Get Ready for Strawberry Season

 

Strawberry season is right around the corner and soon the grocery stores and farmers’ markets will be stocked full with local strawberries. Give yourself an extra boost of vitamin C, antioxidants, and fiber while enjoying the sweetness of a strawberry.

Strawberry shopping

• Pick strawberries that are bright red, firm to the touch, and have green leaves on top. This will help you are buy fresh, juicy, sweet strawberries.
• Before eating, make sure to wash the strawberries in a colander and pat dry. Once washed, you can hull your strawberries- removing the leaves on top, cut in half, slice, or leave them whole.
• Find strawberries on sale? Buy a bunch and freeze them. First, clean and hull the berries as described above. Then spread the strawberries on a baking sheet and freeze overnight. The next day, put the frozen berries in a plastic freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to a year.
  
  

Time to eat

Strawberries alone are a perfect grab-able snack, but they can also bring natural sweet flavors to recipes. Check out some of our creative strawberry recipes:

• Fruit and Spring Greens Salad
• Red Berry Parfait

 

Strawberry S'mores

Servings: 1 s'more

Ingredients:
2 strawberries
1 graham cracker (broken in half)
2 Tablespoons yogurt, low-fat vanilla

Directions: 

1. Rinse the strawberries in water.
2. Slice the strawberries.
3. Add the yogurt and strawberries to 1/2 of graham cracker.
4. Top with the other 1/2 of graham cracker.
5. Enjoy immediately.

 

  

Recipe Spotlight: Berry Good Pizza

 

There is only one more week until school starts back for the kids and you may need to find something fun for them to do.  Let them help make a pizza!  Not just any pizza but a fruit pizza!  This is a great treat for kids to enjoy and they can add their favorite fruits too!  Berry Good Pizza can also be a healthy dessert option after meals.

Berry Good Pizza
Serves 6

Ingredients
100% whole wheat pizza crust or 12-ounce can of refrigerated pizza dough
1/4 cup apple butter
6 large strawberries, washed and sliced
1/2 cup blueberries
Cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. If using dough, roll out pizza dough to desired size and thickness.
3. Place crust on a baking sheet.
4. Spread the apple butter over the crust.
5. Arranged the strawberries and blueberries as desired on the crust.
6. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon if desired.
7. Bake on the center rack of the oven for about 15 minutes or until the crust is brown and crisp.
8. Serve with a glass of low-fat milk or cup of yogurt.

Gather all of the ingredients.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Wash strawberries and blueberries.  Slice strawberries.

Spread apple butter over the crust.

Place strawberries and blueberries on top!  Bake for 15 minutes
or until crust is brown and crisp.

 

 

 

Cut pizza into 6 servings. Serve with low-fat milk or yogurt!

Fruit of the Month: Strawberries!

Strawberries are a fruit that creates a burst of sweet flavor when they are eaten.  The red color, green leafy cap, and fun shape makes this fruit easy to spot.  Strawberries are a great summer time fruit and sweet treat!  They are packed with vitamin C, fiber and other vitamins and minerals.

How to select:

• Choose strawberries that are firm, plump, and have a deep red color.
• Remove any moldy or damaged berries before putting them in the refrigerator.
• They will last about three days in the refrigerator.
• Strawberries will last up to one year when frozen.

How to prepare:

• Rinse strawberries with water.
• Cut the stem and green leaves off.
• Slice them, chop them, or eat them whole!

How to serve:

• Add frozen strawberries to a breakfast smoothie.
• Add fresh strawberries to oatmeal and cereal.
• Top yogurt with fresh strawberries and a drizzle of honey for something sweet.
• Try the Fruit and Spring Greens Salad.

Here are some other great recipes to try with strawberries:
Strawberry Smoothie
Chocolate Strawberries
Strawberry S'mores