Strawberries - The First Taste of Summer

Nothing heralds the sweetness of the season like a ripe red strawberry.Its' taste brings to mind sun ripened fields, warm breezes and the joy of picking the first juicy berry of the summer. June is the official month for all things strawberry. Buy these luscious berries at your supermarket or pick them at your local farm.

Strawberries are an ancient fruit, first being cultivated in Italy as early as 234 BCE (talk about the food of the gods) and spread throughout France and Germany. They made it over the Channel to the British Isles sometime a round the 1300s. They were also found in the New World and were soon popular with colonists longing for their native English strawberries. After 1860 many parts of the US were growing strawberries and in 1900 California farms started mass producing them for commerical sales. The name itself drives from a 1,000 year old Anglo Saxon verb strewe meaning to run or to spread - because that's how the plant growns - stretching or spreading its' runners outwards. Others claim it was because straw was placed around the plants for protection.

Modern day strawberry lovers can fully appreciate the fruit and its sometimes tart , sometimes sweet earthy taste. Strawberries are wonderful if they're fresh picked. There are several pick them yourself farms - especially where I live in New Jersey, The Garden State. (check the web site www.pickityourself.org for farms in your area) Remember to pick plump ruby red berries that are firm and fleshy. Stay away from green ones. They will not ripen once they're off the vine. Also remember to wear plenty of sunscreen,insect repellent, lip balm and a hat. It takes ten to fifteen minutes to pick a just a quart . You and your family will be out there for a good forty five minutes to an hour. Most farms sell their berries by the pound. Once home rinse them thoroughly to get rid of any dirt pesticides and/or bugs.I like keeping my berries in the fridge because they do spoil fast (and also attract ants). The recommended way is to layer them on paper towels to prevent moldiness.

Once home have fun with them. You can dribble chocolate syrup on them for a really decadent snack or just eat them plain. Strawberries are also good cut up in fruit salad or served sliced on vanilla or chocolate ice cream. Strawberry short cake is a yummy treat especially after a tangy barbecue. Eat all you can. A cup of strawberries is only 45 calories and has more Vitamin C than an orange. They're also high in potassium and folic acid. Strawberries are rich in calcium and magnesium, two essential minerals our bodies need.

Now is the time to celebrate the strawberry. Go out and pick this delicious and good for your fruit during this glorious weather.After all there's nothing like the taste of a ripe berry on a warm early summer day!

Easy Strawberry Shortcake For One

Any slice of pound cake or angel food cake,
one cup of sliced strawberries
Cool Whip, Redi Whip, whipped fresh cream, ice cream

Arrange sliced strawberries on cake and along its' sides. Cover with any non dairy topping or freshly whipped cream . For a real treat substitute the cream with vanilla , chocolate or even strawberry ice cream. Yum!!!!!!!