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Strawberries
B3
Posts: 27,505
in Fruit & veg
Bearing in mind that the main criterion for selecting strawberries to put on supermarket shelves is how high a strawberry bounces when dropped, is there a variety of supermarket strawberry that tastes of strawberries?
In London. Keen but lazy.
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Before they bred all of these plastic ones, Cambridge Favourite was probably the best commercial variety and is still one of the tastiest.
Thanks Bob, I'll look out for them. The ones I had today had less taste than a cucumber and almost as crunchy as raw swede
Find a small independent greengrocer or even a market if there is such a thing near you. You'll be amazed!
My garden seems to informing me it's the year for wild strawberries.
I remember hearing on on of the Radio 4 gardening programs that wild strawberries always have the best flavour.
They were right!
Last edited: 16 June 2016 14:48:28
I'll be amazed if I find an independent greengocer, but there is the odd market
I let wild ones rampage through my garden last year. They were tasteless and woolly so I'm in the process of pulling them out. I believe some have a wonderful taste, but mine didn't
You're right that they have quite a subtle taste compared with the best of the shop bought ones but you're also right that the worst of shop bought are like cucumber without the benefit of tasting like cucumber!
When buying from a shop, avoid Spanish strawberries and look for English ones now. If you'll can, have a sniff at them. The good ones wll have a strong strawberry fragrance.
We have a colossal crop in the garden this year. We've eaten them every day for a fortnight now, made some jam and given away several pounds. I am getting a teeny bit tired of strawberries now! We now have a beehive only a few yards from the strawberry patch, which may account for the good pollination.
B3, i had the same problem in my garden. I was very excited when we moved: wild strawberries... Beurk! Plus they runner like mad. I've replaced them with alpine "mignonette" and "yellow wonder" (more cream than yellow). Both easy to grow from seed, they self seed a bit (you can replace the plants very easily) and don't send runners. Yeah! My little one loves munching as he goes. I think yesterday was the first time in 3 years they made it to the kitchen: he had kept a few for his little brother, who, not surprisingly, loved them too! I'm still not crazy about them though...
I grow about 20 strawberry varieties (yes, i know, i've got a compulsive strawberry buying disorder...). If i can, i'll buy only one plant, cut off the flowers for that summer but let it form 2 runners to peg down. Ta da, 3 plants. I'm going to have to be ruthless though as I'm running out room at the front of the borders! And i definitely need to make a list of what i have and carry it around with me at all times! ?
I have a few plants growing out from between my paving slabs. I usually get a few real strawberries from them. They seem reasonably happy in the position they chose so I leave them there.
GM they were English but sealed up. I think the shop ones are picked too soon which may be part of the problem.