By Diane Wright Hirsch, Extension Educator, Food Safety
One of the best things about early summer in Connecticut is strawberry season. I will never understand why folks buy California berries at the supermarket in June. I recently saw a post on a local farm’s Facebook page where a customer shared a picture of two strawberries cut in half….the Connecticut berry was deep, dark red in color and looked to be juicy and fresh. The supermarket berry was pale and dry looking. Seriously, it was not a difficult choice.
Whether you grow your own or pick your own (PYO), summer wouldn’t be summer without fresh strawberry ice cream….and July 4th wouldn’t be July 4th without strawberry shortcake. Yes, a sure sign of summer.
In an article on the University of Illinois Extension web site, Drusilla Banks and Ron Wolford gathered some facts on the history and lore of the strawberry. Some thoughts to ponder when working on your strawberry patch—or filling your bucket at the local pick-your-own:
- “Madame Tallien, a prominent figure at the court of the Emperor Napoleon, was famous for bathing in the juice of fresh strawberries. She used 22 pounds per basin, needless to say, she did not bathe daily.
- The American Indians were already eating strawberries when the colonists arrived. The crushed berries were mixed with cornmeal and baked into strawberry bread. After trying this bread, Colonists developed their own version of the recipe and strawberry shortcake was created.
- The strawberry was a symbol for Venus, the Goddess of Love, because of its heart shapes and red color.” urbanext.uiuc.edu/strawberries
Picking berries
Strawberries are ready to harvest when they are a bright shiny red color. If they are greenish or whitish, leave them on the vine. They will not ripen further after harvesting. Very dark berries are likely to be overripe and may not last until you are ready to eat them. If you are a backyard strawberry gardener, reward your hard work with some of these very dark berries as soon as you are able to pick them and wash them.
Harvest safely
Start by washing your hands, then heading out to pick the strawberries. If you go to a PYO operation, ask if they have handwashing facilities. In a pinch, use a hand sanitizer.
Again, pick berries that are bright red and leave the overripe, mushy or those that are obviously headed in the wrong direction. If you are planning to make jam or jelly, don’t think that you can get by with shoddy, overripe berries—you might end up with shoddy, overly-soft jam: you will never end up with a product that is of better quality than the fruits or vegetables that you started out with.
Refrigerate the berries as soon as you can after picking. This will help with shelf life. But, do not wash the berries first. If washed, the berries are more likely to get moldy in your refrigerator. Store unwashed berries loosely covered with plastic wrap in the coldest part of your refrigerator for two to three days at most. Always wash them before eating. To wash, place berries in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Do not allow berries to soak in water—they will lose color, flavor and vitamin C.
Freezing Strawberries
For the best results, pick fully ripe, firm berries with a deep red color. Throw out any immature or unripe berries or those with rot, soft spots or mold. Wash and remove caps.
You may choose to freeze your berries with or without sugar. While many choose sugar-free because of perceived health benefits, keep in mind that for high quality results, packing in sugar is your best choice. Unsweetened packs generally yield a product that does not have the plump texture and good color of those packed with sugar. The fruits freeze harder and take longer to thaw. While some fruits are acceptable when packed without sugar, strawberries are best packed with sugar. The exception is if you are freezing berries to make into jam at a later date (and of course, if you must use sugar free products as part of a health regimen).
Unsweetened Dry Pack (for making jam later)
Simply pack the washed and drained fruit into a container, seal and freeze. A tray pack is an alternative that may make the fruit easier to remove from the container. Spread a single layer of fruit on shallow trays and freeze. When frozen, promptly package and return to the freezer. Be sure to package the fruit as soon as it is frozen, to prevent freezer burn. Use bags or hard plastic containers made for use in the freezer.
Sweetened Packs are best for longer term storage and quality eating. They are not going to freeze as hard and the flavor will be better if sugar is added.
Whole Berries Sugar Pack – Add ¾ cup sugar to 1 quart (1 1/3 pounds) strawberries and mix thoroughly. Stir until most of the sugar is dissolved or let stand for 15 minutes. Put into plastic freezer bags or freezer container. Sliced or Crushed – Prepare for packing as for whole strawberries; then slice or crush partially or completely. To 1 quart (1 1/3 pounds) berries add ¾ cup sugar; mix thoroughly. Stir until most of the sugar is dissolved or let stand for 15 minutes. Pack into freezer bags or hard plastic freezer containers.
For more information about safe handling of fresh-picked strawberries, contact the UConn Home and Garden Education Center at 877-486-6271 or www.ladybug.uconn.edu or the National Center for Home Food Preservation for canning and freezing information at www.uga.edu/nchfp.