Strawberries

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Preparation

Strawberries are high in fiber and contain more vitamin C than any other berry (or even oranges), but the vitamin C diminishes rapidly after they are cut.

Washing the berries will cause them to deteriorate, so rinse briefly with cold water just before serving.

When you bring home a carton of strawberries, empty them out and remove any very ripe berries for immediate consumption. Put the rest into a shallow container, cover with paper towels and refrigerate. They will survive better if they're not piled on one another. Ripe, locally picked berries are best when eaten within two days; other berries may last four to five days.

Freezing

Strawberries freeze well — lasting up to two years in a freezer. Remove the stems, but don't wash the berries. Lay them on a cookie sheet and freeze for an hour or two. Put frozen berries in freezer-zip-lock bags, label and date, then pop back into freezer. Some people prefer to slice them first before freezing, but then they need to be used within a few months. When using any frozen strawberries, they're best served partially defrosted.

Strawberry Shortcake

This low-fat shortcake replaces butter with yogurt, and because you don't need to roll it out, the dough is easy to prepare. You need to make the yogurt starter the night before, and drain the yogurt topping at least three hours before serving.

Starter1 cup Dannon low-fat vanilla yogurt
 1 cup sifted unbleached white flour (white flour must be used on this part)
 2 tablespoons sugar
 1 1/2 cups sifted whole-wheat pastry flour
 2 teaspoons baking powder
 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
 1 teaspoon cinnamon
 dash salt
 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon — mixed with
 2 tablespoons sugar (I use turbinado sugar — the granules are larger)

In a medium-sized mixing bowl stir together the yogurt and flour. Sprinkle the sugar on top. Cover with plastic wrap and store in warm place (like on top of a gas stove) overnight or for 12 hours. The next day preheat the oven to 375°F and generously grease a cookie sheet. Stir together the dry ingredients up through and including the salt. Stir into the starter with the maple syrup and vanilla. Pour out onto wax paper and knead for a few minutes with floured hands (the dough will be sticky). Roll into balls and flatten slightly on the cookie sheet to form 2 1/2-in. circles. Sprinkle the tops with the cinnamon sugar. Bake about 15 minutes until lightly browned. Cool at least 10 minutes before slicing in half.

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