"Sand is frequently a problem with fresh strawberries. The berries are so delicate they sometimes bruise if you run water over them to remove the sand. What do you suggest?"

A good way to wash berries is to turn them gently into a tubful of cold water; then pat them gently into the water; and finally lift them out into a colander. The sand sinks to the bottom of the bowl while the berries float. To keep berries from bruising, remove the hulls after washing rather than before.

---

"I have had NO luck making gelatin pudding with fresh pineapple! I just can't make the mixture jell. Do you have any suggestions?"

Fresh pineapple contains a chemical called bromelain, which contains two enzymes capable of digesting proteins, which are called proteases. Jell-O and other gelatins get their structure from links formed between chains of collagen, which is a protein. When you add pineapple to the Jell-O, you break the links as fast as they form, so the gelatin never sets up. The enzymes in bromelain are inactivated once they have been heated to about 158° F (70° Celsius), so while fresh pineapple prevents Jell-O from gelling, gelatin made using canned pineapple (which was heated during the canning process) won't ruin the dessert.