Jose Lozoya
Staff Intern
As we are still freshly into 2016, it is never too late to start new eating and diet resolutions and thankfully, in Plant City, there is no more delicious and nutritious food source than Florida strawberries.
Plant City has been proclaimed to be The Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. The ideal climate and productive soils have helped the town rise to the top. There are also plenty of dedicated family farms that have existed for many generations, such as the Astin family, of Astin Strawberry Exchange, who has grown strawberries in Plant City for over 95 years.
Sue’s recipes
The Florida Strawberry Growers Association is a nonprofit, voluntary organization that represents more than 8,000 acres of berries.
FSGA is headquartered in Dover. Sue Harrell has been the marketing director and spokesperson of the association for over 10 years.
When it comes to Florida berries, Harrell knows a thing or two. She is married to Mark Harrell, a third-generation strawberry farmer. They reside in Plant City/Dover area.
“I’ve been working for Florida strawberries almost all my life,” Harrell said. “The farmers in Plant City and neighboring Dover, Florida are truly a family. There are about a hundred of us. We pitch in to help each other and and work together to get the word out about winter berries.”
If you’re ready to eat fresh, Harrell has her own website, StrawberrySue.com, that is filled with strawberry recipes. There is everything from “Candy Corn Strawberries” to “Strawberry S’mores” and “French Toast Strawberry Kabobs” to a Strawberry Christmas tree for the holidays.
Healthy Highlights
Orange You Glad | One serving of about eight strawberries provides more vitamin C than an orange, or about 140% of the U.S. recommended dietary allowances for vitamin C.
Hearty | Strawberries are one of the most antioxidant-rich foods you can eat. Among many health benefits, they’ve been shown to boost heart health.
Bye Bye, Fat | There’s virtually no fat and there’s no cholesterol in strawberries.
Vitamin Rich | Strawberries pack a lot a fiber for their size. In addition to lots of vitamin C, they offer potassium, magnesium, iron, vitamin B-6 and calcium.
Gym Buddies | Eating strawberries, which are rich in nitrates, can increase the flow of blood and oxygen to muscles by 7%. This prevents muscle fatigue, making exercise more easy and productive.
Forever Young | Studies have shown that strawberries stop wrinkles. The vitamin C in the berries help build collagen and keeps skin smooth.
Low Cal | One cup of strawberries contains only 47 calories, a great alternate to other fat and sugar-filled treats.
SOURCE: Florida Strawberry Growers Association
Recipe Book
The Florida Strawberry Grower’s Association partnered with the Florida Strawberry Festival to make a hardback recipe book for this year’s festival. Learn more about “Florida Strawberries: A Taste of Summer All Winter Long." The recipe books can be found in the Neighborhood Village.
