June 1, 2009

It Wouldn’t Be Summer Without…..

          Strawberries!!  Nothing says summer better than the bright, colorful fruits of summer and strawberries are an American favorite with the U.S. being the top strawberry producing country in the world.  And that doesn’t count all the berries grown in our own gardens.

          Strawberries are a member of the rose family and are the only fruit with seeds on the outside.  The ancient Romans thought strawberries cured a wide range of medical ailments while it was considered poisonous in Argentina until the mid-1800's.

          One cup (144 g) of strawberries contains approximately 45 calories and is an excellent source of vitamin C.  As a child, you may have been told to eat your carrots as they are good for your eyes but as an adult, it looks like fruit is even more important for keeping your eyesight.  Data reported in a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily.

          Although strawberries have become increasingly available year-round, they are at the peak of their season from April through July when they are the most delicious and most abundant.  Keeping strawberries fresh and free of mold can be a problem as they contain so much moisture. Choose berries that are firm, plump, in good condition, and which have a shiny, deep red color and attached green caps.  Since strawberries, once picked, do not ripen further, avoid those that are dull in color or have green or yellow patches since they are likely to be sour and of inferior quality.

          Before storing in the refrigerator, remove any strawberries that are molded or damaged so that they will not contaminate others. Replace unwashed and unhulled berries in their original container or spread them out on a plate covered with a paper towel, then cover with plastic wrap. Strawberries will keep fresh in the refrigerator for one or two days. Make sure not to leave strawberries at room temperature or exposed to sunlight for too long, as this will cause them to spoil.

          To freeze strawberries, first gently wash them and pat them dry. You can either remove the cap and stem or leave them intact; freeze whole or sliced depending upon what you will do with them once they are thawed. Arrange the berries in a single layer on a flat pan or cookie sheet and place them in the freezer.  Once frozen, transfer the berries to a heavy plastic bag and return them to the freezer where they will keep for up to one year. Adding a bit of lemon juice to the berries will help to preserve their color.

          The California Strawberry Commission has two easy and flavorful suggestions for using strawberries – our favorite summer fruit.

Frosty Strawberry Pops
1 pint strawberries, stemmed
1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
3 tablespoons frozen orange, cranberry or pineapple juice concentrate

Directions

          In blender container, blend all ingredients about 1 minute until smooth. Pour into eight 3-ounce, wax-coated paper cups.  Place in shallow pan and insert a plastic spoon into the center of each. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours. After pops are frozen, they can be transferred to a resealable plastic bag for freezer storage.  To release pops from cups, dip briefly into hot water up to rim of cup. Makes 8 servings 

Nutmeg Strawberry Muffins
2 cups stemmed and halved (quartered if large) strawberries
2 cups sugar, divided
3 cups flour
1/2 cup corn meal
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

          Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In bowl toss strawberries with 1 tablespoon of the sugar; set aside. In large bowl mix the remaining sugar, the flour, corn meal, nutmeg, salt and baking soda. Mix oil and eggs with strawberries; add to flour mixture with walnuts. Mix just to moisten dry ingredients. Measure 1/3 cup each into 24 paper-lined or greased 2 3/4-inch muffin tin cups. In small bowl mix 1 tablespoon each additional sugar and cornmeal with 1/4 teaspoon additional nutmeg; sprinkle on muffin tops. Bake in center of oven about 25 minutes until springy to the touch and pick inserted into centers comes out clean.