The true taste of strawberries

Strawberries in the kitchen
In southern Quebec, where I grew up, June brought tiny wild strawberries to the fields around my house,  and the wild mint, which you could smell from afar, growing beside the pond. There were never enough berries to make anything of them; each one was savoured in the moment, warm from the sun, dark crimson, and bursting with flavour. If you ever have the chance to find them, you’ll understand: these little jewels are the true taste of strawberry.

Picking your own at a farm is another good way to find the most flavourful fruit. Before you pull a berry from the plant, lift the green leaves and look underneath: if there’s any white left near the stem, it isn’t quite ready.
And if a morning in the rows isn’t for you, or you don’t live near a farm, your local farmers market will have freshly picked berries. Favour field strawberries over greenhouse ones. Pick up a carton and smell it: a good batch carries the unmistakable aroma of ripe fruit.
Strawberries are, I’ve always found, the hit-and-miss fruit. From a whole basket, only a few may be perfectly ripe, juicy and sweet. Most varieties grown these days are bred to be firm and robust so they can survive transport and keep many days in the fridge and then they pay for it in flavour. If you have a garden, or even a sunny balcony, try growing a heritage variety. Many ripen to a darker, richer colour; let them ripen fully on the plant before picking, and you’ll taste the truest, sweetest flavour there is. Slow ripening in the warmth of the sun gives the deepest flavour; the
fast ripening of a greenhouse leaves the fruit wanting.

How to eat strawberries
Strawberries keep best in the fridge, but a cold strawberry loses its taste. Set them on a sunny windowsill for an hour and the fragrant, honey-sweet smell and flavour will return. Quarter the berries rather than slicing them and  they’ll hold their shape better, then sprinkle with a little lemon juice and a spoonful or two of maple syrup or fine sugar. Leave them on the counter
for a few hours and you’ll have softer, juicier strawberries, perfect with yogurt or on their own. A little grated orange or lime zest is lovely here too.
I like to use strawberries simply: piled on a cake or tart, folded through heavy cream, churned into ice cream. The less they are handled, the more of their flavour they keep.

A simple recipe: Strawberries and Cream
Take two cups of perfectly ripe, hulled strawberries and add them to a large bowl. Mash them gently, letting the flesh keep some of its texture. Stir in a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, then about a quarter cup of fresh heavy cream, and finally a little sliced mint. Serve over freshly baked scones.

Making strawberry jam
If you’re tempted to try making strawberry jam yourself, there are a few things worth knowing first. Begin with perfectly ripe fruit, never unripe or mouldy berries; the best jam always starts with the best fruit. Strawberries are among the highest in water and lowest in pectin of the berries, so the consistency will always be on the looser side. If you don’t mind a strawberry jam that drips down your finger, all the better, but if you’d rather a firmer set, you’ll find several kinds of pectin in the shops, some made to work with less sugar. Bear in mind the strawberry flavour won’t be as intense as it is without pectin. Just enough fresh lemon juice will bring the flavour forward, as will a splash of red wine.
A note on mint
Mint is another favourite of mine in the early days of summer, when the nights and mornings are still cool, that’s when its taste is at its highest. Its pungent taste pairs naturally with berries.
Among the innumerable varieties of mint, I use peppermint in my kitchen for its higher menthol content; when I want a sweeter, milder taste, I reach for Mojito or spearmint.
Mint has long had a place in my preserves; wild blueberry, plum and strawberry, raspberry and strawberry, and it’s one of the herbs in our Spring Vinegar. Whatever the variety, mint draws out the flavour of spring vegetables: peas, salads, cold soups. Because it holds its flavour so well,
fresh or dried, it should be used with restraint; it can quickly dominate, and it is nicer to have a suspicion of its presence than to be overwhelmed by it. I’d suggest a few leaves tucked into a  mixed green salad, or finely chopped through a cherry tomato salad with fresh basil and a squeeze of lime. And these days we drink hibiscus and mint tea with honey, to keep us cool in the
kitchen.
This week mint finds its way into a new Strawberry, Guava and Mint Jam , made with Mojito mint from Sherlene at Earth Apple Farm; the same farm that’s been bringing us the red rhubarb. It will be available this weekend at the market and online, with orders shipping next week.
Where to find me:
You’ll find me at the farmers market through the end of June. I’m then taking a small break, returning the weekend of July 18th and 19th. In the meantime I’ll be taking orders online and shipping once a week, usually on Mondays or Tuesdays. You can always preorder from the website and pick up at the market.
Wherever your strawberries come from this June; a farm row, a market carton, or a pot on the balcony, I hope you find a few of those perfect ones, warm from the sun.
Geneviève