Heather Rockwood is a food science junior and Mustang Daily food columnist.
Welcome to dead week once again — and yet as you look outside, the world is anything but dead. The sun is shining bright, the hills are retaining a glorious green hue and the Central Coast is booming with fresh summer flavors.
This weekend, Arroyo Grande welcomed in the sensational strawberry with its 27th annual festival. For those of us who weren’t lucky enough to attend, at least we can be comforted by the fact that strawberries are here to stay and aren’t going anywhere in too much of a hurry — besides in my tummy that is.
Strawberry season in California can be extended with certain farming techniques, but typically, it is considered to be late May to mid-August. California produces approximately 1 billion pounds of strawberries a year — that’s more than 80 percent of the U.S. strawberry crop. Clearly, this is a summer crop, and once it starts coming out to market, I know golden days at the beach are just around the corner.
I guess that means at least a day or two of sunburns from when I first hit the beach; try as I may even with sunscreen, I just can’t seem to battle the sun’s rays. Luckily, a quick mix of strawberry juice and honey rubbed on your skin will reduce sunburn.
I don’t need to spend much time trying to convince you the flavor of these little rubies is delectable. More than 90 percent of American households consume strawberries each year. There is a reason the strawberry flavor made its way into the world renowned chocolate vanilla combination, now called Neapolitan: the world agrees strawberries are scrumptious.
If you already know you want the tantalizing taste of strawberries dancing on your tongue, the decision now becomes which strawberries will provide the best tasting experience.
Strawberries do not ripen after they have been picked from the vine, so look for deep red berries with no pale or yellow spots — which are signs the fruit will be sour and less nutrient dense. Also, look for strawberries with the green caps still attached.
Storing strawberries in the fridge will keep them for a few days, but to receive the most nutritional benefit you should consume the picked fruit within two days. Waiting more days to consume the fruit will not result in safety concerns, but after two days, there will be a significant reduction in the available nutrients. So, keep it fresh and buy only enough to eat within a two-day time period. Also, keep in mind that because strawberries are fairly perishable, they shouldn’t be washed until right before you are ready to eat them.
There are even more reasons to put strawberries at the top of your grocery list.
Strawberries are also known to help reduce the risk of heart attacks and cancer. One serving of strawberries (eight berries) has more vitamin C than an orange, so these little berries seem to be the overachieving summer school students that have more to offer than you could imagine.
I don’t know about you, but before I make my grand appearance at Avila this summer, I definitely could use a workout session or two, but after dead week and finals I’m just a tad tired.
This summer as you try to commit to a real workout plan for a brand new beach body, it will be helpful to remember that strawberries are a good source of nitrate, which has been shown to improve blood flow, especially to muscles, thus reducing muscle fatigue and making exercising a little easier and a lot more enjoyable.
As you finish the quarter, for some of you the last two weeks of your college experience, I hope you let the light of these little berries bring you peacefully into the prosperity of summer.
Strawberry Agua Fresca
Ingredients
– 2 c. water
– 1 c. ice
– 3 c. fresh cut strawberries
– Juice from one fresh lemon or lime
– Mint (optional)
Directions
Mix all ingredients (excluding the mint) in a blender until desired consistency — some like it coarser, some like it smoother, just whatever you prefer. Pour into glasses and enjoy!
Optional: Mix in a little mint for an extra twist.