In Season For June – Strawberries
Strawberries 🍓
Strawberries and cream: These three words alone encompass everything about warm summer days, relaxing with a picnic or afternoon tea on the patio.
Strawberries are the most popular soft fruit grown by farmers. They are juicy and delicious any time of year and are a very healthy fruit. Known as a superfood, strawberries are nutrient-rich, packed with antioxidants and offer a wide range of health benefits.
May 1st sees the official start to the British berry season with milder temperatures, longer days and more sunshine – the perfect conditions for enjoying British berries. The season kicks off with British strawberries which will hit the shelves from early May. Due to advancements in varieties, an extended season, and improved varieties developed in the last few years, consumers can expect to see a wide selection of British berries, all of which have been developed to suit the UK climate.
Strawberries are high in fibre, low in calories and sugar, and contain no fat. Strawberries support your immune system and not only is the whole strawberry rich in plant antioxidants, but the red fleshy part is also extremely high in Vitamin C. Strawberries provide a daily Vitamin C boost, and in fact, contain more Vitamin C than oranges. Just 7 strawberries (80g – a portion) provide the recommended daily amount of vitamin C which contributes to the normal function of the immune system along with the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
Research suggests that eating strawberries, alongside a carbohydrate rich meal may help to reduce spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels. Improving blood sugar and insulin sensitivity could be helpful for preventing metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
Strawberries also provide vitamin K, manganese, folic acid, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin B5, B6, copper, magnesium, fibre and phytonutrients so make the perfect healthy snack.
Nutritional Information
Strawberries – per 80g
Calories (kcal) 22
Fat (g) 0.1
Saturates (g) 0
Total sugars (g) 4.8
Salt (g) 0
Fibre (g) 0.9
Folate (mcg) 16 (8% RDA)
Vitamin C (mg) 62 (77% RDA)
Vitamin E (mg) 0.16 (1% RDA)
Manganese (mg) 0.24 (12% RDA)
Varieties
British growers have spent years investing in the industry to make sure that there is a huge variety of strawberries available to choose from. Look out for these in your local farm shop:
Malling Centenary – Bred at East Malling Research in Kent, this new variety is now widely grown and has both great flavour and good bold size
Sonata – Juicy and sweet, Sonata strawberries are generally bigger and likely to be heart-shaped.
Capri Luscious – red in colour with a big flavour, conically shaped with a juicy but firm bite.
AVA Blush – a new variety of AVA berries selected for appearance, flavour and shelf life
Driscoll’s® Amesti® – Delicious, sweet and juicy with a rich red flesh; often large berries
Sweet Eve – Sweet Eve strawberries are naturally sweeter than other varieties, full of flavour and taste just like strawberries should. A truly delightful variety that delivers the taste of summer with every bite and has received awards across Europe.
Murano – Balanced flavour, glossy red, large fruiting firm variety that lasts all summer long
Magnum – Large berries, medium to bright red in colour and have a good firmness and shelf life. The flavour is excellent, being very sweet with a high Brix levels.
Most of the farm shops featured in The UK Farm Shop Guide will offer fresh strawberries by the punnet and some of our members will have pick your own or strawberries grown at the farm and will be freshly harvested each day for you to enjoy.
