Doubtless God could have made a better berry,
but doubtless God never did.
So said William Butler.
And he was so right!
Strawberries should be in season all year round.
One serving is an excellent source of vitamin C.
So take that, oranges!
It is also a good source of manganese, folate, vitamin K and other vitamins and minerals.
Strawberries are high in Omega-3.
Eating strawberries may decrease cardiovascular disease risk.
They have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
Studies have associated eating strawberries with lower rates of hypertension.
Strawberries may lower LDL cholesterol levels, and total cholesterol.
They help reduce the inflammation in digestive tract and bowel disease.
They are rich in iodine and help the thyroid function properly.
They can decrease the spikes after high sugar and high fat meals.
And they taste so good!!
Strawberries and cream is a popular dessert at Wimbledon.
In Sweden, strawberries are served on Midsummer Eve.
In Greece, they are sprinkled with sugar, dipped in brandy, and served as a dessert.
In Italy, they are used in desserts and are a popular flavouring for gelato.
Enjoy!
Hints:
Feeding a large crowd?
This is an easy recipe to increase:
One ounce of chocolate will cover four large strawberries.
A hundred strawberries?
Twenty-five ounces of chocolate will do the job.
Want to get fancy?
You can drizzle melted white chocolate over the chocolate after it has cooled.
You can also reverse the colour scheme, using white chocolate for the dipping and drizzling semi-sweet, dark or milk chocolate.
You can also dip one side in a dark chocolate, and the other side in white chocolate.
You can substitute chocolate chips for either the dipping chocolate or the drizzle.
The strawberries can be stored in the refrigerator up to six hours before serving.
If they are stored too long the berries can get soft spots.
Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
Wash and allow to dry thoroughly
16 large fresh strawberries
Do not remove stems.
Set aside. Do not refrigerate.
Cover a cookie sheet with waxed paper.
Place a heatproof bowl in a saucepan of simmering water.
In the bowl place
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
Stirring occasionally, cook until the chocolate is almost melted.
Remove from heat and stir until smooth.
Dip the bottom half of each strawberry in the chocolate.
Place them on the cookie sheet.
Allow to cool at room temperature.
Refrigerate the strawberries until the chocolate is firm.
They can be served with an angel food cake or a pudding dessert.
