Fresh
Highly infested with many kinds of insects, especially thrips, which are small thin insects which hide in the little depressions on the strawberries and do not come off with the usual cleaning methods (Illustrations 15, 35, 38, 425–429). Therefore strawberries should be eaten only in one of the following three ways:
1. If one wants to cook or grind the strawberries:
Cut off the leaf at the top of the strawberry along with a thin slice (about 1 mm = 1/25 inch) of the fruit that’s touching it. Remove any cracks, deep clefts, or damaged areas. Soak for three minutes in water mixed with a little dishwashing liquid, rub lightly with your fingers or agitate the strawberries with your hand in circular motions in the water, and rinse well under running water in such a way that the water reaches every part of the berry — a handful at a time (Illustrations 430-437).
After this process, the berries may be cooked or blended.
It is praiseworthy to soak the strawberries in soapy water three times and rinse well after each soaking before grinding them.
2. If one wants to eat the strawberries whole:
Peel off the entire outer layer of the berry (including deep cracks and the place where the leaf is attached). Rinse well after peeling (Illustration 438).
Frozen
Use only those strawberries that are under the strict supervision of a first-rate kashrus organization which has expertise in the area of food infestation. Even then, it is best to grind the frozen strawberries or to cook them.
Candied strawberries
Found in products such as granola, generally clean of infestation.
Strawberry juice
Juice that was produced in a commercial plant, e.g. strawberry-banana drink, is acceptable.
Products containing strawberries
Yogurt, ice cream, jelly, etc., containing strawberries that were produced with strict kashrus supervision, may be eaten.
