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Spring means the welcome sight of those first
strawberry blossoms with the promise of the sweet berries soon to
follow. Fresh strawberries are always something to look forward to
because they just taste so good after a long winter. Berries, and
not just strawberries, are healthy foods to add to your diet.
Strawberries
Strawberries have only 22 calories, 5 grams of
carbohydrates and provide two grams of fiber for every half cup
serving. To enjoy them at their best, strawberries must be handled
with care. To wash strawberries, hold them under gently running cool
water just long enough to remove the dirt. Don’t soak strawberries
as they will absorb water and lose flavor. For the best flavor, wash
strawberries just before you are going to use them. Strawberries can
be stored unwashed in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Blackberries
Blackberries have 37 calories, 9 grams of
carbohydrate and four grams of fiber for every half cup. Be sure and
use or freeze your blackberries soon after picking because they will
spoil quickly.
Blueberries
Blueberries have 41 calories, 10 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams
of fiber in a half cup. Like other berries, they are an excellent
source of vitamin C.
Raspberries
Raspberries are very fragile and are
easily damaged. If you buy them fresh, eat them within one to two
days. Wash raspberries just before you're going to eat them because
they can absorb the water diluting the taste. Raspberries have 30
calories, 7 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fiber for every
half cup.
Berry Facts
For fresh fruit year-round, berries can be
frozen for later use. The National Center for Home Food Preservation
lists one way to freeze strawberries is to add ¾ cup sugar to one
quart of strawberries and mix thoroughly. Let stand 15 minutes and
then pack into containers leaving head space for expansion. Freeze
immediately.
Blueberries, raspberries and blackberries can be
frozen whole. It is not recommended that you wash blue-berries
before you freeze them as that will make for a tougher skin when you
are ready to use them. Wash them just before you are going to use
them.
There are many ways to add berries to a healthful
diet:
Sprinkle them on your cereal or as a topping on pancake or add
them to yogurt or your favorite fruit salads. Of course, you might
just savor the flavor more by eating them just as they are |
