STRAWBERRIES

IS THERE A MORE VERSATILE AND POPULAR FRUIT THAN STRAWBERRIES? EVERYONE SEEMS LOVE THEM, THEIR DELICIOUS SWEET TASTE, VIBRANT COLOUR AND UNIQUE SHAPE BRING ANY DISH TO LIFE.

One of the great things about Strawberries is that they can be eaten as part of a main meal or desert or even on their own as a snack, and the best thing is they are super healthy for you.

Perfect snack for little fingers

One cup of strawberry has only 43 calories

Strawberry fight inflammation

One cup strawberry contains 13% of your daily fibre

RUBBED ON THE TEETH AND GUMS, STRAWBERRIES HAVE BEEN TRADITIONALLY USED TO TREAT GUM DISEASE AND INFLAMMATIONFun Fact

In 14th century France, Charles V ordered 1,200 strawberry plants be grown in the Gardens of the Louvre.

Victoria is home to The Big Strawberry. Located near regional Cobram in the state’s north

There are over 91 million strawberry Strawberry growers plants grown pick their fruit every Australia wide. 3rd day over the height of summer. Strawberries have been used since roman times to treat inflammations, throat infections and attacks of gout. Strawberries belong to the rose family of plants.

or wives talesInteresting Facts

According to Roman mythology the strawberry was the symbol of the Love Goddess, Venus.

Strawberry, fraise, fraoules, erdbeere, fragola, fresa … no matter what the language or the culture, EVERYONE loves strawberries!

A punnet of strawberries will have more vitamin C that a medium sized orange. Strawberries are not a “true” berry as they have their seeds on the outside. Strawberries have been said to whiten teeth.

The most luscious berry you’ll taste Sweetest Batch®

Strawberries

Driscoll’s Sweetest Batch strawberries

are something you must taste to believe. These bright crimson berries have a superior sweet flavour and aroma like no other. Grab a punnet of Sweetest Batch strawberries today. Now available at select supermarkets and green grocers.

FREEZING STRAWBERRIES

The best way to enjoy strawberries throughout the whole year it is to freeze some for the winter months as an ingredient. Frozen berries can be used to make jams, sauces, muffins, cakes, ice-cream and smoothies.

SELECTING STRAWBERRIES

The perfect strawberry should be fully coloured, firm, bright, plump and shiny. Make sure the cap (calyx) is attached, green and fresh-looking.

Did you Know

STRAWBERRIES ARE JUST AS DELICIOUS DRIED.

You can use dried strawberries on cakes, pavs anywhere you would use regular strawberries. Other ideas for dried strawberries- HOMEMADE TRAIL MIX Handful each of dried strawberries, almonds, pepitas, dark chocolate, granola into a clean jar, shake to mix. ON A PLATTER Fresh and dried strawberries are the perfect accompaniment to cheese and wine so add a handful to your next platter. Dried STRAWBERRY MUFFINS Add a handful of chopped, oven-dried strawberries to your next batch of muffins.

Toffeed Strawberries

Makes: 20 approx

Ingredients

2 x 250g punnets Victorian Strawberries 20 short skewers 2 cups caster sugar ½ cup water pinch of cream of tartar few drops pillar box red food dye

Method

1. Wash strawberries and skewer with the short skewers or icy pole stick through the calyx (green end).

Set aside. 2. Combine sugar and water in a heavy based pan, and stir over a low heat until sugar dissolves completely.

3. Stir in cream of tartar. Bring to the boil and add food dye. 4. Reduce heat to low, and simmer toffee for around 20 minutes, or until it reaches hard crack stage. (Use a toffee thermometer – 150°C). Allow to stop bubbling. 5. Carefully dip each strawberry into the toffee, and allow to set on baking paper OVEN-DRIED until hard. 6. Use remaining toffee STRAWBERRIES to create a toffee INGREDIENTS serving disc or extra Lots & lots of fresh Queensland Strawberries toffee shards (it looks great in a strawberry shape!). METHOD 7. Once set, serve 1. immediately. Slice strawberries. Preheat oven to 90 degrees

