- Strawberries: the best season to taste them
- What are the nutritional values of strawberries?
- Strawberry: what are the benefits of this fruit?
- How to choose the right strawberries (varieties, signs of quality)?
- Strawberries: how to store them?
- How to cook and eat strawberries?
Gariguette, Charlotte or Mara des Bois, strawberries are not only delicious, they are also a real health food. From the Neolithic era, strawberries grow wild in America, Asia and Europe. It owes its name Fragaria vesca to its fragrance, much appreciated by the Romans. In France, it interferes in vegetable gardens from the Middle Ages. The gardener Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie gives it a place of choice in the garden of the Sun King. From the 18th century, hybrid varieties, larger, resulting from marriages with strawberries from the Americas are appearing.
Strawberries: the best season to taste them
Strawberries are in full season between late May and early July. They can also be tasted en primeur in April.
While it is possible to find strawberries imported or grown in greenhouses throughout the year, it is much better to consume seasonal strawberries to take full advantage of their taste and nutrients, but also for ecological reasons. .
What are the nutritional values of strawberries?
Here are the nutritional values per 100 g of fresh strawberriesaccording to the Table of nutritional composition of Ciqual foods:
- Calories: 38.6 calories
- Carbohydrates: 6.03g
- Fiber: 3.8g
- Protein: 0.63g
- Lipids: < 0.5g
- Vitamin C: 54mg
- Vitamin B9 (folic acid): 98.9 mcg
- Potassium: 140mg
- Phosphorus: 23 mg
- Magnesium: 12mg
- Manganese: 0.26mg
Strawberry: what are the benefits of this fruit?
We don’t always know it, but the strawberry is one of the fruits richest in vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant. It contains more than the orange and a portion of 100 g covers more than half of our recommended daily intake. This vitamin is essential for boosting the immune system, protecting the skin against free radical damage, and even supporting eye health.
“It also containsellagic acid, such as pomegranate, which has a preventive action against cancer and which has a recognized effect on the quality of the skin”, indicates dietician Véronique Liesse. “Its red color is due to anthocyanins which, in addition to their antioxidant virtue, have an effect prebiotic and nourish the intestinal microbiota.
We can also cite the presence of quercetina flavonoid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects”.
All these antioxidants act in synergy and potentiate each other. Studies have shown that flavonoids contribute to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
Other advantages of the strawberry, it contains:
- contains dietary fiberwhich are important for maintaining good digestion and regulating blood sugar levels.
- is an interesting source of manganesewhich is important for the formation of bones and connective tissues,
- is a source offolic acidessential for cell growth and development.
Not forgetting his low calorie intake and his low sugar (only 6 grams, compared to 11 g for fruit on average).
How to choose the right strawberries (varieties, signs of quality)?
There are many varieties of strawberries grown in France, each with its own taste and texture characteristics. Here are some of the most popular:
- There Gariguette : it is the best known (73% of French people know it) and one of the most popular. This beautiful vermilion red and elongated strawberry offers, from March to June, a melting flesh and sweet-tart aromas.
- There mara of the woods : we do not trust the slightly lighter red color, it is very fragrant and aromatic. It’s hard to resist its wild wild strawberry scent. We enjoy it from June to September.
- There Ciflorette : this orange-red and elongated strawberry is grown in the south of France from March to July. It is one of the most greedy, with a fine and juicy flesh that releases very sweet aromas.
- There Charlotte : you can recognize the beauty by its heart shape and its bright red color. A repeating variety, it is present on the stalls until the end of summer. Both juicy and sweet, it’s a children’s favourite.
- There Cirafine : this variety is particularly sweet and juicy, which makes it ideal for jams and coulis.
To choose it well, we do not rely on its size or the intensity of its red: these depend on the variety of the strawberry, but not on its quality. On the other hand, it must be of uniform colorwith a very green collar and above all release a pleasant fragrance ! You can also check that there is no crushed fruit at the bottom of the tray.
Moreover, it is better to give preference to seasonal varieties, which will be much better. “It’s better if she was locally produced : it has not traveled too much and has been picked just when ripe, which guarantees more flavour”, specifies our expert. However, the tastier a strawberry is, the less sugar it needs. Because it is not to drown its benefits under sugar or whipped cream!
Strawberries: how to store them?
Strawberries are a delicious and flavorful fruit, but they are also very perishable and tend to spoil quickly. To keep them fresh and tasty for as long as possible, it is better to know a few tips. First of all, we handle them with delicacy. During shopping, the tray is placed on the top of the basket (or shopping cart) so as not to crush them.
Once at home, strawberries should be stored in the fridge, to slow down their maturation process. Place them in an airtight container or a perforated plastic bag to prevent moisture from building up and altering their texture.
Don’t wash strawberries before storing them, as they have a natural protective coating that helps them last longer. Also, don’t remove the leaves right away, as the leaves help maintain the freshness of the fruit. To consume them, we rinse simply under running cold water and we rush at the last moment.
How to cook and eat strawberries?
Strawberries can be eaten as is. When fresh and in season, they are so tasty that you don’t need to sweeten them. You can also eat them in fruit salad with a little chopped mint or basil (which enhances its flavor nicely). Or, more original, in a spinach salad to enjoy as a starter, with walnuts, fresh goat cheese and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Strawberry soup is also a good idea to quench your thirst in the summer.
At breakfast, strawberries are delicious topping on porridge or mixed in a smoothie. For dessert, we love cooling off with a scoop of sorbet homemade strawberry. Strawberries are also delicious in tart and tartlets, and constitute a beautiful base for preparing jams. Nevertheless, it is better to eat them raw if you want to make the most of their benefits. Cooking or heating them destroys their vitamin C.
In short: there are countless recipes to enjoy the delicious taste of strawberries. So have fun! And besides, if you are a fan of strawberries, why not grow your own strawberry plant in your garden or on your balcony? What could be better than tasting “homemade” fruit? Subject to choosing the right variety, because beware: some strawberry varieties lend themselves to it more than others!
In video: the recipe for strawberry soup
Read also :
- Seasonal fruits and vegetables: what to eat in June?
- Seasonal fruits and vegetables that should not be put in the fridge
- The top 12 refreshing summer recipes
