Strawberries

The Greeks and Romans cultivated strawberries and it is believed they have been grown since prehistoric times. The strawberry is a delicious and popular, low calorie summer fruit rich in Vitamin C. Traditionally served with a splash of cream, strawberries are an ideal way to end a meal. However, they can be used in a host of dishes, both sweet and savoury and their natural colour and shape makes them ideal garnishing material. The Irish strawberry season has now been successfully extended through the use of new varieties and growing techniques. Processing and fresh market varieties are available.

Nutritional Value

A good source of…

Nutrient	Raw
Vitamin C

For more information on nutrition and the details given above, check out our nutrition page.

Preparing and Using

Strawberries are usually eaten raw, just remove their stalks, wash them in potable water and serve. They can be sprinkled in sugar and served with cream, fromage frais or meringue shells. Add a drop of liqueur to the cream for an extra kick or macerate them first in balsamic vinegar or a strawberry liqueur for a different flavour.

Strawberries can also be stewed or baked into pies and are used to flavour or garnish foods such as pavlova, ice cream, cream, yoghurt and shortbread. They add colour to a fruit salad and can be used to garnish desserts,cakes, flans, starters, buffets and tables as wel las being a major ingredient of a host of different sweet and savoury dishes.

Strawberries, for example can be added to fruit fool, mousse, summer pudding, compote,croque en bouche, bavarois and vacherin and can be used to flavour sorbets. They can also be used to make jams, jellies and sauces for sweet or savoury dishes.

Mixed berries can be flambéed with a sweet liqueur to decorate a dessert or can be served on their own. Mix strawberries with other fruit such as raspberries or blackberries, banana,cream and ice to make a smoothie for breakfast, lunch or as a snack.

For breakfast, strawberries can be added to muffins and cereals, served with pancakes added to fruit salads and yoghurt or served as a juice. For lunch, dinner or anytime of the day they can be used in salads, coulis, vinaigrettes,served hot as a sweet dessert “soup” (mixed with other soft fruits) or dipped in chocolate to serve with after dinner coffee. Strawberries can be used to make “frozen” or other types of cocktails such as daiquiri’s, coladas and margherita’s or added to non-alcoholic cocktails and ice cream sundaes.

Other flavours that go well with strawberries include, apple, pear, almond, melon,blackberries, raspberries, blueberries,loganberries, mascarpone, ricotta, crème fraiche and balsamic vinegar.

Recipes

For some strawberry recipes, visit the Bord Bia website here

Strawberry and Cream Liqueur Fool

A great summer treat!

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Strawberry Sundaes

Tasty and quick.

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