The Florida Strawberry Growers Association has partnered with the 2015 World Food Championships by becoming an infused ingredient for the competition’s dessert category.

“Florida Strawberries from Hillsboro County, Fla., alone account for 15 percent of the nation’s supply of strawberries,” said Sue Harrell, spokeswoman for the Florida Strawberry Association.

Harrell said that the Association is a major funding source for strawberry research to insure the fruit’s availability nationwide and broaden its growing season.

“The World Food Championships coincides with the November kick-off of our picking season for strawberries and is a perfect venue to give people creative and innovative ideas for using the berries in dessert creations,” she said.

Mike McCloud, CEO of World Food Championships, confirmed the importance of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association partnership.

“The World Food Championships will welcome 50 pre-qualified dessert champions in this category,” he explained. “The Top Ten of these Food Champs will be required to showcase strawberries as a key ingredient of their dessert recipes.”

Harrell said that she is positive strawberries will be plentiful this year.

“They will offer the competition chefs a wide range of imaginative recipe ideas that feature the beautiful color and flavor for which the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World is known,” she said.

McCloud noted that Harrell, or “Strawberry Sue” as she is known in the Florida Strawberry Growers Association, has constructed fabulous recipes and educational information that can provide some early inspiration for competitors. The FLAStrawberry.com site lists ideas from citrus drinks to BBQ sauces that use the sweetness of the berry as an infused ingredient.

“Our world-class champions will have a great time using strawberries as an infused ingredient at the World Food Championships this year,” he said.

The World Food Championships takes place in Kissimmee, Fla., Nov. 3-10, with 500 competitors vying for a $300,000 purse across nine categories of food tournaments. A Final Table winner, with bragging rights and a check for $100,000, will be crowned on Nov. 10, 2015.

Learn more about the Florida Strawberry Growers Association and the over 12,000 acres of strawberries they support at FLAStrawberry.com.

Join the fun at the 2015 World Food Championships with tickets to competitive, educational, family and culinary events at WorldFoodChampionships.com/tickets.

Check out the highlights from the 2014 World Food Championships in Downtown Las Vegas.

About Florida Strawberry Growers Association

Located in Central Florida a little town called Plant City is a mecca for the sweetest, most luscious strawberries around. Moreover, strawberries remain the commodity that made this community a family. In 1982, the Florida Strawberry Growers Association (FSGA) was officially formed. This organization became a voice for Florida strawberry growers. The mission for the handful of farmers was to become “partners in research, promotion and member/community service.” In the years since then, the growers have met that mission and succeeded in forming a voluntary organization that represents over 12,000 acres of berries today. Florida strawberries provide a taste of summer all winter long! Our season runs Mid-November through March. For recipes and more visit our blog Strawberrysue.com and our website Florida Strawberry Growers Association