Nature ’ s Healthy Fast Food: Strawberries!
By: Clare Lillard, Family & Consumer Services Extension Agent, Virginia Cooperative Extension
May is the month to start enjoying one of the easiest fast foods around … strawberries! Just wash, slice, and serve. Strawberries are a great choice when looking for a healthy snack. They are high in vitamin C, and a good source of fiber and potassium. When selecting strawberries, look for firm berries with a bright red color. The caps should be fresh, green and intact. Avoid shriveled, mushy, or leaky berries. Remember, strawberries will not ripen further after picking! Wash strawberries thoroughly before eating, cutting, or cooking. To prevent spoilage and mold growth during storage, it is best to wash strawberries just before they are eaten or prepared.
After purchasing or picking berries, gently empty the container and check the fruit. Use soft, overripe berries for eating right away. Throw away any smashed or moldy berries. Store strawberries in the refrigerator, loosely covered with plastic wrap or a paper towel until ready to use. Use berries within 1 or 2 days, washing and hulling them as you use them. Once strawberries are hulled and cut, they lose their vitamin C content quickly, so it is best to prepare them right before serving. Although it is hard to improve on eating fresh strawberries just as they are, here are a few other ideas for using them courtesy of Clemson Cooperative Extension: • Combine sliced strawberries and plain or vanilla yogurt for a lower - sugar alternative to commercial strawberry yogurt.
• Serve vanilla yogurt as a dip for whole strawberries.
• Fill a melon wedge with strawberries.
• Serve sliced strawberries on top of: cold or cooked cereal; ice cream or sherbet; pancakes, waffles or French toast (instead of syrup).
• Add sliced strawberries to a fresh spinach salad and serve with poppy seed dressing.
• Add strawberries to a fruit salad. Instead of sweetening with sugar, try a little orange or pineapple juice concentrate as a “ dressing. ”
• Pack fresh strawberries into an ice cream cone.
• Make a “ strawberry on a stick ” by inserting a popsicle stick into a large berry. Serve fresh or frozen.
Or, prepare the Homemade Strawberry Soda recipe available on the next page!
For other fresh ideas, recipes, and activities, visit the Orange County office of the Virginia Cooperative Extension at 146 North Madison Road, Orange or at (540) 672 - 1361.
Page 25 | May, 2022
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