Sumptuous Strawberries: 4 Good Reasons to Eat Strawberries.

Photo owned by www.shelleygoldbeck.com
Photo owned by www.shelleygoldbeck.com

June is strawberry month. Some strawberries even have the name “June-bearing”; others are everbearing. (Better than overbearing!) But they all start in June.

1. Strawberries1 contain numerous trace minerals and vitamins including 71% of RDA* for Vitamin C, 18% of manganese, and 6% of folate.

2. Strawberries are 90% water and therefore, low in calories with just 33 calories in 100 grams. They make a satisfying snack.

3. Strawberries are also rife with phytonutrients, microscopic substances that have anti-inflammatory or anticancer properties. Their brilliant red colour contributes to their healthiness.

4. Strawberries are high in fibre, rivaling whole grains with their yummy taste. Strawberry consumption is associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Sadly, strawberries are among the most heavily sprayed crops. With reportedly up to 90 chemicals, they routinely make the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen2, 3 list of the most contaminated produce. Chemical sprays harm the soil, the water, the workers in the fields and the eaters of the fruit, including my grandchildren!

Grow your own strawberries easily. When they’re not part of a huge monoculture (fields and fields of the same plant), they suffer from few diseases. Birds and other creatures like to eat strawberries so you may need to cover them with nets to get your share. They self-propagate profusely so you can share plants with others and you can constantly rotate your beds.

If you can’t grow your own strawberries, I highly recommend buying organic. They cost more but you will immediately notice that they have more taste than the sprayed strawberries. I read recently that people who think they are allergic to strawberries are often actually allergic to chemicals used specifically on strawberries.

In our area there are a number of U-Pick strawberry growers. Picking berries is a fun family activity but I suggest you inquire about spraying before you expose your kids to the fields.

Remember that strawberries don’t ripen after they’re picked so choose bold red berries. They should be washed just before eating to prevent mold. They keep just a few days in the fridge. It’s rarely a problem for me as I will eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between!

Strawberries are delicious eaten plain. You can add some cream or coconut milk with a bit of honey, maple syrup or coconut sugar.

Strawberries freeze well. Soft berries can be pureed into sauces for desserts, added to smoothies or even added to sparkling water for a refreshing summer beverage.

My grandtoys and I invented “Fruities”, fruit “puddings”, which are really delicious when made with strawberries. It’s a great way to use less than perfect berries. See recipe.

Summer starts with strawberries. Savour some soon!

Beware of artificial strawberry flavoured products. Personally, I’ve never cared for artificial strawberry flavour. Now that I know that it comes from the anal glands of beavers, I am even less inclined to eat fake strawberry products.

*Recommended Daily Allowance: the amount of a nutrient you need to stay alive; you need more for optimum health!

 

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawberries

2. www.EWG.org Environmental Working Group

3. http://www.wholerealfood.com/dirty-dozen-2013-edition/

See Recipe

Seasonal Eating

summereating
Photo owned by www.shelleygoldbeck.com

A healthy way to live is to eat “in season”.

That means eating foods that are at their peak of flavour and nutrients. This often happens only once per year, for a very short time, especially if eating locally is the goal.

Eating in season is also economical. Whatever is in season is usually cheaper than it will be any other time of the year.

In my opinion, food eaten in season tastes better. It’s usually fresher and more nutritious.

The best season of our food year is imminent. It starts with spring baby lettuce, baby spinach leaves, green onions and crisp, tangy radishes. All these are easy to grow at home. They like cool weather and can be seeded in Calgary anytime after mid-April.

If you’re really lucky, you have an asparagus patch. Their tender shoots magically appear overnight. Raw, they remind me of fresh raw peas. Lightly steamed until al dente and brushed with a teaspoon of butter or olive oil, they have their own unique flavour. Very yummy!

I get really excited about spring fruits. Early rhubarb always reminds me of my grandma, who made rhubarb “pudding”, a yellow cake batter poured over a pan of chopped rhubarb, baked and served warm with ice-cream.

Strawberries in June embody the spirit of summer! A touch of honey. A bit of cream. Fit for a queen!

The first cherries arrive in June. When their skins are crunchy and their flesh, sweet and juicy, I can eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and I often do!

Picking berries was an integral part of my childhood summers. My siblings and I would mount our bikes or horses with our ice-cream pails and larger buckets. We headed home when the buckets were full. It could take all day: we spent more than half our time cramming berries into our mouths!

When the first peas are ready, I am at peace in the garden, splitting the warm pods to discover the sweet treasures inside. The best carrots are the true babies, (not the peeled to shape varieties) pulled, wiped on my pants, and crunched, soil granules and all, right there in the garden.

And potatoes! New potatoes stolen from the periphery of the plant are creamy and sweet. If I never ate another mature potato I wouldn’t care but new potatoes are a completely different animal!

In the old neighbourhood where I live many yards have raspberry patches. Kids love to stick a berry on each of their ten little fingers, wiggle them around, and then devour them one by one.

As summer wanes plums and peaches come into season. More feasting on fruit. And what to do with all that zucchini? (I like them baby so I don’t have that problem).

Alas! Our season is short! By fall, some vegetables are just coming into their prime. The brassicas like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, all like cool weather. Turnips and parsnips are sweeter if they’ve experienced frost.

Eating in season will bolster the total nutrients you take in, reduce your carbon footprint since it’s easier to eat locally, and likely give your pocketbook a break. I highly recommend it.