This May brings National Strawberry Month, offering numerous ways to enjoy the season’s delicious harvest.
The nationwide celebration holds regional importance, coinciding with Virginia’s prime strawberry season. The state hosts strawberry cultivation across 231 farming operations covering 277 acres, data from the U.S. Census of Agriculture shows.
Beyond their delicious flavor and economic importance, strawberries offer significant nutritional value. The fruit provides high levels of vitamin C, serves as an excellent fiber source, and includes carotenoids and flavonoids that may promote good health, Virginia Cooperative Extension reports.
Though tasty by themselves, strawberries enhance numerous springtime desserts—ranging from fizzy homemade beverages to colorful seasonal pastries.
Berry enthusiasts can back regional farmers while enjoying the plentiful, juicy harvest through pick-your-own locations, farmers markets and roadside stands throughout Virginia.
The Virginia Grown website helps locate fresh strawberries in your area.
Homemade Strawberry Soda
1½ cups water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups strawberries, cleaned and pureed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
5 cups sparkling water
ice
Using a saucepan, heat water and sugar until boiling, stirring until sugar completely dissolves. Take off heat and let cool for 20 minutes.
Using a mixing bowl, blend pureed strawberries with lemon juice.
Using a serving pitcher, mix the syrup with the strawberry blend. Add ice and stir.
For serving, divide the strawberry blend among four glasses and add equal amounts of sparkling water to each. Gently stir to blend.
—Recipe courtesy of Virginia Cooperative Extension.
Strawberry Pie
9″ unbaked pastry pie crust, or dough fitted to your own pie dish
1¼ cups white sugar, divided, or more as needed
1¼ cups all-purpose flour, divided
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for dotting on top
1 pinch ground nutmeg
4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Preheat oven to 400°.
Position a drip pan on the bottom oven rack to collect pie drippings.
Fit pie crust into a 9″ pie pan. Using a medium bowl, blend ¾ cup sugar, ¾ cup flour, 6 tablespoons butter and nutmeg. Combine with a pastry blender or hands until mixture becomes crumbly. Reserve for later use.
Using a large bowl, toss strawberries with remaining ½ cup sugar, remaining ½ cup flour and cornstarch. Gently stir strawberries until evenly coated, taking care not to damage the berries.
Transfer strawberries to the prepared pie shell, creating a mound in the center since berries will settle during baking. Top strawberries with the crumb mixture; add approximately 15 small butter pieces. Shield pie crust edges with foil to avoid burning.
Bake for 20 minutes, then lower temperature to 375°, and continue baking 40 additional minutes. During the final 10 minutes of baking, add a light sprinkling of extra sugar over the crumb topping, then complete baking.
—Recipe prepared by Chef Tammy Brawley on Real Virginia, Virginia Farm Bureau’s weekly television program.
