Pickled Green Strawberries Are Our New Summer Staple
While summer-ripened strawberries are sweet, juicy wonders, their green predecessors plucked far before their peak of ripeness have a consistency closer to cucumbers with just a hint of berry to keep things interesting. They are a little tart, a little acidic, and wholly delicious, particularly when turned into pickles. Follow your favorite quick pickle recipe (this sweet-spicy refrigerator pickle recipe is a winner) but swap in green strawberries for the sweet peppers or onions.
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As for what makes for the perfect unripe strawberry, it's a bit up to the eater. Culinary powerhouse the James Beard Foundation spoke to several superstar chefs who all had different ideas about what to look for. One "insisted that a completely green berry, with no hints of white, is perfectly unripe," another looks "for green outsides and pink insides," and a third "likes fruit with 'little kisses of red or light pink.'" In short, whatever state of unripeness your strawberries happen to be in, they should work perfectly for pickles.
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As for what to do with those little green wonders, add them to a cheese or charcuterie plate, use a few in a salad to add a bright note, or pair them with a simple fish or chicken dish to add a little zing. You could also include them as a savory element in a sweet dessert, and they frequently take a starring role in sorbets. They are also an intriguing and surprising addition to a cocktail. Nearly anywhere you would use a pickled onion or a lemon twist as a garnish, you could use a pickled green strawberry.
