These Super Seasonal Strawberries Are the Pride of Louisiana

Don't miss Ponchatoula strawberries in the spring.

Credit: Courtesy of Maggie Bowles / ExploreLouisiana.com

Louisiana has several seasons, and no, we’re not talking about the weather. Carnival season may have a chokehold on February and March, but don’t sleep on April, when the Ponchatoula strawberry is harvested. In fact, the Natchez Indians called this time of their lunar calendar the “Strawberry Moon.” 

Ponchatoula, Louisiana is 45 minutes north of New Orleans, where the city council passed its own ordinance for the “Strawberry Capital of the World” title in 1968. Crowds of over 300,000 attend the annual Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival each April, celebrating the berry known for being very juicy, smaller in size, and lending well to recipes. 

“They are iconic. They're specific Louisiana agricultural products and everyone goes [wild] for them,” says Christa Cotton, founder of El Guapo Bitters, who uses the strawberries in her signature Cajun Grenadine instead of the traditional pomegranate. “Strawberry season is only eight weeks, it's pretty short.”

Locals know that when these strawberries hit the shelves, you grab them while you can. The Louisiana Strawberry Marketing Board is the best resource for finding Ponchatoula strawberries, like at U-pick farms, in Tangipahoa Parish and beyond. Here, longtime farms grow the juiciest berries as they have for the past century, using the region’s unique soil makeup. You’ll find Johndales Farm and Morrow Farm set up in the spring among the bounty at the Sunday Farmers Market in New Orleans’ City Park and Red Stick Farmers Market in Baton Rouge, respectively.

Where to enjoy Ponchatoula strawberries

The strawberries are excellent on their own, fresh from the carton, and you’ll find creative sweet and savory interpretations around the state.

01 of 04

Crêpes Fitzgerald at Brennan's (New Orleans)

Credit: Photo by Christina Persand / Courtesy of Brennan's

New Orleans landmark Brennan's flambés Ponchatoula strawberries tableside for its signature Crêpes Fitzgerald, which is served with citrus vanilla-scented cream cheese. Ponchatoula Strawberries are also served with the Strawberries & Cream, which entails a lemon biscuit crumble and mascarpone mousse.

02 of 04

Strawberry Shortcake at Commander’s Palace (New Orleans)

Credit: Courtesy of Jillian Greenberg

As if you needed a reason to dine at the classic New Orleans restaurant, Commander’s Palace adds a Ponchatoula strawberry dish to the menu as soon as they’re available.

“Their seasonal strawberry shortcake is a really big deal, and people will call and wait and see if it’s on the menu to make a reservation,” says Cotton.

Chef Meg Bickford uses the strawberries, which she describes as “the pride of Louisiana,” with a warm buttermilk biscuit, powdered sugar, and Chantilly cream. “We purée just a few with a touch of sugar to amplify what’s already perfect, then coat the rest so every bite is bright and full of flavor,” Bickford says.

03 of 04

Torchon at Gautreau's (New Orleans)

Credit: Photo by Randy Schmidt for Gautreau's

New Orleans mainstay Gautreau’s serves a wreath of Ponchatoula strawberries around its Torchon of Hudson Valley Foie Gras, with cranberry soda bread and mirin vinaigrette.

04 of 04

Strawberry Daiquiri at Paul’s Cafe (Ponchatoula, Louisiana)

If you only visit one place in Ponchatoula, it should be Paul's Cafe, open since 1976 and named after founder Paul Pevey. The strawberry daiquiris are legendary and you can even buy them by the gallon and in nonalcoholic varieties. Wash down your po’boys and Southern-style burgers with a souvenir cup.

* This article was originally published here