In season – strawberries

Strawberries have more vitamin C in them than an orange and a 100g serving contains just 30 calories.

Picking the best berries

When a strawberry is picked, the countdown is on until it starts losing its freshness, so they’re best eaten shortly after purchasing.

The longer a strawberry stays on the plant, the sweeter it will be as its sugars will have more time to fully develop. Sweetness does not correlate to the size of the strawberry, so the bigger ones don’t necessarily mean they’ll be the juicier ones.

If you can’t taste the strawberries you’re looking at buying, then select them based on colour. The more vibrant, the riper and sweeter. Green caps are good too!

Storing strawberries

Strawberries are great for freezing. You can slice off the green tops, rinse and gently blot with tissue paper and pop them in the freezer. They should keep for up to six months, meaning you can enjoy them in the autumn and winter too.

You only need to wash strawberries and cut off or pull out their tops before eating.

Dish ideas

The classic dish to make with strawberries is Eton Mess with delicious meringue and cream, you really can’t go wrong.

If you want to impress friends and family, why not opt for a strawberry tart or even a strawberry crumble, as a nice alternative to apples.

We also love strawberries dipped in chocolate or blended up in a summer strawberry Mojito. Cheers!