The strawberry is a member of the rose family and you can find it growing abundantly in fields, the open woods, along shaded banks and roadsides and across dry hillsides. These wild ones are much smaller than the domestic, home grown varieties but they are oh so sweetly delicious. Birds, deer, rabbits, the little white-footed mouse and such wildlife love browsing on them so you may have a fair amount of competition in gathering a good harvest but with a little effort on your part, you’ll get your share and there will be enough for the wildlife too.
Just about everyone
recognizes the strawberry. It grows just about everywhere from the Arctic to the Equator except for in arid regions. You can find them from Maine to California and Alaska to Florida and they are equally delicious no matter where you find them, wild or otherwise but oh, the wild ones, they are the best.Strawberries are loaded with the nutrients our bodies need to stay healthy, vitamins, several of the trace minerals and fiber. They aid in preventing some forms of cancer and are believed to lower your “bad” cholesterol levels. That is a good thing. It might prevent you from suffering a heart attack or stroke.
I love the days between mid-June and mid-July here in Vermont. It is Strawberry Season and oh what a delightfully delicious season it is. There is nothing I can think of much more tongue tantalizing or good for you than fresh strawberries whether they are of the wild variety or home grown. They are nutritiously delicious. I enjoy strawberries all year “round but those fresh picked are the very best.
A cup of fresh strawberries has more vitamin C than an orange and vitamin C is one of the vitamins we need to replenish daily. Our body does not retain it as well as other vitamins. We use it up more quickly and it is not stored in our cells for later use. Strawberries are also high in potassium, are a natural diuretic and I have read that for those of us who are weight conscious and always trying these fad diets to stay slim and trim, well the strawberry helps to block and rid our bodies of all those extra calories we are trying to avoid and you will burn off a few more gathering your harvest. I think it is probably true. It makes sense to me. We all need to take care of our bodies to maintain good health so we can enjoy life, enjoy that great summer ahead of us. Strawberries help us do that.
My mouth starts to water just thinking about a bowl of fresh strawberries to snack on, right straight from the fields or hillside and oh how temptingly delicious is that strawberry shortcake on homemade biscuits or a nice slice of fresh strawberry-rhubarb pie served up with a tall, chilled glass of iced-tea.
Strawberry tea is a delicious and refreshing summer drink, hot or chilled over ice. I like to mix it half and
half with lemonade. Just take a couple of good big handfuls of those saw-toothed leaves of the strawberry plant and steep them in about four cups of boiling water for about five to seven minutes. You can add a little honey if you like but there is no need to. Strawberry tea is delicious, straight up.For a fun and deliciously nutritious summer morning brunch, try this, fresh, chilled strawberries, leave the stems on: mix up some of your favorite pancake batter and dip each strawberry in the batter until it is coated then drop it in your skillet to fry in a little canola or safflower oil until they are just golden brown, turning gently. Drain them on a paper towel and serve them up, to be dipped in a dab of non-dairy whipped topping or sprinkle them fresh out of the skillet with a little cinnamon and sugar if you like.
Kids love them and it is a great way to get those vitamins into them when they won’t sit still long enough to really eat a meal. You can make up a whole try of them and leave them in the refrigerator for a pop it in your mouth snack as they fly by. They will eat them and not even give one thought to how good they are for them. There are probably a thousand and one plus recipes for using the strawberry and probably just as many places to find them. The recipes are not the object of this article. (More on that subject to follow; watch for my favorite strawberry shortcake recipe.)
Picking your own strawberries at the local farmer’s strawberry field, where you see those “Pick Your Own” signs can be a lot easier than seeking out the wild strawberry and the cost is a lot less than buying them from your local super market. It is a great mid-morning activity to do with the kids or as a family. Take a picnic lunch with you. You can enjoy a tailgate picnic and maybe find a brook to wade in nearby. You can have fresh strawberries for dessert. It will be worth it to go pick them.
The picking can be a little hard on the back muscles but just pop a few in your mouth along the way…you will find it very encouraging. They are also a good thirst quencher out there in the hot summer sun. Strawberries should be harvested when they are bright red, shiny and still firm, no mold on them. The stem should be still attached. Berries should be picked when dry so wait for the morning dew to be lifted up by the sun. Usually about an hour or so after the sun is up you can start picking.