It is preferable to buy locally grown strawberries and better yet it is better to go and pick the strawberries yourself. But this is not usually the case. When buying strawberries from your nearby store make sure to pick the most fragrant container. Also look closely and stay away from containers with molds or bruised berries. I know this goes without saying but you need to be careful as strawberries get molds quickly. Also pick up dry and unstained containers for best results. Vibrant, firm, bright and fresh looking strawberries with bright green stems are the ones to look for.