Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Cut the Ends off Strawberries

You miss the best part of the berry if you're doing this.

Hooray for strawberry season! Reliable BFF of rhubarb and enchanting dance partner to chocolate, the simple, gorgeous strawberry is on all our must-eat lists this time of year. Does anything sound nicer than sipping luscious strawberry cocktails or tucking into sun-kissed strawberry desserts on a spring afternoon? Indeed, nothing says “welcome, spring!” like these heart-shaped (and heart-stealing) berries.

But are you making the most of your pretty haul? Not if you’re making this simple mistake.

Strawberry in the farm.Strawberries; Shutterstock ID 306865835; Job (TFH, TOH, RD, BNB, CWM, CM): TOHCLICKMANIS/Shutterstock

Why Shouldn’t You Toss the Tips?

They’re the sweetest part of the whole berry. And the reason this seed-covered little point is the tastiest part? Gravity. Yep, it’s so simple, it’s shocking. As the ripening berry hangs by the cap on its stem, gravity pulls naturally occurring sugars down into the tip. This makes the strawberry tip the sweetest, choicest part. And when you toss those tips (read: if you don’t like their knobby, seedy appearance), you’re letting go of the most flavorful part.

How to Really Cut a Strawberry

Be sure when you’re slicing berries, to eat now or freeze for later, that you cut them vertically, from cap to tip. That gives each slice a little bit of that sweet ol’ magic.

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Christine Rukavena
Christine loves to read, curate, sample and develop new recipes as a senior book editor at Taste of Home. A CIA alumna with honors, she creates cookbooks and food-related content. A favorite part of the job is taste-testing dishes. Previous positions include pastry chef at a AAA Five Diamond property. Christine moonlights at a boutique wine shop, where she edits marketing pieces and samples wine far higher than her pay grade.