Strawberries

Strawberries 4-16-04


It’s no big secret that Strawberries are America's favorite fruit.
There’s nothing more delightful than sharing a bowl a deep red, just-picked, sun-kissed strawberries on a warm spring day.

Were you hip that delicious, low-calorie Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen in the spring? Strawberries are brimming with vitamin C, colon cleansing fiber, calcium, phosphorous, potassium selenium, Folate and Vitamin A. One cup of strawberries contains a mere 55 calories. Who needs a vitamin pill?

Ounce for ounce, heart-shaped strawberries contain more Vitamin C than citrus fruits. The American Cancer Society says foods rich in vitamin C may lower the risk of cancers of the GI tract. But, please wash them in a mild soapy water solution before eating them. They have a high amount of field residue and pesticide on them. California’s Watson Valley produces the Lion’s share of America’s berries, but they aggressively spray them with cancerous chemicals. Wash, wash, and wash them first in body-temperature water with a drop of dish washing liquid. Better yet, buy local fresh berries and support the local economy. To enjoy strawberries to the max, strawberries must be picked and enjoyed when ripe. A great smoothie can be made from orange juice blended with fresh strawberries and a half a banana. God’s apothecary never fails.

Are your kids part of the over 53% of seven to nine year olds picked strawberries as their favorite fruit. They are? Give them a gold star. Most of us, however, plead guilty to consuming strawberries only when the annual spring pleasure of shortcake and, gag, Cool Whip are served atop those nasty Twinkiesque, spongy shortcakes made with chemicals.
Isn’t that the berries?

What about Strawberry Jam you say? Read the ingredient label and note how much ‘toxic’ sugar or High Fructose Corn Syrup is added. Instead, seek Smuckers ‘no-sugar-added’ jellies. Last spring Sandi and I tasted some ripe, organic strawberries. They tasted just like strawberry Jam. Store bought berries with white shoulders are tasteless and contain little or know vitamins. California produces one billion pounds of strawberries each year. The US strawberry industry hulls in $1.2 billion dollars annually

Plucked in California or Florida weeks ago, they ceased developing. Due to short-sighted Mono-Crop Factory Farming, it would take three times the amount of fruit and vegetables today to provide our Holy Temple with the same nutrients we got 30 years ago,… from the same amount. Instead, synthetic chemicals are used and fields are not allowed to go fallow. Not what Creation intended.

Regardless, we should all attempt to eat strawberries, the only fruit with its seeds on the outside, year round for their health enhancing properties. Do not wash the strawberries before storing them. Wait until you plan to eat them to rinse them off to ensure freshness.
How I long for a mouth-watering slice or two of Mom’s warm Strawberry-Rhubarb pie. Raw and fresh, however, is unsurpassed in the flavor and nutrition category.

Peace Love and Understanding