7 Tips to Make the Most of Your Freshly Picked Strawberries

1. Pick firm, plump, red berries with full green leaves and caps intact.
2. Remember that cold deadens the flavors and texture of most soft fruits. Leave the berries at room temperature for as long as possible without courting spoilage.
3. Do not wash berries until just before using.
4. If you must refrigerate, store for only two to three days on a paper towel in a moisture-proof container.
5. Don’t freeze whole berries (they disintegrate when thawed).
6. Like vegetables, fruits get softer and juicier when cooked, but they also tend to lose a lot of their integrity and color. To hold color in cooked berries, be sure to add acid-rich foods (like lemon juice or rhubarb) that help retain the berries’ pigments.
7. Sugar is an acid that draws water out of fruits. Only sprinkle sugar on your fruit right before eating or cooking. Exceptions are when making jam or ice-cream.

This was excerpted from “Love at First Bite” which was published in the July/August 2002 issue of Experience Life magazine.