Berry Farmers Answer Consumer Demand

New Juicy, red ripe strawberries - those harbingers of spring - are abundant and bursting with flavor at farmers’ markets and supermarkets now.

California strawberry acreage is up 7 percent from last year due to strong consumer demand. “Ninety-four percent of people in the United States eat strawberries,” according to Dominique Jordan, communications specialist for the Watsonville-based California Strawberry Commission.

That means consumers can expect to find plenty of berries available this spring, summer and fall. California strawberries (the state grows 83 percent of the U.S. crop) are shedding their image as just a spring and summer fruit, said Jordan.

They are becoming a year-round California crop because of the array of new varieties grown in different parts of the state as well as the staggered planting dates and harvesting times. The majority of the October-to-April strawberry harvest comes from Southern California, while both Southern and Northern areas provide the harvest during the peak May-to-September season.

Generally figure on using berries within four to five days of buying. How long they’ll keep depends on their freshness when purchased.

You can also wash, hull and individually flash-freeze berries in a single layer on a baking sheet and then store them in freezer-safe bags.

Strawberries are a good source of vitamin C. It takes just five medium berries to provide 100 percent of the recommended daily intake. A cup of whole fresh strawberries has about 55 calories.