LOCAL STRAWBERRIES: Savor the sweetness!

No matter what area you live in, it’s likely strawberries carry some sort of nostalgic story. Growing up in Nairobi, friends would have small patches of strawberries. One neighbor let us come over and pick a basket full to bring home once they were ripe. It was always a special treat when Mom brought out the sugar dish and let us dip a freshly washed strawberry right in. Oh. So. Sweet. Later in life, my husband and I lived in Kajiado for several years. Strawberry season was huge there! There was even a special Strawberry Festival, and everyone seemed to have special strawberry attire to wear in late spring. One of my favorite lunch spots served the most delicious strawberry cake. Now back in Nairobi, my mom and mother-in-law have found a special connection over strawberry pretzel salad (recipe shared below). Mom loved the dish so much, she began requesting it on special holidays from my mother-in-law. How sweet strawberry season is and all the memories it carries with it.

This heart-shaped superfood is a low-calorie nutritious addition to any diet. Strawberries are packed full of:

• Vitamins
• Antioxidants 
• Fiber

Strawberries can grow in several climates and various soils, so long as they have direct sunlight. Peak strawberry season usually only lasts 3-4 weeks, and locally-grown berries are the most fresh and flavorful. Here are some strawberry harvest date ranges by state:

• Mombasa, April to early June
• Kwale, late May to June
• Kilifi, late May to June
• Tana River, late May to June
• Lamu, mid May to mid June
• Taita-Taveta, late May to early July
• Garissa, mid May to June
• Wajir, May
• Mandera, late May to late June
• Marsabit, late May to late June
• Isiolo, April to May
• Meru, May to early June
• Embu, late May to early July