The Fruit You Never Thought to Peel Is Actually the One You Should

"Do you know I peel my strawberries?" the video begins. The other person's facial expression instantly changes to one of shock and confusion. "I love peeled strawberries," the man, who just happens to be world-renowned chef and humanitarian José Andrés, confesses. The clip, which went viral on TikTok, is an excerpt from Andrés' podcast recording with cook and cookbook author, Tamar Adler. Adler is in utter disbelief. So was I.

Peeled strawberries? Never in our years upon years of working in food had any of us on the Allrecipes team heard of peeling strawberries. Apples? Yes. Grapes? Sure. Naturally, we had to try it. A couple of us on the team did just that, and it's safe to say, Andrés is onto something. But is it worth it? Should you be peeling strawberries? Is José Andrés mad or a mad genius? I investigate.

Should You Peel Strawberries? 

No, of course you do not need to peel strawberries. You can actually eat the entire fruit, leaves and all, safely. But should you peel strawberries? Does it make them tastier or more enjoyable? Here's what you need to know about peeling this favorite fruit.

The first thing you need to know is that it's no easy feat. Besides being small and rounded, strawberry "skin" is not differentiated in texture the way it is for grapes and apples. I found it much easier done (carefully!) with a small paring knife than with a vegetable peeler. It was also easier with cold, versus room-temperature strawberries.

I found the simplest way to peel a strawberry was to start by cutting off the very top and the leaves to create a smooth base. Then, putting the strawberry flat side down, use a paring knife to slice off the peel, following the natural curve of the fruit, as you would with a watermelon. Slice, rotate the strawberry, and repeat until the peel is all removed, trying to leave as much of the fruit as possible and just remove the seedy outside. And that's just for one single strawberry. Is all that work worth it?

It depends! The peeled strawberry was absolutely distinguishable from a regular strawberry. For one, we all preferred the texture without all those pesky seeds (which are not technically seeds at all!) that get stuck in your teeth and have a sometimes unpleasant grit. It was all one smooth bite, and deeply satisfying in the way a peeled grape is, too.

The seedless-ness is a pro for many reasons. Maybe you have a picky eater who doesn't like the seeds. Maybe you have trypophobia, and the mere thought of all those seeds sends a shiver down your spine. Or, if you're anything like me, you were traumatized by an early episode of "Rugrats"—where one character swallows a watermelon seed and grows a watermelon in his stomach—and still find yourself weary of fruit seeds.

Do Peeled Strawberries Taste Better?

Silliness aside, we all agreed the peeled strawberries were sweeter than their unpeeled counterparts. Many fruit peels and skins contain more tannins than the flesh, which makes them more bitter. While that's not confirmed to be the case for strawberries, we found them to be consistently sweeter. Maybe José was onto something after all...

Overall, it was highly impractical and seems like a technique best left to the Michelin-starred restaurants (like Andrés'). Also, I would not recommend it for out-of-season hothouse strawberries. Removing the skin reveals the inside, and if that's pale and flavorless, then you're missing the point of the technique altogether. But, as a special treat during strawberry season, it was certainly a fun break from the routine and worth a try. I'll be doing it again—and if you've never tried peeling strawberries, this is your moment.