June strawberry season. Strawberry shortcake with biscuits. Strawberry preserves. The first fruit of summer in Black Southern households — arriving before the heat settles in.
Strawberry season arriving meant something in Black Southern households — the first sign of summer abundance after the thin months. Strawberry shortcake on biscuits, not sponge cake, is the Black Southern version of this dessert. The biscuit underneath soaks the strawberry juice and becomes something specific to this tradition.
Strawberries have the highest vitamin C content of common berries — one cup provides 150% of daily needs. Pelargonidin, the dominant anthocyanin, demonstrates LDL-lowering and endothelial protection in clinical studies. Ellagic acid has antiproliferative properties in laboratory colon cancer models. Eight strawberries daily reduced LDL cholesterol by 10% in a well-controlled clinical trial.
Hull fresh strawberries and eat fresh; for shortcake, halve and macerate with a small amount of sugar and let rest 30 minutes to release juice. Strawberry preserves made with less sugar and chia seeds for pectin is a modern rehabilitation of the traditional recipe.
Free, no account needed to ask.