Seasonality:
- Strawberries are available year-round in most regions, with peak season for Florida strawberries being November to April and California strawberries being April to December.
Health Benefits of Strawberries:
- One serving of strawberries can help improve heart healthy, lower the risk of developing some cancers and lower blood pressure.
- One serving of strawberries offers 160% of the recommended daily value of Vitamin C.
- Strawberries also contain phytonutrients, potassium, folate and fiber.
- Strawberries are free of sodium, saturated fats and cholesterol and only contain 45 calories per serving.
How to Select Strawberries:
- Choose symmetrically-shaped strawberries with a brilliant sheen, a rich, even red color and fresh unwilted green caps.
How to Store Strawberries:
- Strawberries are highly perishable and should be refrigerated in their original package in refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
How to Prepare Strawberries:
- Always wash your strawberries before you eat them. The best way to do this is to carefully place them into a colander, rinse under cold water and gently pat dry with a kitchen towel.
- To get the fullest flavor, bring strawberries up to room temperature before eating.
- Remove the green tops, or hull, and enjoy!
Fun Facts about Strawberries:
- Strawberry plant varieties are grown from the plant’s runners, not the seeds. Planting a strawberry seed would give you a new variety of strawberry
- Strawberries are the only fruit that wear their seeds on the outside. The average berry has about 200 seeds.
- Historically strawberries were used medicinally to help with digestive ailments, teeth whitening and skin irritations.
- Around 60,000 pounds of strawberries are eaten at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships in England , topped with 15,000 pints of cream.
- Strawberries have been around for thousands of years – the Romans thought of strawberries as medicinal, believing that they could treat infection, inflammation, and diseases of the blood, liver and spleen. In mediaval times, the strawberry was carved on altars and in pillars and columns in churches and cathedrals as a symbol of righteousness and perfection.
Learn more at the Florida Strawberry Growers Association and CA Strawberry Commission.
Get additional resources in our Nutrition Education Center