Sparkling Strawberries

America's Sweetheart Fruit

Not surprisingly, strawberries are the favorite choice of fruit in this country. We spread them on toast and layer them on cakes and pies; we rely on them fetching to adorn festive fruit salads, and use them to garnish lunch and dinner plates.

If you can make a good thing better, strawberries are now available year-round. Spring and summer are the seasons we are most accustomed to purchasing perfectly red berries, but in this decade we are able to find peak-tasting strawberries in cooler months.

Nutritional Bonus

Strawberries aren’t just sweet and juicy – they are an uncommonly rich source of vitamin C. One serving of strawberries contains more vitamin C than a medium orange, and they rank second among the top ten fruits in antioxidant capacity. However, heating, freezing, or storing bruised berries destroys much of their vitamins. It is best to purchase them as fresh as possible, and then store them properly.

Sorting the Best Berries

Premium strawberries are plump, well-rounded, and firm, with a high-gloss, rich red color. They should be free of white spots or hard tips; caps (hulls) should be bright green. Be sure the top layer of berries does not hide unripe ones because strawberries will not continue to ripen after they are picked. Avoid containers of berries that are stained, leaking, or showing signs of mold.

Keeping Strawberries Fresh

The important thing about storing berries is that they remain dry and refrigerated. Ventilated plastic containers that hold berries in the grocery store will usually make good storage containers when you get home provided there are no soft berries in the bunch to accelerate deterioration of the rest. Otherwise, arrange them on paper towels on a baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator. Remove the berries as you need them; rinse them off under cool running water, pat them dry, and remove the caps with a strawberry huller or small sharp knife just before you eat them.

Gilding the Berries

When you have perfect berries picked at their peak ripeness, the simplest serving ideas are the tastiest:

• To make chocolate dipped strawberries, melt 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons whipping cream; dip the berries and place them on waxed paper until the chocolate hardens.
• Leave hulls on and serve with small dishes of brown sugar, whipped cream, and sour cream for dipping.
• Hull berries and roll in mixture of ground nuts, sugar, and cinnamon.
• Marinate hulled whole berries in fruit-flavored liqueur or orange juice for 30 minutes before serving.
• Serve sliced strawberries and goat cheese for topping ginger snaps or table water crackers
• Halve strawberries and place in goblets; drizzle with honey and sprinkle with minced candied ginger. Top with whipped cream if desired.