Glutenfreeda.com: Berry Berry Good!

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Berry Berry Good!

Summertime is the best time to enjoy fresh berries. We invite you to take advantage this summer of the plentiful selection of fresh berries — blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and more…all sweet and delicious on their own, but sometimes even better when served in a cake, pie, as a garnish, as a sauce or even as a compliment to savory dinner dishes.

We’d like to share some helpful tips on how to choose the very best berries for your baked goods and savory dishes:

Unless you are fortunate enough to live near fresh berry farms and have the luxury of having hand-picked fresh berries, we recommend purchasing organic berries. Not only are they better for your, void of harsh pesticides and other chemicals, but they taste much better than the commercially produced variety.
Always look for glossy, plump berries with rich color. When buying berries at the grocery store packaged in plastic containers, turn the box over and make sure that there are no major stains on the bottom. This would signal that there are a few berries beginning to break down.
Make sure that there are no signs of mold — even if one berry is molding, all the berries have the potential to take on that moldy, undesirable flavor.
For blackberries and raspberries — If you are planning on eating the berries fresh, pick fully ripe, soft and fragrant berries. If you are planning to use the berries for canning, baking, or for cooking sauces, choose berries that are a little firmer.
For strawberries — Rinse only if they are commercially produced or have been exposed to sprays and chemicals. A gentle rub with a towel can remove the dust and dirt without sacrificing the flavor that could be washed off with an innocent water bath. Keep the caps on the berries until you are ready to serve to avoid premature spoilage. If you have to wait more than an hour before eating, sprinkle the berries with a little sugar, cover and refrigerate. Unlike blackberries and raspberries, strawberries tend to be at their best when eaten fresh, rather than baked or cooked.
For Blueberries — Choose round, plump blueberries with a light covering of "bloom" (a whitish coating that preserves the moisture of the berry). Blueberries are delicious, both fresh, baked and frozen as well.