Strawberries

The strawberry is one of the most popular garden fruits in Austria. In the botanical sense it is actually not a berry. Their unmistakable aroma goes particularly well with sweets. More and more savory dishes are being combined with the “queen of the garden”. Strawberries have a high folic acid content and provide important minerals. They are also rich in polyphenols, which have an antioxidant effect in the body. Since strawberries spoil relatively quickly, they should not be stored for too long, a maximum of two to three days…

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Botany
ingredients
Use and preparation
storage

Botany

Strawberries (Fragaria ananassa) belong to the rose family. The many different types of strawberries differ in appearance and taste. The small wild strawberry has a particularly distinctive aroma. The pineapple strawberry has a milder taste and is very juicy. The yellow nuts (achenes) visible on the outer skin of the strawberry are the seeds. From a botanically correct point of view, the strawberry is therefore called a common nut fruit. The strawberry bush forms tendrils (runners) that grow into independent plants with fruits. The main growing areas in Austria are Lower and Upper Austria. Home-grown strawberries are available from May to August.

Note The strawberry is also called the “queen of the garden”.

ingredients

Strawberries are very low in calories due to their high water content. At 62 mg / 100 g, they contain more vitamin C than citrus fruits. The folic acid content as well as the content of the minerals potassium, iron, magnesium and calcium are particularly high. Strawberries are also rich in the antioxidant polyphenols.

Strawberry ingredients	per 100 g edible portion, raw	Strawberry ingredients	per 100 g edible portion, raw
Energy (kcal)	32	Vitamin A (µg)	3
Fat (g)	0.4	Vitamin B1 (mg)	0.03
Protein (g)	0.8	Vitamin B2 (mg)	0.06
Carbohydrates (g)	5.5	Niacin (mg)	0.6
Dietary fiber (g)	1.6	Vitamin B6 (mg)	0.06
Potassium (mg)	147	Vitamin C (mg)	62
Calcium (mg)	24	Vitamin E (mg)	0.1
Magnesium (mg)	15th	Folic acid (µg)	65
Iron (mg)	1.0

Use and preparation

Strawberries can be used in many ways. They taste particularly good fresh. But they are also easy to process, for example into puree, compote, jelly or jam. They are a popular ingredient in fruit salads or fruit cakes. Their fine aroma goes very well with dairy products such as buttermilk, yoghurt or curd cheese. They can be stored for a long time in boiled form and enjoyed in autumn and winter. Strawberries can be combined well with other fruits such as raspberries, blackberries and blueberries as well as bananas and rhubarb.

Note Mild pepper and dark balsamic vinegar go very well with strawberries.

storage

Unripe fruits can be recognized by their green and white edges. They should be left on the perennial as they do not ripen. You can recognize overripe fruits by their dull skin. Strawberries are generally difficult to store. It is best to keep them covered and unwashed in a cool place. They last two to three days in the vegetable drawer. They can be stored frozen, boiled down or dried for longer. Moldy or rotten fruits should definitely be removed.

Strawberries are sensitive to pressure and are easy to juice. They should therefore be picked and stored in suitable containers. It is best to use a shallow bowl for this. In order to preserve the shape of the fruit when freezing, the strawberries can be pre-frozen on a tray in the freezer, for example, to prevent them from sticking together. Since strawberries suck up easily and become mushy, they should not lie in the water for long - only wash them briefly and carefully whole and with stems and sepals.

Note: Harvest strawberries as dry as possible, this will keep them longer.