Sixteenth-century author William Butler wrote this tribute to the strawberry: "Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did." Red, juicy and conically shaped, the strawberry is a member of the rose family and has grown wild for centuries in both the Americas and Europe. The Romans valued the fruit for its reputed therapeutic powers for everything from loose teeth to gastritis. However, it wasn't until the late 13th century that the plant was first cultivated. Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C and also provide some potassium and iron. There are more than 600 varieties of strawberries, which vary in size, shape and color (some are off-white or yellowish). A variety destined to be eaten as it comes, or another more suitable for use in culinary preparations, will obviously not have the same taste. The Gariguette (small, very fruity and sweet) has a volatile aroma that is lost once the fruit is transformed, whereas the Camarossa (delicate, melt-in-the-mouth flesh) and the Darselect (sweet and tangy) only develop their full flavor once they have been transformed. The most common American variety is the result of several centuries of crossbreeding of the wild Virginia strawberry (North America's main native strawberry) and a Chilean variety. It's probably today's toughest berry and is able to withstand both shipping and storage. More flavorful, however, are European Alpine strawberries - the tiny, exquisitely sweet wild strawberries of France known as fraises des bois ("strawberries of the woods"). They're considered by many to be the "queen of strawberries." In general, the smaller berries have a better flavor than the larger varieties since the latter are often watery.
Fresh strawberries are available year-round in many countries, with the peak season from April to June. Choose brightly colored, plump berries that still have their green caps attached and which are uniform in size. Avoid soft, shriveled or moldy berries. Do not wash until ready to use, and store (preferably in a single layer on a paper towel) in a moisture-proof container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Fresh strawberries are wonderful eaten with cream, macerated in wine or liqueur or used in various desserts. Canned and frozen strawberries are also available. Commercial strawberry products include preserves, jams, jellies, syrups and various desserts.
Discover our strawberry products:
Pastry:
LA ROSE NOIRE : Strawberry Rhubarb Danish 90g (Product code: LRN – 083)
CAPFRUIT: Strawberry Puree 1kg (CAP- 018); Strawberry IQF 1kg (CAP- 031)
SEVAROME: Strawberry flavor 1L (SEV-001); Red Strawberry coloring hydro 160g (SEV-038)
DGF: Red Glaze-Strawberry flavor 1kg (DGF-123)
Dairy:
EMMI: Emmi premium yoghurt strawberry 100g (EMM-014)
PAULS: Pauls yoghurt strawberry 175 g (PAU-007); Pauls yoghurt strawberry lite 175 g (PAU-002)
Grocery:
WATT’S: Strawberry jam 250g (WAT-008); Gold strawberry premium jam 368g (WAT-005)
