English Strawberries

I'm in the US

My memory isn't playing tricks, even my children recall eating better strawberries than the berries being offered this year, and noticed berries each year progressively getting worse-

They are red outside, white inside, bitter and spongy like cellulose-

Just purchased a pint of organic, not a bit of difference-

I never buy Elsanta strawberries but buy Scottish grown Sonata, have a lovely sweet flavour and are much nicer. My dad used to grow a variety called royal sovereign, that was when I was a child and about 70 years ago. I don't think they exist now.

Strawberries and rhubarb combined make a lovely crumble, lemongrove. I made one last week, strawberries and rhubarb from the garden.
Yummy.
The DGD and I were picking and eating strawberries yesterday evening.

If buying them, I try to buy from here or the next counties.

If you want a good strawberry pick your own. DH and I find they have the best flavour. I went to the hop farm in kent and picked up a punnet from there bit expensive but yum.

"Cambridge Favourite" is a traditional berry often grown at home but I have also tried a strawberry called "(something) du bois" which was pretty lush... will have to Google it!

Malling Centenary, preferably grown in Yorkshire, are just gorgeous. Our local supermarket only stocks piles of Murano, which are tasteless

I bought some strawberries from Asda yesterday and many of them are mushy (use by date in 3 days). I think if fruit and veg is picked when damp and then packed in plastic it's bound to happen.

Best strawberries I have found are Coop, nice size, full of flavour. Do not know what variety they were.

The best strawberries I’ve tasted for ages are Cheddar strawberries- but I’ve only seen them on sale in Cheddar. They were delicious but expensive!

I think the strawbs that are cropping so well for me are Honoye. They are delicious, but even better are a new variety that are just producing their first fruits: Malling Centenary. These are incredibly sweet berries, worth looking out for if you grow your own.

Lemongrove you can just sprinkle a bit of sugar on the strawberries then bung the crumble mix on top. I usually mix strawberries with other fruit for a crumble, mostly peaches or rhubarb. My son-in-law, whose mum is a very good cook, said 'My mum is going to have to up her game now I've had your strawberry crumble!'

Elsanta was popular because it kept and traveled well - never mind the (lack of) flavour. I no longer buy strawberries out of season, I just buy local ones. Aldi's ones were mushy even though they had a four-day sell-bye date on them.

I know my grandfather who was a gardener on a large estate pre war 1 used to say that Sovereign was the best for flavour, but I’m sure other good new varieties are just as good,

Davida1968 I have to agree with 're Elsanta, look good, taste of nothing!

G

We've been eating the strawberries from our allotment for over a week now, and we're up North. From picking to the table in 5 minutes. They are divine.

DH tells me we have three or four different varieties and he can't remember the name of any of them.

All the other berries are coming on nicely - it's a good job I love them so much!

DH is just picking ours for in a minute with ice cream and cream?.

Raspberries are beginning to ripen.

Red currants coming on very well as are the gooseberries.

Wonky strawberries from Aldi. £1 per punnet. Scottish grown, Sonata variety. Just had some with afternoon tea - delicious.

I buy from a place up the road ( and pick them) they are always good, but don’t know the variety (I must ask.)
Does anyone know how to make a good strawberry crumble?
The crumble bit is easy, but it’s how to do the strawberries!

I found a patch of alpine strawberries in my garden this year. I have no idea where they came from but they are ripening nicely and I am looking forward to tasting them!

Whoops, that strike through didn’t work! Apologies.

Try Tesco’s Eve strawberries they —-are— were really tasty!

I have just today picked our first 8 ripe strawberries from the garden. The slugs h@ve already had @ few but am looking forward to having them with a dollop of ice cream later. Here comes summer !

You should be able to get outdoor UK strawberries now. I grow my own and have been eating them every day for the last three weeks (and giving some away) - the flavour just gets better and better!

My advice is never to buy "Elsanta" strawberries - they are a favourite of the supermarkets because they "keep" well, but (to me) they are tasteless. I think that it's worth paying a little extra for other British strawberry varieties. I only buy British strawberries: I think they're the best quality and the tastiest. (And I'm trying to reduce the "airmiles" of our food. )

Somehow the strawberries today are never as good as the ones my father would bring home when we were children, or maybe that's just my memory playing false tricks. I try to buy strawberries that haven't come too far, say Kent the next county to us. I'd buy Surrey ones if I could find them. I'm sure home grown ones taste superior. I remember buying some super looking huge strawberries a few years ago imported from America, that tasted of nothing. Wouldn't buy imported ones now I hasten to add, if they're not in season forget it!