Have you eaten your first strawberry of winter? How should you eat it?

Red, sweet and juicy strawberries

It is the favorite fruit of many people.

In December, winter strawberries begin to be available in large quantities.

However, there are also endless rumors about strawberries: Can’t eat out-of-season strawberries? Do strawberries rely on pesticides to grow? Recently, Yang Xiaofang, a strawberry breeding expert at the Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, gave some advice on “how to eat strawberries happily and safely”.

Eating strawberries does not require fear of medicine

The invention of modern pesticides has helped to increase the yield of fruits and vegetables. Yang Xiaofang introduced that chemical pesticides are generally used to control the main diseases and pests of strawberries from the time of strawberry planting to the time of flowering and fruiting, so as to minimize the number of pathogens and eggs of strawberries. During the flowering and fruiting period, biological control methods are used in production, such as using predatory mites to prevent spider mites, using Harmonia axyridis to prey on aphids and scale insects, and using Bacillus subtilis and Trichoderma harzianum to control diseases such as powdery mildew and gray mold, so as to improve the quality and quantity of strawberry production.

Citizens do not need to panic about the pesticide residues in strawberries. Yang Xiaofang explained that government departments will conduct special registration and strict management of the use of pesticides. As long as pesticides are used in a standardized manner, the amount of pesticide residues after the fruits and vegetables are harvested will not exceed the prescribed standards. Choosing to purchase strawberries through regular channels can ensure food safety and will not affect human health.

With the continuous research and development of agricultural technology, many strawberry varieties, such as Jiandehong and Yuexin, now have good disease resistance to white powder and gray mildew, reducing pesticide control in the production process, while ensuring output and reducing farmers' planting costs.

How to choose, wash and store strawberries?

How should we choose big or small, red or white strawberries when we go to the store? Yang Xiaofang said: "When choosing strawberries, we should mainly look at their freshness, whether the skin is damaged and whether the sepals are fresh. In addition, we should also look at the maturity of the strawberries. Fully ripe strawberries will definitely taste better."

How to wash and store strawberries is also a topic of concern to consumers. Yang Xiaofang suggested, "Just rinse with running water for 30 seconds. Since the strawberry peel is relatively thin, it is easy to be damaged if stored in the refrigerator, which will affect the taste. It is recommended that you store it at room temperature."

"About 40 years ago, most strawberries were cultivated in the open field and grew in late spring and summer. Since the 1990s, thanks to the improvement of greenhouse cultivation technology and the improvement of transportation systems, everyone can eat sweet strawberries with the same flavor and high quality in winter." Yang Xiaofang introduced that in Zhejiang, there are also strawberry varieties with local advantages such as Jiandehong, Zhangji, Yuexin, etc., some sweet and some sticky, which can meet the choices of consumers with different preferences.

Source | Chao News Client