Did you know that if all the strawberries produced in California in one year were laid berry to berry, they would go around the world 15 times? I didn’t think so.
Did you know that ninety-four percent of households in the United States consume strawberries? (Personally, I want to know what in the world is wrong with that other six percent of Americans?!)
Did you know that strawberries are a member of the rose family or that there is a strawberry museum in Belgium or that an average strawberry has 200 seeds or that the average American consumes 4.85 pounds of fresh and frozen strawberries each year or….? (OK. OK. I’ll stop.)
Obviously, our subject today is strawberries. We are, after all, on the cusp of the strawberry season! How absolutely wonderful is that?
We all know that ripe strawberries are delicious, but some may not realize quite how healthy a food choice they are as well. For example, a cup of strawberries has only 55 calories. One serving of eight strawberries contains more vitamin C than a whole orange (163% of our daily requirement). They’re packed with fiber and they are fat free and cholesterol free.
Looking back through history, strawberries have long captured the imagination and have, for the most part, been held in high regard. The Romans consumed strawberries to cure fevers, fainting and inflammation. They also used strawberries as a tooth whitener. The French long thought that strawberries were an aphrodisiac. The dour English, however, had different ideas about strawberries–at least when it came to trash talking about Anne Boleyn. Sixteenth Century court gossip had it that Boleyn hid a strawberry-shaped birthmark under that famous golden B necklace–a sure sign that she was a witch. As you may remember, things didn’t end well for Anne.
Today, the reputation of strawberries has enjoyed a resurgence with scientific studies proving that strawberry consumption positively influences many areas of our health. We can thank strawberries for stronger hearts, lower cholesterol levels, healthy teeth, lower blood glucose levels and lower blood pressure.
So, where to start? You could eat them right out of the basket as you drive home from the market as I often do. Or, you could make a strawberry pie. Or, you could make this wonderful strawberry sorbet. It is absolutely delicious and its intense red color will capture the admiring gaze of everyone at your table.
Here is a link to the original recipe which appeared under Amanda Hesser’s byline in the New York Times Food Section: NY Times Strawberry Sorbet Recipe .
Yields 1 1/2 quarts
15 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 whole lemon (seeded and roughly chopped)
- 2 C. sugar
- 2 pounds ripe strawberries (hulled)
- Juice of 1 to 2 lemons
Instructions
- Process chopped lemon and sugar in your food processor until it is well-combined and the lemon chunks are very small. Set aside.
- Puree the strawberries in your food processor bowl. Add lemon and sugar mixture and lemon juice to taste.
- Pour the strawberry/lemon mixture into an ice cream maker and process until frozen.
- Serve and enjoy. Freeze any leftovers.
Notes
The original recipe calls for two cups of sugar. Several of the people who commented on the recipe online recommended cutting the sugar to one and a half cups or less to your taste. I like to live dangerously and used the whole two cups of sugar but you may want to reduce the sugar to satisfy your taste and your concience.
Calories
Carbs
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