When buying strawberries these are the main things you need to remember:
1. While you can usually find strawberries at the grocery store year round, their peak season is from late May to early June.
2. If you are picking strawberries yourself off the vine, remember that they will not ripen after being picked. You want to pick bright red strawberries, not ones that have any white.
3. Ripe strawberries will have a pleasant smell and the brighter the strawberries, the sweeter they should be.
4. Size matters with strawberries, but big is not better. Smaller, uniform strawberries will usually have a more intense flavor than the bigger strawberries.
5. Inspect the packaging before buying any strawberries for mold or stains, especially on the bottom of the package. Mold shows that the strawberries have gone bad and stains indicate that the strawberries are overripe.
6. Once you bring the strawberries home, it’s best to refrigerate them. They will mold quickly if left at room temperature and even if placed in the refrigerator, they will only last for 3 days.
7. Avoid any strawberries with white spots, mushy areas or limp green tops. These all indicate that the strawberries have passed their prime and won’t taste good.
