FOR MANY PARTS OF THE country, strawberries are a harbinger of springtime, but for lucky Louisianans, the season’s first berries can begin appearing at markets as early as January. Their sweetness and abundance both grow as the months get warmer, but nonetheless, strawberries can be a bright ray of sunshine in January.
In the early 20th century, the advent of refrigerated railcars and Ponchatoula’s rich soil led to the development of a vast strawberry industry. Many of those berries were packed onto the railroads for northern markets, but the local demand remained strong as the railroad’s heyday waned. Whether you’re eating them fresh, making infusions, or coaxing out even more sweetness by roasting them, Bayou State strawberries are the ultimate luxury.
