Strawberry

Strawberries are the perfect addition to weight-loss diets in early summer.

Strawberry season

Strawberries appear in late spring, but they ripen depending on their variety, sometimes as late as October.

Strawberry varieties

There are over 600 varieties of strawberries. The most well known varieties include the gariguette strawberry, which is elongated and has juicy, tangy flesh. It represents 20% of strawberry production in France. The Mara des Bois variety is a red strawberry with tender flesh and an average size. This variety is picked in July. Its taste is similar to that of a wild strawberry. Finally, Selva strawberries are picked from June through October in the Rhone-Alps, Loire Valley and Southwest regions of France.

Nutritional value of strawberries

Strawberries are an ideal fruit for people who want to take care of their waistline before summer. In fact, 100 grammes of strawberries contain only 35 kilocalories. To compare, the same portion of apples contains 55 kilocalories. Also, strawberries are perfect breakfast foods because they contribute the necessary quantity of vitamin C. Magnesium, iron, calcium, this lively cocktail is one of the fruit's main strengths. Strawberries could be a remedy for cellular ageing, as they contain folic acid from vitamin B9.

Picking strawberries

Pickers must handle strawberries gently once they can be removed from their stems. It is best to go picking in the early morning, as the cool of this time of day makes the fruit firm and full of flavour.

Choosing strawberries

In stores, it is best to choose strawberries that keep well, with a bright red colour. The peduncle must be green and look fresh. Once purchased, wash them quickly without removing the peduncle, in order to prevent the strawberries from filling with water. This advice only applies before strawberries are served. In addition, it is best to not pack strawberries too tightly. Foodies should eat strawberries quickly, because strawberries generally do not keep for more than 48 hours in the refrigerator. Furthermore, this fruit does not freeze very well.

Cooking strawberries

Besides the traditional bowl of fresh strawberries, this fruit can be prepared with an iced milk mixed with vanilla ice cream. Flan, tarts, dessert skewers, fruit fondues... Strawberries go well with all types of desserts and lend themselves to the most original ideas. For example, they can be used in a barbecue sauce. Mix strawberries, ketchup, soy sauce, lemon zest, onions and coriander leaves. Then serve on grilled meat or fish.