Celebrating Strawberries
With spring comes strawberries, and lots of them. Queensland is Australia's largest grower of strawberries producing approximately 75 million punnets a year.
One of my favorite ways to prepare the much-loved berries is to dip them in chocolate. They're a guaranteed crowd pleaser and they're so easy to make.
For something a little old fashioned, try out this strawberry jam. Nothing beats the intense flavor of homemade jam or the chunks of real strawberry that burst in your mouth.
Sometimes I like to start my morning off with a healthy strawberry & yogurt smoothie. It's not too heavy or too sweet and often keeps me going until lunchtime...just in time for a strawberry & mixed green salad tossed with apple, toasted pinenuts and Gruyere cheese.
Strawberry Facts
- Strawberries are a member of the rose family
- Strawberries are the only fruit to have their seeds on the outside
- Strawberries are high in vitamin C, folic acid, antioxidants and dietary fiber
- It's best to eat strawberries raw to benefit from its nutrients
- Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen in Spring
Photo: © S. Wongkaew (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc
Comments
Great looking strawberries. Got some wild strawbs growing near my house but they’re tiny, the size of peas.
Try dipping strawberries in freshly ground black pepper. Sounds bizarre but it really complements the flavours.
My wife likes to add rose petals from our garden to her jam. I thought it was a bit strange at first but now the flavor has grown on me and I think it’s quite lovely.