Strawberries are a universal favorite. One survey by a strawberry trade group found that fresh strawberries were consumed in 93.7 percent of American households. If you can't pick your own, don't worry—no matter where you live, you can visit farmers' markets, fruit stands, or thriving fresh-produce sections for the season's best offerings.

Enjoy the sweet taste of strawberries in our top 15 user-rated recipes. Favorites include the easy-to-prepare Strawberry Shortcake and delicious Strawberry-Orange Muffins.

Picking technique. Cup the berry between your fingers, and snap the berry and the hull off the plant. The hull is the important part—keep it on, and the strawberries stay fresh longer. Time your visit right: It's best to pick strawberries early in the morning or later in the day, when the fruit is coolest. Look for ones that are red all over—picking halts the ripening process (but a little white around the cap is fine).

Buckets of berries. If you come home with a multitude of fresh berries, you'll need a plan—you can only eat so many. No doubt you'll want to freeze some for later. To do so, place strawberries in a single layer on a cookie sheet, then put them in the freezer for a couple of hours. Once the berries are frozen, transfer them to a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag or a freezer-safe container. This keeps the strawberries separated so you can remove as many or as few as you like. By the way, frozen berries are perfect for smoothies—you can also use them like ice cubes.

Storing berries. If you don't freeze your strawberries, plan on using them within a week. After seven days in the refrigerator, they'll start to deteriorate. They keep best if you place them in a single layer on paper towels in a shallow dish. Cover with paper towels and store in the refrigerator. Leave the hulls on the strawberries until after you wash them.

Choosing berries. If you pick your berries at the grocery store, use a sniff test. If they smell fragrant, take them home. But if they don't smell like much, they probably won't taste like much, either. Remember: Size says nothing about taste. And taste is only half the story. Strawberries are an excellent source of potassium and fiber, and also offer some folate, a B vitamin known for its role in reducing the risk of birth defects. Plus 10 medium strawberries provide more than 100 percent of the Daily Value for vitamin C.