William Allen Butler once wrote about the strawberry, “Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did.” And I wholeheartedly agree. A single good strawberry is a beautiful thing. But a box of them, Ferrari red and shining bright, practically begs to be consumed on the spot–misconstrued bathroom trips be damned!

Cheekiness aside, strawberries really do rank high on my list of all-time favorite fruits. I find them to be at their best on their own, embellished, at most, with a dollop of whipped or clotted cream. They strike that wonderful balance between tart and sweet, floral and fruity, and they play well with other flavors and open up a chef’s playbook to a variety of savory and sweet applications.

The problem I run into is picking the good ones out. These days it seems they’re everywhere: at every pushcart vendor and fruit stand, we’re bombarded by an endless parade of strawberries, all in different boxes, all different shapes and sizes, some sealed, some not, and some twice as expensive for no discernible reason. But there’s no greater disappointment than grabbing a box of these bad boys only to find out they’d be better used as lawn ornaments (painted on the outside, styrofoam on the inside) than as the perfect garnish to a flute of Champagne.

So here are my rules on how to pick a good one this strawberry season:

Rule One: Perfect Colors
To pick a winner, trust your senses. Look at the strawberries. Be one with them. Let your eyes travel the seed-studded surface, and focus on the details. You want good color and smooth shiny skin. Deep ruby red is best; steer clear of green on the fruit–no ripening equals no flavor. The leaves should be healthy and bright green.

Rule Two: Feel Them Up
Feel the strawberries. Give them a squeeze–a gentle squeeze please. They should be firm but yielding.

Rule Three: Smell Them
Then take a deep whiff. Good strawberries smell like sweet roses in bloom and taste of seduction.

Rule Four: Munch One
And, last but not least, sample one. If you’ve got a good relationship with your fruit guy, he’ll point you in the right direction and spare you the ogling and fondling of fruit in public.

When life gives you bad strawberries, make...
If somehow you’re still not completely happy with your purchase, don’t despair. There are a few ways to salvage sub-par strawberries. The simplest fix is to cut them in halves and mix them with a little bit of plain sugar. Let them sit for 30 minutes on the counter. You’ll see a lot of liquid seep out, and, while they may end up a little floppy, flavor-wise they should be passable. You can also toss some strawberry liquor into the mix, or you can turn your berries into a jam or blend it into a mixed yoghurt smoothie.

Regardless of how you like your strawberries, they are one of the world’s most iconic fruits. And while I certainly enjoy the fancy variations, like the coulis and the preserves and the purées and the soups, nothing really replaces a quiet night in with a bowl of fresh ripe strawberries in your lap and an ever increasing pile of little leaved crowns.

When Austin Hu isn't busy writing City Weekend's The Dish blog, he runs things over at Madison. Check out more of his articles here.