Fresh Florida Strawberries
Each year, during February and March, grocery stores fill with plump, sweet Florida strawberries. The Florida winter strawberry season runs from November through April, but to me the berries available in February and March are the finest.
My refrigerator is currently overflowing with fresh strawberries. We enjoy eating them right from the container—after a quick rinse, of course. They also go into smoothies and homemade yogurt pops. One favorite is strawberry-banana buttermilk ice pops.
Last night we had strawberry shortcake for dessert, and last week I made a homemade strawberry sauce. You can find that recipe linked at the bottom of my Vintage Vanilla Bean Blanc Mange recipe.
I also enjoy making jam. My husband especially liked a carambola and strawberry jam I made a few years ago and has been asking me to make it again. I hesitated, but when he brought home a bag of freshly picked carambola, I felt nudged to try it once more.
My favorite jam, however, is a strawberry and blueberry blend—bright, balanced, and perfect on morning toast.
While browsing the web I found a few resources that fans of Florida strawberries might enjoy.
StrawberrySue is the official blog of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association. It offers recipes, news, event information, and a newsletter—useful for anyone who wants to stay connected with the industry or try new strawberry ideas.
The Florida Strawberry Growers Association also offers an educational packet geared toward teachers and homeschooling families. If you work with children or enjoy sharing interesting facts with grandchildren, the downloadable Florida Strawberry Handout Packet is full of handy material for the classroom or home.
The handout covers historical facts about strawberries, a word search puzzle, nutritional information, details about different strawberry varieties, guidance on planting your own patch, and even suggestions for becoming a plant breeder. It also includes several strawberry recipes—perfect for turning a lesson into a tasty activity.
If you plan to grow strawberries with children this spring, this packet provides an engaging introduction to the plant’s life cycle and care. Older kids often enjoy the “become a plant breeder” section: did you know an average strawberry carries around 200 seeds? There are step-by-step instructions for harvesting seeds from a strawberry and planting them, which makes for an exciting hands-on project. I plan to try this with my granddaughter.
Teaching children how fruits and vegetables grow is important. Many kids don’t realize that the produce they pick out at the grocery store comes from farms. Growing and exploring strawberries with them helps build that connection—and it’s fun, too.
Disclosure: I have not been compensated for this blog post in any way. I simply live in Florida, love strawberries, and wanted to share that enthusiasm with my readers!