farm to table

Just the Season for Strawberry Shortcake

February 27, 2022

Fresh strawberries at Knaus Berry Farm

For the past couple of months, we’ve all been been enjoying juicy, red Florida strawberries. In South Florida, you can pick strawberries at places like Knaus Berry Farms and Strawberry Fields of Kendall, or buy them at farm stands and grocery stores. The real strawberry headquarters in the state is in west central Florida, the second largest producing region in the U.S., according to the Florida Strawberry Growers Association.

Here, conditions are just right for growing lots of berries, says Wael Elwakil of the UF/IFAS Extension in Hillsborough County.

“Strawberry weather requirements are a little tricky,” he says. “We try to plant before other states. That way, our growers gain an advantage in the strawberry market. In Florida, the Tampa Bay area is the belt (line) where you can grow strawberries because of its climate and daylength. If you go further north, it’s too cold, and further south, it’s too warm.

”It’s not easy to grow strawberries, Elwakil says. “You have to create them from tissue culture. Then you harvest and ship them, hopefully cold. You don’t want them to be shipped frozen. It’s difficult to manage pests and diseases. It’s a very tedious, sensitive process. Someone has to be out there all the time, keeping an eye on the crop.” The most popular varieties are ‘Florida Brilliance’ and ‘Sweet Sensation.’ While the strawberry season in Florida is not long – November through March – the crop’s impact on the state economy is considerable, an estimated $300 million.

Every year, those berries are celebrated in a big way at the annual Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City, where nearly half a million people gather over 11 days for live entertainment, livestock shows, rides, displays, parade and lots of strawberries: strawberry shortcake, strawberry milkshakes, chocolate strawberry shortcake milkshakes, strawberry jam, strawberry pie and cheesecake, strawberry pizza, strawberry cobbler, strawberry crepes, strawberry cream puffs, strawberry kettle corn, strawberry fritters, and plain strawberry bowls, plus flats of berries. This year’s festival is Mar. 3-13.

Meanwhile, in Tallahassee, state lawmakers have voted to make strawberry shortcake with Florida whipped cream the state’s official dessert, expanding the list of official state foods, which include key lime pie, tupelo honey and orange juice.

Strawberries are more than just a colorful garnish. Locally, restaurants and bake shops use Florida strawberries in seasonal desserts. Pie master Derek Kaplan at Fireman Derek’s Bake Shop debuted Strawberry Shortcake Pie, a flaky crust layered with cheesecake and homemade strawberry filling, then topped with whipped cream and strawberry shortcake streusel. At Knaus Berry Farm, where they sell their super-sweet berries to the public and to select local restaurants, you can find strawberry jelly and freezer jam, plus strawberry shakes. Robert Is Here sells seasonal fruit and strawberry milkshakes and smoothies, and you can find jam, preserves, salsa and poppyseed dressing made with strawberries, too.

Photo 1: Florida Strawberry Shortcake

Photo 2: Fresh strawberries at Knaus Berry Farm

Now, About That Shortcake

Strawberry tarts, pastries and cheesecakes are easy to find on restaurant menus in South Florida. But strawberry shortcake? Not so much.

While some consider making strawberry shortcake as simple as piling strawberries on top of a slice of pound cake and squirting whipped cream on top, the dish that dates back to the mid-1800s in the U.S. calls for a biscuit, berries and cream. Biscuit are made with flour, butter, baking powder, sugar and just enough cream to hold the dough together. They’re split and layered with strawberries and whipped cream. The buttery biscuit is slightly crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, an ideal vehicle to catch and absorb the sweet, sugary strawberry juice. Freshly whipped cream adds creamy lightness.

In the same family are strawberry desserts that call for pie crust pastry, split and filled with crushed strawberries and topped with crust and frosting, and slabs of pound cake, sponge cake, angel food cake or butter cake, all filled with berries and whipped cream. A tasty cousin is the trifle – leftover cake or ladyfingers soaked in juices or liqueur and spread with jam, then combined with fruits and whipped cream. Of course, all of these desserts work with other berries, too – blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and even a combination of what’s on hand. But let’s not lose focus – we’re talking strawberries this month.

Like any fruits at the height of their season, strawberries are good eating out of hand. But if you’ve got plenty on hand, here are some more ideas:
   •   Add a drop or two of good-quality balsamic vinegar to sliced strawberries, with a little sugar if needed. This trick enhances flavor, especially if your berries aren’t perfectly ripe.
   •   Make strawberry lemonade: Crush berries and sugar and let sit for 20 minutes. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, ice cubes and water.
   •   Make frozen strawberry lemonade: Freeze crushed berries and sugar. Freeze freshly squeezed lime juice. Add cubes plus regular ice cubes to a blender and process until this turns into ice.
   •   Eton Mess is one of those tasty, easy recipes: Just combine hulled, sliced strawberries with sugar and let sit for 20 minutes until the juices accumulate at the bottom. Mix gently with freshly whipped cream and store-bought meringues and heap into stemmed glasses. Top with a couple of whole berries.
   •   Freeze whole, hulled berries to use later for smoothies and shakes.