A Bit of History
What is more evocative of a British summer than strawberries and cream? Just when they arrived in Britain is anyone's guess though the earliest mention of the luscious fruit was in Roman times around 200BC. Later, in medieval Great Britain the fruit took on another symbol when newly weds enjoyed strawberries, borage and soured cream for their wedding breakfast believing them to be an aphrodisiac. This custom follows that heart shaped fruit has long been a symbol of purity, passion, and healingToday
The British strawberry season is but a brief time, from early June through to August. The arrival, however, of polytunnel-grown fruits has extended that time which is good news for those who enjoy the fruits, but perhaps not for those whose countryside views are scarred by plastic.By far the best strawberries to buy have to be from a local producer. A day out strawberry picking is fun and healthy too with all that walking around and bending up and down. Supermarkets may sell the cotton wool impostors cheaply but the flavor is incomparable to home- grown fruits.
How to Choose and Use Strawberries
- Buy unblemished fruit with bright green hulls.
- Only remove the hull after washing.
- Wash and handle them gently and as little as possible to avoid bruising.
- Always let the fruit come to room temperature before eating. Better still, an hour in the sunshine before serving will dramatically improve the flavor.
- The simplest and one of the best ways to serve strawberries are with cream, the marriage of these two is synonymous with a British summer, and none more so than at the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament in late June.
If the day out picking your own gives a glut of fruit, jam is a way to preserve the flavors of summer for the cold, dark, winter months.
