Introduction: In winter and spring, sweet and sour strawberries are very popular. Strawberries are bright red, fragrant, juicy, and sweet and sour. Moreover, the nutrients in strawberries are easily digested and absorbed, making them especially suitable for spring health preservation. So, what are the nutritional benefits of strawberries? Do you know how to correctly select, buy, clean, and eat strawberries?
To learn more about strawberry recipes and spring health recipes, we recommend the Mei Tian special feature: Colorful Delights of Strawberry Season & Spring Seasonal Dishes
What are the effects of strawberries?
1. Clearing heat and reducing internal heat
Strawberries have the effect of clearing heat, relieving summer heat, and reducing internal heat. In spring, people's liver fire is often more vigorous, and eating some strawberries can have an inhibitory effect.
2. Regulating the spleen and stomach
Strawberries have the effect of promoting fluid production and nourishing the stomach. When eaten before a meal, they can stimulate the secretion of gastric juice, aid digestion, and eliminate excess cholesterol and harmful heavy metals. They are suitable for conditions such as loss of appetite, bloating after meals, and constipation.
3. Improving eyesight and nourishing the liver
The carotene contained in strawberries is an important substance for synthesizing vitamin A and has the effect of improving eyesight and nourishing the liver.
4. Helps sober up
When feeling dizzy and unwell after drinking, you can eat 100 grams of fresh strawberries at once. After washing them, consume them all at once to help sober up.
5. Nourishing yin and blood
Strawberries contain various sugars, citric acid, malic acid, and amino acids. The proportions of sugars, organic acids, and minerals are appropriate, making them easily absorbed by the body to achieve the effects of increasing blood volume and maintaining fluid balance.
6. Enhancing physical fitness
Strawberries are rich in nutrients and trace elements. Eating strawberries promotes the formation of human cells, maintains the normal function of teeth, bones, blood vessels, and muscles, and promotes wound healing. It can also promote the formation of antibodies, enhance human immunity, and has a detoxifying effect.
How to select strawberries?
Generally, the higher the sugar content of a fruit, the tastier it is, but the sugar content cannot be judged from appearance alone. Choose strawberries of moderate size. Such strawberries are usually not "hollow" and are rich in moisture. It should be noted that overly ripe strawberries will have局部 blackened areas, and it is difficult to ensure their freshness. It is best to choose strawberries that are about 80% ripe, red but not soft, as these have the best texture. In other words, when selecting strawberries, adhere to the "three no's" principle: do not pick deformed ones, do not pick ones that are particularly large, and do not pick ones that are particularly red. It is best to choose fruits with a well-proportioned shape, a natural red color, and a small circle of pale white around the leaves at the base. Such strawberries can be stored in the refrigerator for two to three days.
How to correctly clean strawberries?
The surface of strawberries is uneven and the skin is very thin, so it can be easily damaged with a little force, making them difficult to clean. To clean strawberries, first rinse them under running tap water for a few minutes to remove most of the bacteria, pesticides, and other pollutants from the surface. Soak the strawberries separately in rice water (preferably the first rinse water) and light salt water (half a spoon of salt in a basin of water) for 3 minutes. Then rinse with running tap water to remove the rice water, light salt water, and any remaining harmful substances. Rinse once with clean water (or cold boiled water).
In addition, it should be reminded that do not remove the strawberry stems before washing them, to prevent pesticides and pollutants from seeping into the fruit through the "wound" during the soaking process, which would instead cause contamination.