Strawberries
Out of season in the Midwest · down 10% this week
This fruit is at its local-harvest peak from April through June, and is generally in stores from March through July. This week it's out of season in the Midwest — buying it in season usually means better quality and, as the regional prices below show, a lower price.
Per a typical 144g serving, scaled from the per-100g figures in USDA FoodData Central (Strawberries, raw).
- 1 SouthcentralCheapest $2.49/lb
- 2 Midwest $2.71/lb
- 3 Southeast $2.74/lb
- 4 Southwest $2.75/lb
- 5 Northeast $3.02/lb
- 6 Northwest $3.22/lb
Buying strawberries in the Southcentral saves about 23% versus the Northwest this week.
- How to pick a good one
- Colour must be fully red all the way to the shoulders under the cap; strawberries do not ripen further after picking, so a white shoulder stays sour. The caps should be green and perky, and the whole container should smell like strawberries. Check the underside for damp or mouldy fruit.
- What a good price looks like
- A pound runs $2 to $5, cheapest in April through June. Under $2.50 is a good price and the moment to make something with them rather than just eating them. They are frequently used as a loss leader, so a very low advertised price on strawberries is common and genuine.
- What you actually get
- A 1 lb clamshell gives about 3 cups sliced and serves four. Hulling costs around 6% of the weight. They are the most perishable common fruit: expect to lose some within two days, and check the bottom of the box before buying, since one soft berry spoils its neighbours quickly.
- How to store it
- Refrigerate unwashed in a single layer if possible, and wash immediately before eating. They are the most perishable common berry — expect two or three days.
- In the kitchen
- Hull them with the tip of a paring knife or a straw pushed through from the base. Wash before hulling, not after, or they take on water through the cut. Slicing and tossing them with a spoonful of sugar half an hour ahead draws out the juice and turns mediocre supermarket strawberries into something considerably better — this is the single most useful thing to know about them.
- Getting the most out of it
- One mouldy berry infects its neighbours quickly, so sort the container the day you buy it. Slightly overripe strawberries are better macerated with a spoonful of sugar for twenty minutes than thrown out, and they freeze well for smoothies.
- Strawberry Scones RecipeRecipe by Natasha's Kitchen~$0.27 / serving 1 in-season
- Strawberry Lemon BlondiesRecipe by The Recipe Critic~$0.36 / serving 2 in-season
- Strawberry Rolls with Sweet Lemon GlazeRecipe by Sally's Baking Addiction~$0.37 / serving 2 in-season
- Cottage Cheese Jello SaladRecipe by The Recipe Critic~$0.41 / serving 2 in-season
- 8-Layer Honey Cake Recipe (Medovik)Recipe by Natasha's Kitchen~$0.42 / serving 1 in-season
- Strawberry Cinnamon RollsRecipe by The Recipe Critic~$0.57 / serving 2 in-season
See all 393 recipes with strawberries →Filter by diet, time, budget, and macros.
Price from the USDA National Retail Report. Nutrition per typical serving, computed from USDA FoodData Central.
Strawberries — FAQ
When can you buy strawberries in season?
This fruit is at its local-harvest peak from April through June, and is generally in stores from March through July. This week the Midwest has strawberries marked out of season.
What's the price of strawberries right now?
As of the week of September 4, 2026, the price of strawberries in the Midwest is $2.71/lb, down 10% from last week. It's cheapest in the Southcentral at $2.49/lb.
How many calories and how much protein are in strawberries?
A typical 144g serving of strawberries has about 46 calories, 1g protein, 11.1g carbohydrates, 0.4g fat, and 2.9g fiber, per USDA FoodData Central.
What can I make with strawberries?
SeasonSort indexes 393 recipes that use strawberries, each with its cost per serving computed from this week's prices — starting from about $0.01 a serving. The cheapest are listed on this page, with a link to the full filtered list.