Sweet strawberries are available year-round in grocery stores, but there’s no better time to enjoy them than when they are at their peak, from June to September in Colorado.

First thoughts often go to the classic gorgeous and delicious strawberry shortcake — and we will pay homage to that — but first we’re going to offer some less traditional uses for the heart-shaped fruit.

Like in savory combos. They can be used to accentuate the salty, nutty, peppery flavors of salads, main dishes and sides.

David Cook, co-owner and instructor, with Cortney Smith, of Gather Food Studio & Spice Shop, offer tips and quick recipe ideas for pairing the ruby-reds with savory ingredients:

• Put sliced fresh strawberries on cheese platters for a burst of color or add a small bowl of strawberry balsamic jam (see recipe) for a savory-sweet spread over crackers topped with cheese.

• Substitute strawberries for tomatoes in salsa dips.

• Spoon strawberry salsa over roasted chicken, steak, fish or pork.

• Toss sliced strawberries into a spinach salad and garnish with toasted sliced almonds.

• Combine grilled shrimp with strawberries to make a lettuce wrap.

• Add strawberries to ceviche (raw fish marinated in lime juice and served as an appetizer) to balance the tartness of the lime juice.

• Pair basil and strawberries for a refreshing summer drink.

• Make fresh strawberry puree to add to lemonade and add vodka for a kick.

• Make a strawberry simple syrup and add to sparkling water for mocktails.

• Make strawberry poppers by halving strawberries, spread them with a dab of cream cheese and sprinkle with bacon crumbles and diced jalapenos.

• Try strawberry harissa salad with a mixture of chopped berries, Kalamata olives, cilantro, a couple of spoons of harissa paste and a squeeze of lime juice.

Before jumping into making the following strawberry recipes, Cook has some preparation, storage and cooking tips for the season’s bounty.

“When cooking with strawberries, know that they typically contain a low amount of sugar,” he said. “Generally speaking, around 1 gram per average-sized berry. It is important to store fresh strawberries in the refrigerator to extend their shelf life, but they have the best flavor when allowed to come to room temperature. Also, often strawberries are picked before they are fully ripened on the vine, which does not allow for the strawberry to reach their full flavor potential.”

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He offered the following ways of amping up the flavor of the non-vine-ripened strawberries to make their flavor richer.

• Macerate the strawberry. They are about 92% water, so adding a tablespoon or so to a cup of sliced strawberries and letting them sit for 15-20 minutes will pull out the liquid from the strawberry and make it sweeter while also making a simple sauce.

• Cook the strawberry. Some people prefer to roast berries to make them sweeter. Cooking them into desserts or baked good is also a great way to achieve ultimate flavor potential as it concentrates the sugar. And grilling berries caramelizes the sugar, whihe char from a grill makes them a great flavor to pair with fish.

• Pickle the strawberry. A strawberry that has been pickled will be tangy and accompanies all sorts of dishes from roasted meats like chicken and pork to very sugary desserts. Pickled strawberries are also good additions to drinks and make wonderful shrubs, also known as drinking vinegars, that are most commonly made from vinegar, fruit, aromatics and sugar.

“Finally,” Cook said, “keep in mind that even though we see strawberries used often in jam making, they are low in pectin content, so you will need to make sure you add additional pectin (and sugar) to the jam to make it set; otherwise it’ll stay runny.”

And now, about that strawberry shortcake. While you could just buy yellow sponge cakes for the base, Smith has a super easy recipe for biscuits that creates a show- stopping dessert.