Load Up on Strawberries this Season: We Have the Recipes! (2024)

FAQs

Are strawberries in season right now? ›

Because of that, and the varied locations where they are grown, the national strawberry season is said to run January through November. In the Deep South, when to harvest strawberries will usually be late April and May. In the middle part of the country, at Eckert's, May and June are typically best.

It's also a hands-off recipe: Just toss strawberries with sugar and let time take care of the rest. The sugar will coax out the berries' juices, creating a thick and succulent syrup, while the strawberries will deepen in flavor and soften in texture. The result is a versatile, sweet-tart topping that's hard to resist.

Balsamic Vinegar:

Basically, the vinegar (especially when nuanced with a little black pepper), steps into the background, making the strawberries even sweeter. Strawberries and balsamic vinegar also mix well in toasted bread, flatbread, scones and more.

Add a little sugar and salt! Wash your strawberries, cut them, and hit them with a pinch of salt and a couple good three-finger pinches of granulated sugar, give them a little tossy-toss, and watch them magically start to darken and get extra juicy.

Strawberries can fruit surprisingly well with some shade – but the flavour won't develop to the same extent as those grown in the sun. Sun it is that develops sugar levels in the berries – so make sure your plants get lots, and lots of it.

For most of the country, June is prime time for strawberries. You might also see them in the fall at some farmers' markets, thanks to ever-bearing varieties that can produce until nearly the first frost. If you do, consider yourself lucky. "They're so delicate.

Albion strawberries have a darker color, both internally and externally, and a consistently sweeter flavor than most strawberries. The plant is known for its large, symmetrical fruit, which is mostly conical and very firm. The high sugar content makes it ideal for use in desserts, as well as eating out of hand.

Certain pesticides might be responsible. A team reporting in the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has found that two common strawberry fungicides can affect cellular mechanisms, creating berries with subdued flavour and sweetness, as well as a lower nutritional value.

I highly recommend chopped mint, basil and lavender, which add surprising depth to a bowl of strawberries. Skip the rest of them, especially tarragon and sage, which clash completely with strawberry's bright flavors.

Balsamic vinegar + orange juice + lime juice — Imagine the dressing on a Strawberry-Spinach Salad, now in snack form. Lemon curd — Why bother baking a whole cake (especially on a hot summer day), when you can just dip strawberries in it? Mascarpone. Crème fraîche — You can't go wrong with strawberries and cream.

What is the secret to sweet strawberries? ›

Growing Sweet Strawberries

If your strawberries aren't sweet, look at your current soil conditions. Strawberries perform best in well-drained, fertile, and slightly acidic soils. In fact, these plants tend to yield more and are sweeter when grown in compost-enriched, sandy soil.

Balsamic vinegar works wonders, combined with a little sugar – its syrupy sourness brings out the tartness of the berries. A little orange zest is also excellent, providing warmth and zing. A squeeze of lemon juice, in the same vein as the balsamic.

Well, like some citrus fruits, strawberries actually have an inherent amount of tartness, and the pepper neutralizes that tartness, keeping any overly sweet elements to a minimum and, ultimately, making strawberry flavor shine. The theory even works for other acidic (or tart) fruits, like pineapple.

All you have to do is drop your "kind of sad" bruised strawberries into a bowl of ice water for approximately 20 minutes. According to our Test Kitchen's trial, the strawberries appear more vibrant in color than before.

I highly recommend chopped mint, basil and lavender, which add surprising depth to a bowl of strawberries. Skip the rest of them, especially tarragon and sage, which clash completely with strawberry's bright flavors.

Sprinkle sugar over your sliced berries and stir to coat. Cover with plastic and let the berries sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.