Prime season for strawberries

Because we see them in the grocery store practically year-round, not everyone truly understands how special a just-picked, locally-grown strawberry can be. This is prime season and perforated cardboard containers of fresh strawberries are available at weekly farmers markets, roadside farm stands, you-pick berry patches and Lloyd’s Market in Lewes - all from nearby growers.

These berries are truly ripe, not picked when green to survive a long journey to the supermarket in plastic clamshell boxes. They still sport their charming caps of feathery green leaves instead of a desiccated tiara. They are brimming with juice and packed with flavor that make them the perfect addition to recipes both sweet and savory.

Before we talk about how to serve strawberries, here are some fun facts about this lovely red fruit. To begin, strawberries aren’t botanically-speaking true berries because a berry has its seed on the inside. What looks like seeds covering the outside of the strawberry are known as achenes and an average berry has about 200 of them.  A member of the Rosaceae family, strawberries are related to roses, as are blackberries and raspberries.

Although we immediately think of strawberries as food, that was not always the case. Ancient Romans used strawberries for medicinal purposes, believing they relieved symptoms for a range of conditions from melancholy to kidney stones. One curious story features Madame Thérésa Tallien, a French socialite during the early twentieth century who reportedly bathed in fresh strawberry juice.

As it happens, this wasn’t just an extravagant way to use 25 pounds of strawberries, but a sound skin care practice. Strawberries contain alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acids which can remove dead skin cells, purify and cleanse the skin. The vitamin C in strawberries can be helpful when the juice is used as a toner to soothe irritated skin.

Anyone who has ever placed cucumber slices on closed eyes to reduce puffiness can see similar results with the cut sides of a strawberry — a lovely 15 minutes of peace and quiet. Finally, you can use strawberries to brighten tooth enamel. Vigorously rub the surface of your teeth with the cut side of a strawberry, then allow the pulp to remain in place a few minutes before rinsing.

Since I wasn’t sure how much I needed, I bought too many strawberries when I picked up my supply to make the pie in the photo, so I ended up freezing the remainder. To freeze strawberries, rinse them and remove the tops, then place them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. After 20 minutes, transfer them to a zip top bag and place it in the freezer until you want to make the frozen yogurt recipe below.

For the pie, you can use a pastry crust that is blind-baked or you can use a graham cracker crust if you don’t mind your slices a bit sloppy. What makes this work so well is that it combines both cooked berries, simmered in a thick sauce, as well as fresh berries scattered across the pie crust before adding the filling. 

To create a decorative arrangement of sliced berries on the surface, I overlapped them in concentric circles with the points of the berries first in one direction, then the opposite. This isn’t required, as the top of the pie will have a bright red color and brilliant sheen. If you want to test Madame Tallien’s approach, here are instructions for a strawberry face mask or you can juice 25 pounds of berries and take a bath.

Strawberry Pie

one pastry crust
2 1/2 lbs strawberries
2/3 C sugar
3 T corn starch
2 t lemon zest
1/4 C lemon juice
1/2 C water

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a pie plate with the crust and crimp the edges. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool. Rinse the berries and cut off the tops. Roughly chop the berries, keeping several to slice and decorate the top (if desired). Scatter about 1/3 of the chopped berries across the baked pie crust, they may not all fit in a single layer; set aside. Place the rest of the berries in a saucepan and add remaining ingredients. Stir to combine and bring to a boil over medium. Reduce heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring and scraping down the sauce from the sides of the pan. Pour the thickened filling over the strawberries in the pie pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. If desired, arrange reserved sliced berries in a decorative pattern on the top. Place in the refrigerator to set, about three hours. Serve with whipped cream. Yield: 8 servings.

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

4 C frozen strawberries
3 T honey
1/2 C vanilla yogurt
1 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until creamy, about 4 or 5 minutes. Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer. Yield: 6 servings.

Strawberry Face Mask

6 ripe strawberries
2 T honey

Rinse and trim the tops from the berries. Place in a bowl and mash with a fork until smooth. Stir in honey. Secure your hair from your face with a cloth hairband. Gently spread the mixture over your face, avoiding the eye area. Lie down and leave the mask in place for about 15 minutes before rinsing off.