There’s something right about a ripe, in-season strawberry. In Japan, the concept of “shun” celebrates eating foods at their seasonal peak, when they’re freshest and most flavorful. Strawberries embody this idea. Whether you’re standing in a sun-warmed field, tending your own backyard plants, or savoring berries from a local farm, strawberries are a reminder to slow down and enjoy the fleeting perfection of the season.

The Science of Sweetness

Ripe strawberries aren’t as sweet as other fruits, so what makes them taste like dessert? The answer lies in their aroma. Scientists have identified hundreds of volatile compounds in strawberries, which create scents like caramel and orange blossom. These compounds increase our perception of sweetness. When you eat a strawberry, these aroma compounds travel from your throat to your nasal passages, combining with the taste on your tongue. This interplay of senses makes a ripe strawberry irresistible.

Emblem Produce

Have you noticed how certain fruits and vegetables call out the season? Pumpkins and apples in autumn, sweet corn and tomatoes for summer and how ripe strawberries kick off the fruits of summer. These foods symbolize how important the changes in nature are to culture. We taste the sweetness of strawberries in June, and it means something deeper and real than the ordinary run of convenience foods. I heard someone pose the question: convenience or connection? They don’t need to be exclusive but how much of the simple pleasures of life do we lose when we fail to stop and exclaim together, and make a big deal over — Now! It’s almost the season soon and we’ll be picking ripe strawberries.

Strawberry Rituals

I’m currently reading “The Memory Police” by Yoko Ogawa. On a small island, the memory police keep disappearing things, like clouds, birds, hair ribbons and strawberries. When they disappear, no one can remember anything about them anymore. All of their memories of a sun-warmed field with the smell of strawberries are gone. What’s scary is that the islanders become used to losing things they once had and no one can remember the colors, flavors and dishes that made strawberry.

Culinary loss concerns me. I see it all around as simple and easy with our busy lives trumps community, craft, and connection. I introduced my husband 19 years ago to strawberry picking at Graymarsh. He grew up in a family with little connection to food other than grabbing something out of the freezer and putting it in the microwave. We’ve now picked strawberries together year after year. It’s our ritual to each find the ripest, sweetest berry and feed it to each other sealed with a kiss and then take a selfie of us together with the field in the background. Each year it’s becoming more and more meaningful as our hair silvers and time shortens.

Strawberry Towers

I’m growing both June bearing and everbearing strawberries in towers in my courtyard. I’ve had success before and am hoping. They’re blooming, and I’m noticing a few green berries appearing. I have one Marshall plant, which is known for its outstanding flavor. I’m also growing Chandler June bearing, and Quinault everbearing.

We have such opportunities for strawberries here. Right now the Tonnemaker farm dessert strawberries from Sammamish Valley, just outside of Woodinville, are in at the Food Coop. Soon we’ll have baskets of berries at the Farmer’s market and at local U -Pick Places.

Don’t Gild the Strawberry

Strawberries need nothing but to be eaten! I’ve stopped cooking them and if I need to do anything I’ll macerate — Sprinkle sugar over sliced strawberries and let them sit for an hour. This process draws out their juices, creating a syrupy sweetness that’s perfect for desserts like shortcakes, pancakes, or simply served with whipped cream. I’ve added three scrumptious extra recipes to the Food Coop blog. Check them out! Roasted Vanilla Cardamom Rhubarb Sauce, Buckwheat Crêpes and Easy Fromage Blanc

Sidonie Maroon is the culinary educator for the Port Townsend Food Co-op. For more recipes on this topic and others, please visit our website www.foodcoop.coop.