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The best time for strawberries is March and April. Louisiana strawberries are naturally sweet and tasty, so kick off the spring season by freezing strawberries correctly and safely. Freezing is the easiest and best way to maintain the nutritional quality of foods and can keep berries tasting fresh to enjoy all year long. Strawberries do not ripen after harvest. Choose firm, ripe berries with solid red color, bright luster and bright green caps attached. Wash berries thoroughly under running water before slicing them. After washing, discard overripe parts and diseased or moldy fruit. Trim small diseased lesions or spots from fruit. Rinse again if needed to remove any hull or stem. Let the berries air dry, or gently pat them dry with a paper towel. Use moisture-proof freezing bags or containers to maintain berry quality. Berries freeze well with or without sugar, but texture, color and flavor are better when packed in sugar. If you are planning to make preserves or jam later, freeze berries without sugar.
Strawberries are a healthy fruit to eat. They are low in fat and calories and naturally high in fiber, vitamin C, potassium and antioxidants. Ounce for ounce, strawberries have more vitamin C than citrus fruit. Strawberries are great served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Check out this strawberry recipe!
Add ingredients in order listed to a blender. Puree at medium speed, until thick and smooth. This recipe yields two servings.
Approximate nutritional values per serving are 140 calories, two grams of fat, one gram of saturated fat, five milligrams cholesterol, 65 milligrams sodium, 27 grams carbohydrate, two grams dietary fiber, six grams protein, 54 milligrams vitamin C, and 200 milligrams of calcium.
This article is referenced by LSU AgCenter publications 1895 and 1892.
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