Strawberries are the ultimate summer fruit - 2,000kg alone is consumed at Wimbledon. They conjure up memories of stuffing your face at the local pick-your-own, jam sandwiches in school lunch boxes and boozy glasses of Pimms and lemonade.
"I'm trying to find that elusive taste of childhood memories of the strawberry." - Michel Roux Jnr
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In medieval times they were regarded as an aphrodisiac, Romantic poet John Keats mixed them with black pepper and sugar to encourage sensory exploration and, according to the society of British Summer Fruits, they were used medicinally to help with digestive ailments, discolored teeth and skin irritations.
Also in season: broad beans, British peas and tomatoes
With Wimbledon starting its second week and the British strawberry season at its peak, what better time is there to celebrate the quintessential British berry. So stick some in your gin and tonic, mash some into your Eton mess or try out one of the sensational strawberry recipes below.
Five ways with strawberries
Strawberry pavlova(01 of05)
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Make sure you have a clean mixing bowl, if there's any grease in the bowl the egg whites won't fluff up. Separate six eggs and whisk the whites until they start to form peaks. Gradually add 300g of caster sugar and a pinch of salt until the mixture has formed soft, shiny peaks and you can hold it above your head.Blob the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and spread it into a rough circle with the back of a spoon or spatula - if you're feeling fancy and have a steady hand you can put some of the mixture into a piping bag and pipe rosettes onto the top to make a pretty, professional looking pavlova.Bake in a preheated oven at around 150 C for an hour or until the meringue is just turning golden and leave it to cool on a wire rack.Slice up some fresh strawberries and top the cooled meringue along with whipped cream and dust with icing sugar. You can mix the cream with greek yoghurt for a less fattening topping. (credit:Michael Powell/Getty Images)
Classic strawberry jam(02 of05)
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Jam is a great way to use up lots of overripe fruit.Mix equal parts of strawberries and sugar in a heavy bottomed pan with the juice of one lemon. 1kg of strawberries and 1kg sugar should make about 4-6 jars of jam.Sterilise your jam jars by washing in hot, soapy water and popping them in a preheated oven at 140 C, upside down on a baking sheet for half an hour. Do the same with metal lids if your using them.Heat the strawberry mixture until it all goes mushy then turn the heat up and bring the mixture to the boil, boiling until it reaches setting point - when you can put a teaspoon of it on a cold saucer and leave it to cool before running your finger through it. If it wrinkles it's ready, if it's runny it needs more cooking.When it's ready, allow it to set in the pan for about ten minutes before pouring into the cooled jam jars with a jug. Seal the jars and leave to cool before labelling. (credit:Andrew Dernie/Getty Images)
Cheat's strawberry cheesecake(03 of05)
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Bash up a packet of ginger biscuits in a sealed bag with a rolling pin until crumbled and tip into some glass tumblers. Mix an entire tub of cream cheese with three tablespoons of icing sugar and a few drops of vanilla essence - you can use the scrapings from half a vanilla pod for a more intense flavour if you prefer.Spoon a think layer of the sweetened cream cheese onto the biscuit bases and top with fresh, sliced strawberries.Melt two tablespoons of strawberry jam over a low heat in a saucepan until runny and brush or drizzle over the strawberries to make a delicious glaze. Refrigerate the cheesecake pots for a few hours and garnish with mint leaves before serving. (credit:Elin Enger/Getty Images)
Strawberries aren't just for puddings, you can act like a proper foodie and chuck them into salads as well.Strawberries work best with strong, salty flavours that can match up to their sweetness. BBC Good Food has a fantastic salmon, strawberry and fennel version, which takes minute to make.Whisk together olive oil, white wine vinegar, wholegrain mustard and runny honey to make a dressing before tossing together strips of smoked salmon, a sliced bulb of fennel and 200g of halved strawberries with a bag of rocket. Drizzle with the dressing and serve. (credit:KirbyIng/Getty Images)