Celsius 2. Spread strawberries on a baking tray lined with baking paper. 3. Place in oven to dry for 2-3 hours. 4. They are ready when the moisture has evaporated, and they can be peeled off the paper with ease. Cool completely and store in a clean, airtight container for up to a week. WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH OVEN-DRIED STRAWBERRIES? HOMEMADE TRAIL MIX Handful each of dried Queensland strawberries, almonds, pepitas, dark chocolate, granola into a clean jar, shake to mix. ON A PLATTER Fresh and dried strawberries are the perfect accompaniment to cheese and wine so add a handful of both to your next platter. STRAWBERRY & WHITE CHOCOLATE MUFFINS Add a handful of chopped, oven-dried strawberries to your next batch of white chocolate muffins for a chewy strawberry burst of sweetness.

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM

Strawberry Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS Prep Time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes 1 x 250g punnet Victorian Strawberries, washed Makes : 1.5lt of icecream or 6 large sundaesand hulled 1/3 cup castor sugar 1 tbsp Grand Marnier or fresh orange juice Ingredients 1L good quality commercial vanilla bean ice cream 2. 1 x 250g punnet Victorian 2 cups chopped hazelnutsRemove the icecream Strawberries, washed and 1 cup extra castor sugar from the punnet, hulledExtra 250g punnet soften slightly and fold in half of the chilled 1/3 cup castor sugarVictorian Strawberries, washed and hulled to serve strawberry puree. Refreeze until firm. 3. While waiting, place chopped hazelnuts in a small heavy based pan with extra sugar, 1 tbsp Grand Marnier or fresh orange juice 1L good quality commercial vanilla bean ice cream METHOD 1. Place the strawberries, sugar and Grand Marnier into a heavy based saucepan and simmer until the sugar is dissolved completely. Set aside to cool, then puree and place in the refrigerator 2 cups chopped hazelnuts until cold. allow sugar to dissolve completely and cool 1 cup extra castor sugar 2. Remove the icecream from the punnet, soften slightly. Pour onto a Extra 250g punnet slightly and fold in half of the chilled strawberry lined baking tray and allow to set hard, then crack into shards. 4. To serve, place some Victorian Strawberries, washed and hulled to serve puree. Refreeze until firm. 3. While waiting, place chopped hazelnuts in a small heavy based pan with extra sugar, allow sugar to dissolve completely and cool slightly. Method extra chilled puree in Pour onto a lined baking tray and allow to set 1. the base of a tall sundae glass. Top with fresh strawberries, then a big scoop of the Strawberry Ripple icecream. Top with more fresh berries, then another Place the strawberries, sugar and Grand Marnier into a heavy based saucepan and simmer until the sugar is dissolved completely. Set aside to cool, then hard, then crack into shards. 4. To serve, place some extra chilled puree in the base of a tall sundae glass. Top with fresh strawberries, then a big scoop of the Strawberry Ripple icecream. Top with more fresh berries, then another scoop of icecream and sprinkle with hazelnut praline. Serve immediately. puree and place in the scoop of icecream refrigerator until cold. and sprinkle with PAGE 9 hazelnut praline. Serve immediately.

Pink Strawberries & White

GROWN IN AUSTRALIA

With their distinctive pina colada flavour, pink and white strawberries have been purpose-bred by Queensland’s Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, in collaboration with its research partner Hort Innovation, to give strawberry lovers more variety. Pink strawberries have a peach pink exterior and are white inside. White strawberries are brilliant white on the inside and, on the outside, are white with a pale pink blush and speckled with red seeds. These tasty varieties were developed by crosspollinating a naturally white-fruited strawberry species, which has very small and soft fruit, with regular strawberries. This was done over multiple generations to bring in some of the traits of regular strawberries to produce larger, sweet, white and pink fruit that have better shelf life. Be creative with your strawberry salad, or pavlova, by adding white, pink, and red strawberries for visual effect. Their different flavours mean you can choose the varieties to suit your taste preference. Pink and white strawberries are the latest addition to the many different strawberry varieties sold in shops each year. Look for them during winter this year.

Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Principal Plant Breeder Dr Jodi Neal.