We know spring is around the corner when fresh strawberries are in season. Although strawberries are available in the supermarket year round, local berries grow from March to early June. Twenty years ago in California, their season was from April to July, but with hybridizing they now grow year round. Local berries are the best because the fragile nature of the fruit does better without long-distance travel. Poteet, Texas has an annual Strawberry Festival the weekend of April 3. You can also get local berries at farmers’ markets and farms where you pick your own fruit.

Picking strawberries is labor-intensive work. One summer I worked on a berry farm and can testify to that. It was the only time I wished my legs were short. Our country has strict regulations for farm workers picking berries. Many farmers grow them on black plastic, which allows a cleaner berry and less insect infestation. Instead of using pesticides, new techniques of vacuuming the plants for pests are being utilized.

Strawberries can look red in color without being sweet or ripe. To pick good fruit, smell the berry first. Strawberries are very fragrant, and will ripen and sweeten after picking. White shoulders (or tops) do not necessarily signify unripe fruit. Some varieties are just like that. Look for a fresh green calyx to ensure the fruit is not old. Strawberries can be refrigerated if you are not eating them right away, or you can leave them out overnight to ripen. Separate them so they are not touching one another, because decay travels fast from berry to berry. They are low in calories and carbohydrates, high in vitamins A and C. Bigger berries do not make the fruit better. Look for unblemished fruit when buying them. Do not wash the fruit until right before eating, or they will break down because of their fragile nature.

history
Strawberries are a wild fruit. In Europe they are referred to as fraises du bois. People would go out and hunt for these plants and hide their whereabouts year after year. European strawberries have been part of the royal plant collections in Paris, France since the 1400s. Charles V had 5,000 plants in his gardens in the Louvre. They also grew wild in North America (1600) and Chile. The two varieties were hybridized to come up with the strawberry we see now in the United States. It combined size with flavor to create a winning combination.

varieties
There are many varieties because cross-breeding has become so popular. Chandler is one of the best shippers, so this is what you will see in the stores. Seascape grows well in Texas. Sequoia is the sweetest, but doesn’t have a long shelf life. The Fraise du Bois means berry of the forest and is tiny and sweet. Originally wild, it is now raised commercially, and gets a hefty price ticket at the checkout stand. We are all familiar with long-stemmed strawberries that are infamously dipped in chocolate.

recipe
Strawberry Compote
3 pints of strawberries
1/3 cup of sugar or maple syrup

Put berries in a non-corrosive pot and cook on a medium-high heat. Add sweetener. Cook until berries are soft and remove from heat. Let cool. Serve over ice cream or enjoy it alone.
Strawberries are also good when sliced and put in a glass of red wine.

Pamela Boyar has been working with organic farmers for 23 years. She started a fresh-pressed juice company in 1980 and in 1986 began distributing organically grown produce directly from the farmers to the restaurants in California. Committed to support and promote the small family farm, she’s currently the director of Westlake Farmers Market, which she established in 1997. It’s the highest grossing farmers’ market in Texas. To find out more, visit www.westlakefarmersmarket.com.