As summer unfolds across the countryside, few sights are more welcome than hedgerows dotted with luscious, British-grown strawberries. With their plump hearts and ruby-red colour, strawberries are a true taste of summer – synonymous with sunny days and traditional British desserts. A bowl of fresh strawberries and cream is a classic pairing that remains a seasonal favourite, perfect for warm afternoons in the garden.
When are strawberries in season?
In the UK, British strawberries are in season from early June to late August, making their appearance brief but eagerly anticipated. For many, the joy lies in picking strawberries by hand from a local farm – a simple summer pleasure that connects us to the land.
The average strawberry holds 200 seeds on its surface – making it the only fruit to wear its seeds on the outside. Though we call them berries, strawberries are not true berries in the botanical sense, deriving from a single flower with several ovaries, rather than a flower with just one ovary. True berries typically have several seeds. Enjoyed since Roman times, it became a symbol of purity and passion during the medieval era, often served at weddings as a sign of love.
What are the health benefits of strawberries
Strawberries are rich in health benefits. Just five berries provide more vitamin C than an orange. They are also a source of folic acid, potassium, omega-3 fatty acids, and powerful antioxidants, all of which support overall wellbeing.
With over 30 varieties grown in the UK, each strawberry has its own flavour profile. The Jubilee variety is celebrated for its sweetness, while pineberries – white strawberries with a pineapple-like taste – offer something a little different among seasonal fruits.
How to store and serve strawberries
Choose fruit that is bright, unblemished, and with fresh green stalks. Wash gently, remove the hulls after rinsing, and let strawberries reach room temperature to bring out their full flavour.
Hulling or coring strawberries removes the green stem or calyx from the top of the fruit, and is the first step in many recipes. A simple and easy method involves angling a small, sharp knife to cut around the green stem and into the paler flesh below, using a circular motion.
Summer recipes with strawberries
Whether served simply as strawberries and cream, or folded into an Eton mess, strawberries shine in countless summer recipes. From English trifles to strawberry tarts and homemade jam, there are endless strawberry desserts to celebrate the fruit’s vibrant flavour. It continues to earn pride of place on the British summer table.
Strawberries and cream tart recipe
Ingredients
Serves 8
400g strawberries, hulled
400ml double cream
120g butter, plus extra for greasing
300g digestive biscuits
1 tbsp vanilla paste
Method
Grease a 23cm round, 5cm deep, loose-bottomed tin. In a large saucepan, melt the butter until liquid. In a bowl, crush the biscuits with the end of a rolling pin. Off the heat, add the biscuit crumbs to the butter and stir thoroughly. Press the mixture into the prepared tin using the back of a dessert spoon, to make a tart base, pushing it together until it is solid. This may take several minutes. Chill the biscuit base for 1 hr.
Place half the strawberries in a food processor and blend until pureed. In a large bowl, whip the double cream for 3 mins until firm, then fold the strawberry puree and vanilla paste through the cream. Fill the biscuit base with the cream mixture and flatten with the dessert spoon. Slice the remaining strawberries in half and decorate the top. Leave to chill for 1 hr before serving.
Try our other strawberry recipes now!
Sweet and airy, these pretty meringue desserts bring the colours of the season to a summer tea.
Said to have been made in celebration of the monarch’s coronation, this impressive sponge is layered in cream and bejewelled with berries, perfect for The Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
Packed with fruit, this recipe turns traditional jelly into a flavour-filled summer dessert.
The heavenly pairing of strawberries and cream captures the season in this elegant summer dessert
Creamy, sweet and tangy, summer slices are made for sharing on a sunny day.
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Liz O’Keefe is a professional chef, trained journalist, and the home economist at LandScape magazine. She has written several cookbooks, including the Gourmand award-winning The Mushroom Cookbook. A respected voice in the UK food scene, she regularly judges prestigious food awards and is a member of The Guild of Food Writers. Follow her on Instagram @ecjokeefe