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Juicy and sweet, strawberries likely already star in your breakfast smoothie and your favourite desserts. But did you know they work well in savoury dishes too? These nutrient-packed red gems are a favourite fruit, and so versatile that you can pack them for a picnic or hike, feature them in your baking or toss them on the grill as part of colourful kabobs.
In fact, the versatility and health benefits of strawberries means you can easily work them into almost any recipe, including ones you’ve probably never thought of before. Get inspired with these new ideas for those heart-shaped treats:
A twist on a classic appetizer
Try serving a Strawberry Shrimp Ceviche, a refreshing cool rendition on a classic ceviche, at your next backyard soiree.
New tastes for your BBQ
Whip up a sweet-and-spicy barbecue sauce made with California strawberries with this easy recipe for BBQ Chicken Drumsticks with Strawberry-Chipotle Sauce.
A savoury-sweet take on pizza
Another unexpected dinner dish is a made-from-scratch Strawberry Basil Pizza—make it heart-shaped and top it with burrata—that will instantly impress your family and friends and become a favourite go-to recipe.
Making strawberries available year-round
There are so many ways to incorporate strawberries into your meals, snacks and drinks, without relegating them to desserts. And, they can be included in year-round meal planning, even during cold Canadian winters, thanks to strawberry farmers along the California coast who grow nearly 90 per cent of the strawberries in the U.S.
The proximity to the Pacific Ocean and warm climate creates the ideal growing conditions for this crop, which benefits from the cool morning mists and warm afternoon sun. Growing under sunny days and cool nights helps create plump and vibrant red strawberries all year-round.
Approximately 37,000 acres of beautiful land along the California coast is dedicated to growing this small but mighty fruit. During peak season, California strawberries are picked by hand in Salinas, Watsonville, Santa Maria, and Oxnard. An estimated 2.3 billion pounds of strawberries are harvested in a year.
Once harvested, California strawberries are cooled and then loaded into refrigerated trucks for same-day shipment, meaning they can arrive within days from the fields to grocery stores across the United States and Canada.
Growing sustainable strawberries
Strawberry farmers in the Golden State have always been pioneers in sustainable farming techniques. Many come from generations of farmers, starting out as strawberry pickers and working their way up to acquire land and grow their own crops. They’re leaders in resource conservation and early adopters of drip irrigation. Many growers continue to research and develop agricultural processes that help reduce pesticide usage and keep the soil healthier. In fact, more organic strawberries are grown in California than anywhere else in the world, and one in four California strawberry farmers grow both conventional and organic berries.
Health benefits of strawberries
It only takes eight strawberries a day to satisfy the daily amount of vitamin C you need. They’re low in sugar, high in vitamin C, and full of nutrients and antioxidants like folate and potassium, not to mention a good source of fibre. Eating this superfruit will satisfy your cravings for sweetness and simultaneously boost your immune function, improve heart and brain health, and reduce your risk of cancer.
So, no matter what time of the year, include strawberries in your diet for their nourishing health benefits. For more delicious recipe ideas, visit californiastrawberries.com.
