Call them what you want, strawberries by any other name are still strawberries. They are grown all over the world, but no country or state probably grows bigger than California. The United States is by far the world’s largest producer of strawberries, with more than double that of any other country. While strawberry season for most of the US is spring and summer, the entire year can be considered strawberry season for California. Strawberries grow in Southern California from North San Diego to Monterey Bay and the growing season spans every month of the year.
Strawberries were originally given their name because straw was placed around the plants so that the fragile fruit would not rot from being in wet soil. Today, plastic has replaced straw. In fact, the way strawberries are grown is called plasticulture. The rows or grooves are covered with plastic and then holes are made in the plastic to insert and plant the runner from which the strawberries grow. When the plants finish producing for the season, they are usually plowed to return their nutrients to the soil. Planting new runners each year has been found to be more productive than trying to maintain plants year after year.
In California, when one crop has finished producing, another is ready to take over. The types of strawberries that are common in California are Gaviota, Seascape, Camarosa, Albion, and Ventanas. Seagulls are larger berries and the Seascape is a small berry that is very sweet and tastes similar to wild strawberries found in France.
Unlike blueberries, which are a single berry, strawberry is actually made up of many berries. Each seed is part of a berry or the reproductive organ of the plant. Fresh strawberries can be found in the market, but the freshest are those that are bought directly from the producers. They are usually collected the same day they are sold. This is an important element as strawberries do not last long once ripe and are almost always picked when ripe. If they are not ripe at the time of harvest, they will not taste very good, since with strawberries the ripening process does not continue once harvested. California strawberries are shipped worldwide. When we were in Thailand, we found Driscoll Strawberries from California in a specialty shop in Pattaya, a seaside resort on the outskirts of Bangkok.
There are many uses for strawberries, including simply eating out of control. Strawberries are good with cereal or cream, which is a Wimbledon favorite. They are used to make ice cream, milk shakes, tarts, patties, jams and jellies, pancake syrup, and everyone’s favorite strawberry shortcake. One of the favorites on Valentine’s Day is to use the extra large strawberries with the stem still on for dipping in melted chocolate.
strawberries are fragile and washing them is not the best way to maintain their integrity. The best way to clean them is simply by rubbing them with a damp paper towel. If you feel like you have to wash them, spray them lightly with cold water and pat them dry immediately with a paper towel. If you are simply eating them out of your hands like any other fruit, you can leave the stem and leaves behind, eat the fruit, and then just throw away the stem and leaves. The stem and leaves of strawberries are called the peel. To use in salads or pastries, remove the stem. The best way to remove the stem is to twist and pull or use the tip of a small kitchen knife to cut through the hull.
However you like to eat or serve strawberries, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you and the people you serve enjoy them.