English Strawberries

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For anyone thinking of growing their own, I recommend the variety Cambridge Vigour. They're a smaller, paler variety than those found in supermarkets but beat them hands down on flavour. We bought half a dozen plants 18 years ago and now have a raised bed 15ft x 5ft full of healthy productive plants. They take a bit of work with propagating runners and keeping the bed weed free, but for those with the space and energy it's worth it

In my experience strawberries need a lot of sun in the last few weeks to develop perfume and taste. Which we don't often get here. We grew them in SW France.
One exception - if you're lucky enough to find some wild strawberries in the woods they're usually tasty.

The proper English Strawberry, the one we all remember cannot be found for commercial sale, unless perhaps PYO or a very small nursery etc.

The reason being that they are such delicate treasures that they do not travel or keep. The ones developed for commercial sale look wonderful but have hearts of stone and skin as tough as old boots.

The answer is to grow your own. They do very well in pots so no excuse unless you have zero access to outdoors. Then perhaps you can beg some from friends, or family.

The queen of all strawberries is imo Sovereign, but everyone’s taste is different.

grannyticktock
I totally agree with your comment re Malling Centenary. The very cream of the crop. ???

sake sale

M&S are pushing the sake of Red Diamond strawberries only available in their stores.
Grower is David Leeds.
They were so hard even after leaving on the kitchen counter for 3 days. I was so disappointed in the taste (sharp not sweet as advertised) and the huge hard hull that I took the remainder back to the store. It was like eating an unpeeled cucumber.
M&S offered a £10 gift card but I declined. It's not about money, it's about letting them know when things are wrong.

I bought the wonky ones from Aldi as well. I haven’t had strawberries where the husks pulled out for years. Eaten immediately with full fat Greek yoghurt and a sprinkle of sweetener. They were ?

I guarantee that you'll find none better than Malling Centenary, developed in England and grown in Kent, they're available in two flushes, early Summer and again in Autumn.

I've been buying the "Wonky" ones at £1 a punnet in Aldi - Scottish and Sonata variety. Really tasty - grandson and I sat last night taking the husks out with a straw (one of his You-tube tips to Granny!!).

Suggest you smell the punnet and test for fragrance. In my experience, the fragrant ones are the tastiest. (Covered punnets obviously, but the plastic film usually has tiny holes which lets the fragrance diffuse out. You don't need to get too close, and they should be washed before eating.)

Don't eat them straight out of the fridge either. That kills flavour.

The shop bought ones are generally horrible - hard and tasteless.

My husband has managed to grow quite a good crop in the garden this year and they're lovely. Our granddaughter gets so much pleasure from watching them ripen and picking them.

Cambridge are a very tasty variety. I've two strawberry beds on my allotment (inherited) and haven't a clue what varieties they are - some are OK but others are delicious. Now having to propagate only those we like.

Elsanta are tasteless as are many which you get from the supermarkets.

We had lovely strawberries this evening, from Fife. They were Red Diamond variety.

I love raspberries, too, but have seen very few home grown ones so far this year. Torrential rain is forecast here for tomorrow, so that won't help them.

Murano from Herefordshire for lunch - scrummy.

pixie601. I too prefer them grown in Scotland. The ones in Norway were similar. It is something to do with the growing season in the North I think, it seems to force them to produce more sweetness! I can't remember the varieties but I know that big does not equate with better in taste with strawberries.

When my dad grew older, he became more involved with his raspberries. I actually prefer raspberries. Better flavour.

Today strawberries have lost their flavour and are more like a salad vegetable. The best I have tasted were in France and in Norway.
There are no strawberries that taste as beautiful as those my father grew. He grew them on the ground under nets and with straw to keep them clean. They were picked in the morning though never when wet. Dad would not let us wash strawberries. The straw kept them clean and the nets kept the birds out. Strawberries should be eaten warmed by the sun and never refrigerated. You should be able to smell them in the sun as you approach them.
How I loved the strawberry season! It was very hard work but very worthwhile. In our little corner of England dad was quite well known for his strawberries, some of which he cultivated himself by crossing with different varieties.

Yes, Malling Centenary have been very good this week (from Herefordshire).
Some of ours in the garden are delicious, others not so. I bought a few varieties ages ago but can't remember which are which now.

I grow my own. I bought the plants very cheaply from Lidl three years ago---don't know the variety but they are deliciously sweet and really big. I've been picking loads for about 3 weeks already. We once did a commercial tasting for the local NFU branch and most of the members chose Honeyoye. Marshmello is a very well flavoured garden variety.

Our strawberries aren't that brilliant. However once again we are going to have multiple kilos of delicious raspberries right up until the end of October. Anyone welcome to come and pick!

That's strange because we love Elsanta, they're our definite favourites.

I only ever buy raspberries and strawberries grown in Scotland - less travelled, lovely and fresh, great taste. PS- I live in the Scottish Highlands!.

Never ever buy Elsanta! They are always totally tasteless. I have been buying Mailing Centenary lately and they have been very nice - sweet, flavourful and juicy. But the best ones (when you can find them) are Driscoll's Jubilee. They tend to be a bit more expensive but are absolutely delicious.

Thanks SueDonim and Callistomen I will definitely give it a go.?

We grow strawberries in our garden, but the week of rain we’ve had has washed any flavour out of them. Plus they’re all going mouldy as they’ve got too wet. Really disappointing this year ☹️