Soak fresh strawberries in cold water and sprinkle baking soda over them. Let them sit for 1 minute.

Gently roll the strawberries with your hands and rinse them under cold water while removing the stems.

Rinse the strawberries again with filtered water or bottled water.

Select firm strawberries and use a small knife to make diagonal cuts at the base of each strawberry.

Rotate the strawberry and make 4-5 diagonal cuts around it, slightly opening the cuts to form a flower shape.

Make additional diagonal cuts between the first set of cuts, slightly fewer in number, and gently open them to enhance the flower shape.

For heart shapes, remove the stem and cut a triangular shape at the base, then slice the strawberry in half.