Tag Archives: Strawberries

So THAT’s Why Restaurant Strawberries Taste So Much Better

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We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about how to achieve a restaurant-level finish on everything from scrambled eggs to potato wedges.

But even something as simple as cucumbers and strawberries can be elevated to a professional standard, too – provided you know the chef’s secrets.

Luckily, Sabian Mehmetaj, pastry chef at Nottingham restaurant Cleaver & Wake, has shared the secret to getting the most out of the staple Wimbledon berry.

“Strawberries are such a nostalgic fruit,” he shared.

“Everyone remembers picking them, growing them or eating them with cream while watching Wimbledon. They’re simple but full of joy, which makes them perfect for summer desserts.”

Here’s his method for keeping them at their most delicious.

Store strawberries in a manner that mimics the great outdoors

“Fresh strawberries are always best, but how you store them really matters,” the chef revealed.

At his restaurant, they try to mimic outdoor conditions in their kitchen.

“During the day, we keep them at room temperature, then store them in the fridge overnight,” the pro revealed.

“This replicates the natural cycle of the seasons and stops them losing their flavour. When strawberries are too cold for too long, they can taste flat and dull.”

Berry producers Driscoll’s seem to agree.

They advise removing strawberries from the fridge “an hour or two” before eating them to get the most of their fragrant flavour.

As America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) shares, strawberries don’t actually have that much sugar; the smell is a big part of why we perceive them as sweet.

Allowing them to come to temperature will make their smell more pronounced, improving the taste of your strawberries.

Swap meringue for crumble, too

Mehmataj shared that though a pavlova is classic, he likes to add a different crunchy layer to his strawberry desserts.

“Most people go for meringue with strawberries, but I like to make a simple crumble topping instead and season it with a pinch of sea salt,” he said.

“That savoury note helps balance the sweetness and gives a really nice contrast in texture” (remember when people started pairing their strawberries with balsamic vinegar?).

If that doesn’t suit, the chef recommends a scoop of Italian meringue instead.

“Either way, it’s a dish that feels seasonal and familiar but with something a little different,” he advised.

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I Tried The ‘Correct’ Way To Eat Strawberries And I Regret To Inform You We’re All Doing It Wrong

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Before I start, let me make one thing clear: I do not enjoy a pointless “proper” extra step when it comes to my food.

For instance, I am alright eating chocolate digestives the “wrong way” (according to McVitie’s). I will go choccie-up like a non-industry normie, thanks very much.

But sometimes, much to my annoyance, the pros are onto something.

Brie, for instance, loses its unpleasant ammonia tang after being brought to room temperature. Leaving it out for half an hour actually is worth your while.

And even though I do think fridge-cold strawberries are beautiful as is, berry producers Driscoll’s said those should come out of their chilly home long before you eat them, too.

So, I tried the tip this afternoon – and I’m so sorry, but they’re completely right.

Strawberries on pistachio cream on the left; on their own in a bowl on the right

Amy Glover / HuffPost UK

Strawberries on pistachio cream on the left; on their own in a bowl on the right

How long should you leave strawberries out of the fridge before you eat them?

Per the berry company, you can refrigerate strawberries in their original container for up to five days if you keep them dry.

But they “taste best at room temperature, so remove them an hour or two before you plan on eating them,” the company claims.

You should also rinse them just before eating them to get rid of any germs without risking making them soggy.

I’ll be honest; I thought the advice was a little too fussy for my liking. But Driscoll’s isn’t alone in recommending the method.

Southern Living go by a 30-minute warm-up rule.

BBC Good Food, meanwhile, puts it at an hour.

Even Worcestershire County Council weighed in, suggesting we “remove them from the fridge and bring to room temperature before eating”.

So, I thought I’d bring my punnet of this year’s beautifully sweet harvest out of my fridge an hour before my usual post-lunch snack to see for myself.

It does make a difference

I get it; I have been diving straight into the fruit the second I remove it from the fridge all week.

But, sorry to say, the inconvenience of bringing them to room temperature really does transform their flavour (not least because that wonderful fragrance is so much more noticeable).

This may be because, as America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) shares, strawberries don’t actually have that much sugar; the smell is a big part of why we perceive them as sweet.

“Just a little bit of heat is enough to coax [the smell] out of the fruit and into the air,” Dan Souza shared in an ATK video, adding that cold temperatures suppress sweet flavours.

No wonder the ones I’d left out had more of that signature scent and mouth-wateringly sweet flavour, too – it was a night and day difference.

Personally, I’m never going back. And even if you don’t adopt the habit every single time you crave the berry, I recommend trying it at least once.

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