen berries=about 4 cups whole berries
Freezing Strawberries
 For
long term storage, individual quick freezing is recommended. This
will minimize the "mushiness" associated with freezing the berries.
Strawberries can safely be kept frozen for up to 1 year.
Place the berries on flat trays in a single layer, well spaced
out, and put into the coldest part of the freezer (the colder the
better). Choose firm, ripe berries; wash in ice water before hulling.
Carefully drain well on several layers of paper towels first. After
freezing, store in heavy freezer bags, tightly sealed, sucking as
much air as possible out of the bag to minimize freezer burn. Seal,
Label and Date.
 Strawberry
Recipe Links:
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For more great Strawberry information and recipes,
check out these articles
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