Savor the SeasonStrawberries

Strawberries are available year-round, but they're best April through July. If you haven't tried fresh-picked berries, head on out to your local farmer's market for a sweet treat (that is, if you can't pick your own!).

 

Look for bright red, shiny and fully ripe berries, and steer clear of ones that are bruised or wrinkled. Make sure their green leaf-like caps – techincally the hulls – are attached. And in this case, size doesn't matter: Size won't affect the taste or sweetness.

 

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The next time you get your hands on some fresh strawberries, try them out in Grands!® Strawberry Shortcakes and Strawberry Blossoms desserts.

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Your Simple Guide to Storing Strawberries

1. Fresh strawberries are best used within 2 or 3 days of purchase or picking.
   
2. Don't wash them until your're ready to use them.
   
3. Store your strawberries loosely covered in the refrigerator.

 

 

3 Tips for Getting Your Strawberries Ready to Eat

1. You can take off the hull from the top of the stawberry with a paring knife or strawberry stem remover/huller. (Never seen one? It's a small utensil with rounded ends).
   
2. To use a huller, just insert it into the green, leafy hull, then pull to remove the green hull and the white core without removing any of the good stuff.
   
3. You can find hullers at kitchen shops, department stores or online retailers that carry kitchen supplies, or try our handy huller.

 

 

5 Steps to Frozen Strawberries

1. Gently wash the strawberries and pat them dry.
   
2. Get rid of the hulls from the strawberries.
   
3. Set them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer.
   
4. Once the berries are frozen, move them to a resealable freezer plastic bag or freezer container. You can freeze them for up to a year.
   
5. Use them frozen, or thaw before using – whichever you like! Quick tip: Thawed berries are soft.

 

 

How to Puree Strawberries

Puréeing strawberries is so simple: Just process the berries in a blender or food processor until they're totally smooth. You can use berry puree in lemonade or any other refreshing drink. Try our delicious strawberry sangria recipe.

 

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Try this sweet treat: Add sugar to taste and serve over ice cream or cheesecake, like in our fresh strawberry topped cheesecake. Or, you'll love them in daiquiris or frozen strawberry margaritas