How to Hull Strawberries, 2 Ways

Inspired by conversations on the Food52 Hotline, we're sharing tips and tricks that make navigating all of our kitchens easier and more fun.

Today: Waste not, want not -- here's how to quickly hull strawberries. 

Strawberries are the prize of summer; we buy them with grand visions of sweet cakes, messy crumbles, and summertime drinks. But before the berries reach the fridge shelf, we’ve often eaten half our bounty, hastily chopping off their pesky green tops in anticipation of biting into their sweet, juicy flesh.

Though this shortcut instantly satisfies our cravings, it wastes a fair amount of valuable fruit. With a practiced hand and a few more seconds, though, you can remove the green cap and the hard white flesh underneath, leaving an intact, beautiful berry. So draw your weapons –- we’re showing you two ways to hull strawberries.

More: If you end up lopping off too much, turn your tops into strawberry water. 

With a paring knife: With your dominant hand, grab a paring knife with your thumb flush to the front of the blade, leaving about a half inch between the tip of your thumb and the tip of the blade. Holding the berry in the opposite hand, insert the blade of the paring knife into the fruit at a 45° angle where the core and flesh meet, until your thumb barely touches the green cap. Rotate the knife and fruit in opposite directions, keeping your thumb in the same position. Once the berry has rotated full circle, the core will release, leaving an intact berry. 

With a straw: This shortcut requires little practice and removes the strawberry’s core in one swift motion. (It will result in a hole through the center of the berry, so use this method when appearance isn’t crucial.) Insert an unbent straw into the bottom of the strawberry, and push straight through the fruit until the straw emerges out the other side and pops the cap off. 

Tell us -- do you have a trick for hulling strawberries?