Fresh Strawberries!

[Paperdoc]

You know all the stories recently about ultra-expensive strawberries flown in from Japan, each individually packaged? Reputed to have fantastic taste? I never had one. But I BET the real key there is FRESH. We just came back from a pick-your-own strawberry farm 20 min from our house. We've been going there for over 50 years. Today two of us picked four 4-litre baskets in total in about an hour. My wife is a working her way though washing them all, but we gorged on many at lunch. Sliced berries on a bagel with cream cheese are yummy. Strawberry shortcake coming up, too.

Berries no more than 2 hours off the plant are VERY much better than anything you can buy in a grocery store. Of course they are "ripened on the vine". (I suspect that the variety of berries grown for mass distribution and shipping are not the same as the ones in that farm, so maybe that impacts taste, too.) My wife has two family favourite recipes. Strawberry Squares have berries whipped up with egg whites and a bit of Cool Whip then spread over a crumb crust and frozen before cutting into squares. And freezer Strawberry Jam (NOT cooked - uses a particular pectin type, and can be done with sugar or with artificial sweetener) gets frozen in jam jars so we can fetch them from the freezer all year. The taste of that jam stays almost brand-new fresh for a long time, so a year-'round treat.

 

[Chaotic42]

We had a huge garden when I was a kid and there's no replacement for fresh produce still hot from the sun. Modern grocery store tomatoes may be the biggest sin.

I'm jealous, it's hard to find really good produce around me.

 

[Paperdoc]

Yep. It's been some time since we ran a backyard garden. But you remind me of fresh peas, beans, carrots, green onions, tomatoes, leaf lettuce, radishes, even potatoes. We do still have a couple clumps of chives we use in instead of onions in potato salad.

 

[BoomerD]

When we lived in Norcal, we were about 2 blocks from a large strawberry field run by a family of SE Asian immigrants. (Hmong, IIRC) They had the best fckn strawberries in the area. (was it because they shit in the field? I dunno...but I never did see a porta-john on site) $6 for a half flat of red deliciousness. The crappy berries sold in the grocery stores just don't compare. I mean...they LOOK like strawberries...but the flavor is weak.

 

[KMFJD]

the variety of strawberries makes a huge difference as well, the commercial ones are bland but they keep very well, but fresh fruit>grocery store almost every time

 

[WelshBloke]

Local pick your own place! Fresh ripe strawberries are my favourite thing. It's one fruit I try to avoid if it's not the season, so disappointing if not ripe but just the best thing ever if they are!

 

[thestrangebrew1]

When we lived in Norcal, we were about 2 blocks from a large strawberry field run by a family of SE Asian immigrants. (Hmong, IIRC) They had the best fckn strawberries in the area. (was it because they shit in the field? I dunno...but I never did see a porta-john on site) $6 for a half flat of red deliciousness. The crappy berries sold in the grocery stores just don't compare. I mean...they LOOK like strawberries...but the flavor is weak.

Was this the shack on Santa Fe heading to Merced? It was still there as of around 2023 when I was working in the area. Super good and fresh.

 

[BoomerD]

Was this the shack on Santa Fe heading to Merced? It was still there as of around 2023 when I was working in the area. Super good and fresh.

No. Corner of Monte Vista and Walnut in Turlock. I googled the area…they’ve expanded their fields since we left…and built a small “building” instead of the tiny shack they used to have. Funny enough, 25 years ago, they were in danger of losing their strawberry farm…it’s located about a block away from Cal State Stanislaus…and there was pressure to take it over for student housing. Looks like that didn’t happen.

 

[BoomerD]

Local pick your own place! Fresh ripe strawberries are my favourite thing. It's one fruit I try to avoid if it's not the season, so disappointing if not ripe but just the best thing ever if they are!

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I like the idea of strawberry trees. No more bending over to pick and tend the crop.

 

[WelshBloke]

I like the idea of strawberry trees. No more bending over to pick and tend the crop.

The raised beds are much better on your back and the strawberries don't get so bruised or rotten by lying on the ground. Plus, as you say, it's a lot more comfortable not having to bend down!

Don't know if this gives a better view of the setup. The beds are about 5 foot off the ground.

 

[Chaotic42]

I like the idea of strawberry trees. No more bending over to pick and tend the crop.

I had a "Topsy Turvy" strawberry grower - soil went in a bag which you hung from a hook and the berries grew out the bottom. Pretty neat.

 

[WelshBloke]

I had a "Topsy Turvy" strawberry grower - soil went in a bag which you hung from a hook and the berries grew out the bottom. Pretty neat.

I grow mine in hanging baskets! Along with cherry tomatoes.

 

[BoomerD]

I had a "Topsy Turvy" strawberry grower - soil went in a bag which you hung from a hook and the berries grew out the bottom. Pretty neat.

I tried one of those and one for tomatoes. Wasn't impressed with either.