Strawberries, some of our most fragile seasonal produce, taste best eaten fresh in your car on the way home from the farmers market or right out of the patch at the U-pick.

Here in the U.S., we have gotten used to strawberries being available all year long in the store, no matter the season. But these berries are not comparable to the beautiful berries we enjoy in early summer here in Michiana. Grocery store strawberries were bred to be picked before they are ripe so they could travel long distances and remain on store shelves for a long time without rotting. To achieve this goal, taste and aroma were sacrificed, so these strawberries lack most of the qualities we value in seasonal berries.

We recommend trying something new with your strawberries this year. Eat some with a bit of sweetened balsamic vinegar, or dip back and forth between a bowl of sour cream and a bowl of brown sugar. Or try one of our recipes below and enjoy the season while 
it’s here!

Storage: Strawberries are best eaten the day they are picked. Store them in the fridge for 2–3 days if they aren’t consumed that first day. Strawberries left at room temperature begin to deteriorate quickly and often grow moldy almost overnight. Wait till just before eating to wash the berries and remove the stems.
Strawberries can be eaten fresh or frozen, baked, roasted or sautéed.

Pair well with: Almonds, amaretto, anise, apple, apricots, banana, balsamic vinegar, basil, black pepper, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, brandy, buttermilk, cardamom, Champagne, cheese, chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cream, cream cheese, crème fraîche, elderflower syrup, fennel, ginger, gooseberries, grapefruit, grapes, hazelnuts, honey, kirsch, lavender, lemon, lemon verbena, lime, mangoes, maple syrup, mascarpone, mint, nutmeg, oatmeal, orange, peaches, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, plums, raspberries, rhubarb, rosemary, rum, sherry, sour cream, spinach, sugar, vanilla, walnuts, wine, yogurt.