AWW FOOD • ISSUE TWENTY TWO 55
Strawberries
BUYING
Strawberries are available all year
round in Australia because of our
varied climate, but are at their best
in the summer months.CHOOSING
Always choose strawberries that look
bright and fresh – firm, undamaged,
shiny or with a soft sheen. Also look
underneath the container to check that
the fruit at the bottom isn’t squashed,
damaged or oozing juice.STORING
As soon as you get the strawberries
home, place themgently, not touching
each other, in a single layer on a plate
or oven tray lined with two layers of
paper towel. Cover with plastic wrap
and store in the fridge for up to two
days. Wash only when you are ready
to use them, then place on paper
towel, using the paper to gently roll
the fruit to dry it.At their sweetest in summer, strawberries are loved the world
over. Their famous partnership of “strawberries and cream”
is celebrated in the wonderful desserts featured here.
PREPARING
For most purposes, remove the green
calyxes from strawberries. However,
retain them as a little “handle” for
strawberries to be eaten in the fingers,
such as those half−coated with
chocolate, or those to be dipped into
a sauce such as sour cream sweetened
with brown sugar. Strawberries are
also delicious sprinkled with brandy or
orange−flavoured liqueur, or dropped
into a glass of sweet sparkling wine.COOKING
Don’t cook berries in aluminium pans,
as this can affect their colour and
flavour. Instead, use non−reactive
pans – stainless steel, Pyrex glass,
titanium or enamelised cast−iron.ENHANCING
If your strawberries lack flavour, wash,
sprinkle them with sugar and lemon
juice, then stand for a few hours.In Season