Strawberries

Commodity Overview

Strawberries drive sales in the berry category, so make them the centerpiece of berry promotions and displays. Take advantage of strawberries’ broad appeal to get them moving off the shelves. Consider creating secondary displays near the checkout and in the cereal aisle.

PLUs

4246 pint, East
4028 pint, West
4247 quart, East
4248 quart, West
4249 bulk 3-pack (3 pints), East
4250 bulk 3-pack (3 pints), West
4323 bulk
4251 long stem

Retail Price Data is based on USDA Specialty Crops Market News surveys. Data collection ends on the report date and encompasses ad pricing good from the Saturday before the report release date through the following Friday. Weekly data - from over 400 retailers, comprising more than 30,000 individual stores with online weekly advertised features - covers over 250 produce items. Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

USDA Specialty Crops Market News publishes FOB and Movement data on a daily and weekly basis. Pricing and volume information is aggregated by commodity and published weekly, subject to any source-data adjustments. Commodity data is further processed based on origin (domestic vs imports) and type (regular vs. organic). Registered (logged-in) users, can access weekly reports and additional market information.

Facts

Strawberries aren’t just universally popular, they offer a host of great health benefits as well. Strawberries are a great source of folic acid, which can help prevent neural tube birth defects. They contain vitamin C, which is a known cancer-fighter and can help your immune system work well. Strawberries have been shown to help prevent heart disease, mental decline and diabetes. Research shows strawberries have anti-inflammatory properties.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the following nutrient content descriptors for strawberries: fat-free (must state that strawberries contain less than 0.5 g of fat per 140 g serving), saturated fat-free, sodium-free, cholesterol-free, a good source of fiber, high in vitamin C, and high in folate.

Sales Strategies

Use berries’ popularity to move other items as well, including shortcake, whipped cream, glaze ingredients, ice cream and chocolate dip.
Strawberries are available year-round with peak season in the spring and summer. Promote strawberries throughout the year.
Fall: Include strawberries in back-to-school promotions as a tasty addition to kids’ lunches. Add strawberries to fruit trays for football tailgates and parties.
Winter: Promote strawberries as an addition to green salads for the holidays. Their red color offers a festive touch.
Spring: Include strawberries in Easter and Mother’s Day promotions.
Summer: Promote strawberries as the perfect summertime snack. Include them in summer holiday promotions around Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day.
Offer strawberries as part of multi-berry promotions.

Dynamic Displays

Keep strawberries refrigerated unless your turnover is quick.
Offer multiple sizes of berries packed in clamshells. Don’t stack clamshells to avoid squishing the berries on the bottom.
Create a large berry display with strawberries as the focal point during peak season.
Consider creating secondary displays near the checkout and in the cereal aisle.

Food Service

Use strawberries in baked desserts like pies and shortcakes.
Use strawberries to make from-scratch jams and jellies.
Include strawberries on breakfast bars as a topping for yogurt and cereal. Use strawberries in crepes and as a topping for pancakes, French toast and waffles.
Include strawberries in salads and on the salad bar.
Put small strawberries or strawberry slices in the bottom of a glass of champagne.
Use strawberries in drinks like strawberry lemonade.

In the Backroom

Shipping
8 1-lb. clamshells 4 2-lb. clamshells 3 4-lb. clamshells 12 1-pint containers 6 1-quart containers 12 10-oz. clamshells 12 8-oz. clamshells 12 8.8-oz. clamshells 8 8-oz. long-stem clamshells 4 16-oz. long-stem clamshells 9-lb. crates, 8 16-oz. clamshells 5-lb. ½ trays Shippers will also place-pack stem berries when available. RPC - 6409 Consumer packs Clamshell containers are popular consumer packs. They allow full view of the product and protect berries from handling Foodservice packs Offered in 12 pint flats or bulk, shippers also will place-pack stemmed berries when available

Grades
U.S. No. 1 U.S. combination U.S. No. 2

Handling
*Temperature: 32 to 34 F, 0 to 1 C *Relative humidity: 90-95% *Mist: no *Typical shelf life: 5 to 7 days *Highly sensitive to freezing injury. (Likely to suffer injury by one light freezing.) *Brief storage is the rule for maintaining quality product. After a few days in storage, strawberries will begin to lose coloring and flavor and may shrivel. *Strawberries should be kept cold, unless immediate sale is expected. *Do not wash strawberries for display as moisture causes them to break down.

Equivalents

1 pint = about 3½ cups whole 1 pint = about 2½ cups sliced 1 pint = about 1 2⁄3 cups pureed 1 pint = about 12 large stem berries 1 pint = about 36 smaller berries 1 cup whole = about 4 oz. 1 pint = 12 oz.