Spring is the season for strawberries. On weekends with good weather, many girls love to go to strawberry fields in groups to pick strawberries. However, with the frequent occurrence of food safety issues, people are no longer so "at ease" with strawberries. So, how should you pick strawberries in the field?
4 Tips for Picking Strawberries in the Field
1. Firm Fruit. When selecting, gently press with the pulp of your finger. Choose strawberries that feel firm and hard. If you plan to eat them right after picking, choose slightly softer fruit.
2. Even Color. Ripe strawberries are generally red; bright and even color is best. Next, look at the seeds on the skin. The seeds should be yellow. If the strawberry seeds are also red, they may have been dyed.
3. Skin and Shape. Choose strawberries with intact, undamaged skin. Strawberries with damaged skin do not keep well, and in the field, insects like bees and bugs may damage them. The best shape is a long cone; oddly shaped strawberries may have had too many hormones.
4. Picking Technique. Prepare a small pair of scissors, which you can bring yourself or may be provided by the farm. Cut the stem about the length of a thumb above the strawberry. This can extend the shelf life of the strawberries.
The Correct Way to Clean Strawberries
Now that you know how to pick strawberries, let's learn how to clean them. Remember, freshly picked strawberries are not clean and need to be washed before eating. The steps are as follows:
1. Rinse under running tap water for a few minutes to remove most of the germs, pesticides, and other contaminants from the surface.
2. Soak the strawberries in rice water for 3 minutes. The alkaline rice water helps break down pesticides.
3. Do not remove the stems before washing. This prevents pesticides and contaminants from seeping into the fruit through the "wound" during soaking, which would cause further contamination.
4. Prepare a basin of water with an appropriate amount of salt to make light salt water. Soak the strawberries in it for 3 minutes. The light salt water can cause insects and insect eggs attached to the surface to float, making them easier to wash away, and it also has a disinfecting effect.
5. Rinse thoroughly under running tap water.
6. Rinse once more with cold, boiled water, and the strawberries are clean. You can eat them with confidence!
Related: The Nutritional Value of Strawberries
1. Strawberries are rich in vitamins and minerals. Every 100 grams contains up to 80 milligrams of vitamin C, far more than apples and pears. They also contain glucose, fructose, citric acid, malic acid, carotene, riboflavin, and more. These nutrients are great for promoting the growth and development of children and are also very beneficial for the health of the elderly.
2. The main nutritional value of strawberries lies in their very high vitamin C content. Vitamin C can prevent and treat bleeding gums, promote wound healing, and make the skin delicate and elastic. Recent research has found that in addition to preventing scurvy, vitamin C also plays a positive role in preventing arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, cerebral hemorrhage, high blood pressure, and high blood lipids.
3. The carotene in strawberries is an important substance for synthesizing vitamin A and has the effect of improving eyesight and nourishing the liver.
4. The latest research abroad also points out that strawberries contain a type of amine substance that has a certain effect in treating leukemia and aplastic anemia.