In most parts of the U.S., certainly urban and suburban areas, fresh fruit is available in the grocery stores year-round. That may make us less appreciative when seasonal produce arrives. And the processes which have made it economically feasible to ship produce long distances may have made produce less tasty and is no doubt worse for the environment than buying from local farms. You have to pay close attention, but there is still a bit of seasonality to your local produce aisle. Take advantage when you can. Here are some ways to appreciate the summer fruits when they arrive at your local store.
Strawberries
Have you ever really contemplated a basket of strawberries? Take a few minutes to appreciate the different shades of red. What’s up with that yellow-green color near the stem? There may be some petals from the strawberry flower still clinging to the stem area. Fruit from flowers! Simple botany, but wonderous nevertheless.
When you cut into a strawberry, note the striations that run from seed to the center. All the subtle shadings. A large berry may have a hollow core with a different look about it still. A large part of attaining a state of wonder is noticing. Notice the scent of the strawberries too.
No need to be fancy with a strawberry. Just rinse and eat, holding by the stem. You might like to dip your berries in a bit of powdered sugar. If you are feeling fancy, you can slice them, perhaps sugar them up a bit and let them sit until the juices run. Dip them in chocolate. That’s easy if you warm the chocolate in the microwave. Dip the berries, place on waxed paper, and chill to harden. If you want to make a shortcake, pie, or tart you can, of course. Make jam. But don’t pooh-pooh the simple pleasure of a nice ripe berry just plain.
Blueberries
In-season blueberries taste better. The bushes are a little more fussy than strawberry plants, and usually benefit from cooler climes. Take time to marvel over the range of blue tones in your next blueberry package. How can all these berries be all over the blue map but still be blueberries? Then there’s their sheen, which is sort of matte but sort of not.
Blueberries are even more fun to pick than strawberries, for the simple reason that you need to stoop less. Blueberries are easy to freeze, so pick lots. Use them later in muffins, pancakes, jam, or pies. Smoothies, too, if you are into those. They won’t be quite as nice as fresh in a fruit salad, but you can throw in a few to mix things up.
The simplest ever way to enjoy blueberries is just eating them by the handful. If you want, pour a little heavy cream over them in a bowl. Blueberry shortcake is a thing, I think. Or blueberry tart. A shell, some pastry cream, and then the berries over. Super-simple.
Cherries
When the bags of pacific northwest cherries arrive, it means summer has arrived or is very near. How are they so shiny? They may be waxed. I am a little bit suspicious. I grew up with a cherry tree in the back yard, a Montmorency cherry, not Bing. The ones that the birds didn’t get were shiny too, I think.
Don’t let the pits put you off. Eat around them. Cherries maybe require a bit more talent to avoid dripping on your shirt and staining it. If risk-averse, choose your apparel by color when planning to tackle fresh un-pitted cherries. Honestly you don’t need to do much to embellish fresh cherries. A little bit of whipped cream doesn’t hurt, though.
Mixing it up
Summer fruits go so well together in a salad. We haven’t touched on the melons yet, but watermelon, cantaloupe or honeydew all complement each other and the berries. As do the stone fruits: peaches, plums, apricots, and their funky hybrids too. (Do you pluot?)
Enjoy fresh fruit in season when you can. If you have extra, share with a neighbor, or bring it to work. Healthier and more energizing and less guilt-inducing than donuts.
