Photo: Claire Lower
Hulling strawberries is a task that gets exponentially more tedious with each pint. Even if you’re handy with a paring knife, removing stem from berry can get tiresome when processing pound after pound fruit. If you’ve got a mountain of berries to work through, consider hulling them with a reusable straw. (Literally putting the “straw” in “strawberry.”)
This hack is an old one—we first covered it nearly 20 years ago—but it’s making the rounds again, thanks to an Instagram video posted by Joanna Gaines from her big beautiful kitchen.
I wouldn’t recommend this hack for seasoned strawberry hullers. If you’re comfortable with a paring knife, you’re all set. The straw does take a little fruit with it, which isn’t optimal, but it’s a safe option for small helping hands, or anyone whose fingers or wrists might be aggravated by the twisting motions required by knife hulling. (I also think it’s perfectly fine to sacrifice a sliver of fruit out of pure laziness. They’re your strawberries, after all.)
Get some straws for hulling (and drinking):
Hulling (and hollowing) a strawberry with a straw is easy. (Just make sure you’ve got a sturdy re-suable straw; flimsy plastic straws can break after repeated use.) Position the straw at the bottom of the berry, centering it so its lined up with the stem, then push. Pull the stem out of the straw, and repeat until you’ve hulled your haul of strawberries.
Photo: Claire Lower
You can eat the small column of fruit that’s attached to the stem, use them to flavor fruity spa water, or toss them in the food processor to add a little acid and juiciness to strawberry top pesto.
