Description

Fresh strawberry fruit

 

Where to buy strawberries in Lagos

Though strawberries are grown in Jos, Most of the strawberries sold in Nigeria are imported;  You can get strawberries in store though they are more readily available on certain days of the week – Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The prices of strawberries in Nigeria

Strawberries are sold by weight in Nigeria;  In store, we sell 250g at N2500.

The health benefits of strawberries

• The fruits are suitable for diabetics as they help the body regulate blood sugar.
• They are rich in anti oxidants; antioxidants strengthen the body immune system .
• They are a very source of Vitamin C, vitamin C is also an anti oxidant that boosts the body’s immune system, it is also good for the skin.
• They increase the amount of  good cholesterol contained in the body and lower blood pressure.

 

The amount of calories in strawberries

Fresh strawberries are high in water , low in carbs.

100grams of strawberries contain about 32cal

Is it possible to be allergic to strawberries?

Yes it is possible, it affects less than 10% of children and adults. Food allergies should always be attended to as it can sometimes be mild or severe.

Is strawberry good during pregnancy?

Except you are allergic , strawberries are healthy for you even in pregnancy . You can incorporate with other fruits into your smoothies or simply slice and enjoy with yoghurt and nuts. Check below for some smoothie recipes.

Strawberry smoothie recipes

• Strawberries + raspberries + blackberries + blueberries (all fresh)
• Yogurt + strawberries + raspberries + blackerries + blueberries ( optional : you can sweeten with a little honey)
• strawberries + orange juice + pineapple + apples + lemon + cucumber

 How long can strawberries be stored for?

This depends on how the strawberries are stored. They can be stored fresh in the fridge for between 5days to 2weeks or frozen in the freezer for months. First, make sure all the fruits are fresh and mold free. You should separate any bruised fruits and consume them first before storage.

Strawberry drink recipes

Ingredients

• Fresh strawberries
• Lemon
• ice cubes
• white sugar
• water

Method

• Properly wash the strawberries , cut off the stem, chop the berries into smaller bit and transfer into a blender.
• Add in lemon juice and sugar in quantities you will need for the amount of strawberries you are blending.
• Blend together till smooth then add some water and blend again.
• Chill in the refrigerator or add some of the ice cubes for that chilled taste.

How to store strawberries

They can be stored fresh in a fridge or frozen in a freezer. Make sure you sort the fruits before storage, take out the bruised fruits or any ones with mold on them.

Method 1 – In a plastic container; line the inside of  the container with a kitchen towel, take the fruits out of the pack they were sold in, place the fruits inside the plastic container (try not to overcrowd the container), cover it and place in the fridge. This should keep them fresh for up to 5-7 days and prevent the fruits from drying out.

Method 2 – In a glass jar; take the fruits out of the pack they were sold in and transfer them into the jar (try not to overcrowd the jar). Tightly cover the jar  and keep in the fridge. This should keep the fruits fresh for 5-7 days.

Method 3 – Wash in vinegar and water; pour vinegar into a bowl of water (ratio of vinegar to water – 1:3), mix well then transfer the fruits from the pack they were sold in into a rice sieve, immerse the sieve into the water /vinegar solution and leave for 3-5 minutes. Take out the sieve ( with the fruits in it) from the solution then spread out the fruits to dry up on a kitchen towel. Line the inside of a plastic container with a kitchen towel and carefully put the fruits inside, cover the container and keep in the fridge. This should keep the fruits fresh for almost 2 weeks.

Method 4 – Wash the fruits in water, cut out the stem, leave them to dry on a kitchen towel then pack up the fruit in small ziploc bags. Don’t stack up the fruits on each other in the bag just arrange in a single layer then transfer the bags to the freezer. This method of freezing changes the texture of the fruit but preserves them for months.

 

How to ripen strawberries at home

To ripen strawberries at home, simply put them in a brown paper bag (make sure you don’t stack to many fruits over each other), tightly seal the top of the bag, place it on top of the fridge (the warm side), leave there overnight.

Check them the next day, they should be ripe but if they aren’t as ripe as you would want then you can cover the brown paper bag again and leave on the fridge overnight again, once it has fully ripened , transfer the fruits inside the fridge to keep them fresh.

Recipes for strawberries scrubs

A simple DIY recipe for a homemade scrub

• Put 3-4 strawberry fruits in a bowl (cut off the stem first), add in a tablespoons of honey ; mash them together and be sure to retain the strawberry seeds in the mixture. Add in few drops of warm water to the mixture. You can then massage mixture into the skin in a circular motion, leave the mixture on for about 10 minutes and rinse off with cold water. This scrub should remove the dead skin cells so your skin glows better and becomes clearer.

Is strawberry good for skincare?

Yes!

Because they contain a very good amount of essential anti oxidants ,vitamins and minerals, whether eaten or applied topically, they are beneficial to the body.

Here’s 4 ways you can use them on your skin

• For puffy eyes; simply slice cold strawberries and place on your eyelids for 3-4minutes to reduce puffiness of the eyes.
• For exfoliation, its a very good ingredient for rejuvenation and anti aging. if you wish to get rid of dead skin cells on your skin to achieve better glowing and clearer skin, you can try out the DIY Scrub described above.
• For hair growth ; incorporating it with breakfast can help strengthen hair follicles, preventing hair breakage and promoting hair growth.
• Chapped lips; It is possible to achieve smoother lips by applying strawberries on them, simply mash one fruit, apply on the lips , leave for few minutes and rinse off .

 

Is strawberry good for keto diet?

Yes it is.

Strawberries are low in carbs, high in fibre, low in sugar and low in calories . They also contain a good amount of essential vitamins , antioxidants and minerals.

How to make strawberry tea

Ingredients

• Fresh strawberries
• tea bags
• white sugar
• water

Method

• Boil some water, once it boils , turn off the heat , pour the water into a jug and dip the teabags ; leave them in for about 10minutes.
• Wash the strawberries, cut off the stem and blend smooth to get puree.
• Pour the puree into a mesh strainer and squeeze out juice and discard the whats left, keep just the juice.
• Get a big jug, pour in the tea, strawberry juice and sugar.
• Keep stirring ,until sugar dissolves completely.
• Add in more water and refrigerate until cold.

Strawberry iced tea  is ready to be served !!!

Where is the strawberry market in Nigeria?

Berries are very fragile so they are not so they are not easily found in open markets, you can buy a variety of berries from themarketfoodshop, kindly check instore.

What the strawberry taste like

strawberries have a sweet and slightly acidic taste.

How to make strawberry yoghurt smoothie

This can be done in different ways  and here’s one

Pour in the yoghurt (sweetened, plain or greek) into the smoothie blender, remove stem of the strawberries, slice into sizeable chunks and throw in, blend. Smoothie is ready. If you wish , you can sweeten with a bit of honey. I prefer using very thick yoghurt so the smoothie does not end up being too watery because of the water content in the berries.

Recipe : Oatmeal with strawberries

 

Strawberry smoothie recipe

Kiwi, blueberries, kale also available, click to buy

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