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Strawberries
“It seems in our desire for the ‘eternally convenient’ we have overlooked a few little basic facts of life like there are seasons for everything and no matter how much tweaking we give Mother Nature, the quality of fresh produce will never be as good out of season, regardless.”
As a boy I used to love hanging out with my Pop in his veggie patch. Nestled against the fence in his small suburban backyard on the outskirts of Sydney this piece of dirt was meter for meter some of the most fertile and productive farming land in the country.
Expecting no less from such a regimented man the garden was always well stocked and had constant drawings all year round.
Spending time here I most loved the smells. In summer the rich, fresh cut grass incense of the tomato plants was masked only slightly by the smell of fresh chook poo. Or the smell of the perfume war that raged every spring between the sweet pea on one side of the yard with the jasmine on the other. No matter what time of year it was Pop’s garden had an aroma that was almost the essence of Gaia.
As Pop and I would pick fresh chokos that were later to be boiled and served with butter and black pepper the best part about hanging out here was being handed ripe, plump strawberries straight from the garden.
Every year just as summer was arriving, the row of strawberries that framed his veggie patch would come to life with the most vibrant ‘hot-rod red’ berries.
These little treasures, defended from the birds with a couple of precariously placed mouse traps were juicy and sweet with the richness of the humus soil in which they grew.
Whilst they were in season, dessert at the Grandparents was always strawberries macerated in lemon juice and sugar then served on vanilla ice cream. A dessert I still prepare to this day, it is simply delicious.
Perhaps it is because I was fortunate enough to be munching on the best berries in the land as a boy that in recent years I have been so disappointed with the quality of strawberries.
Or maybe the disregard we have shown lately for the basic seasons in nature has meant availability now comes before quality.
It seems in our desire for the ‘eternally convenient’ we have overlooked a few little basic facts of life like there are seasons for everything and no matter how much tweaking we give Mother Nature, the quality of fresh produce will never be as good out of season, regardless.
I had a nice little reminder of this earlier in the week when I ate some fresh Portland Strawberries. Oh my lord.
After giving in on occasion throughout the year to the temptation of the convenient variety we see in the supermarket, my mouth had a necessary and pleasant reminder of what strawberries used to taste like.
Resembling nothing of the hard flavourless out of season berries these Portland strawberries were so good I could have believed they were grown by my grandfather.
Having been reminded of the difference between produce grown in and out of season it made me aware eating seasonally is not just an issue of sustainability but rather one also of quality. It is almost as though Mother Nature is rewarding us for doing the right thing.
I think from now on I won’t waste my time in the off season eating bland fruit and excitingly anticipate their arrival each November.
Strawberries are in season right now so if you can head out to one of our local strawberry farms and pick yourself some fresh berries you will remember what these little goodies used to taste like - just like the ones from my Pop’s veggie patch.
Storing Strawberries
Strawberries will store best in the refrigerator for up to about 5 days. It is best not to wash them until just before they are eaten as this will help to stop them going mouldy. Be sure they are allowed to come up to room temperature before you eat them otherwise they will not be as lush.
“It seems in our desire for the ‘eternally convenient’ we have overlooked a few little basic facts of life like there are seasons for everything and no matter how much tweaking we give Mother Nature, the quality of fresh produce will never be as good out of season, regardless.”
As a boy I used to love hanging out with my Pop in his veggie patch. Nestled against the fence in his small suburban backyard on the outskirts of Sydney this piece of dirt was meter for meter some of the most fertile and productive farming land in the country.
Expecting no less from such a regimented man the garden was always well stocked and had constant drawings all year round.
Spending time here I most loved the smells. In summer the rich, fresh cut grass incense of the tomato plants was masked only slightly by the smell of fresh chook poo. Or the smell of the perfume war that raged every spring between the sweet pea on one side of the yard with the jasmine on the other. No matter what time of year it was Pop’s garden had an aroma that was almost the essence of Gaia.
As Pop and I would pick fresh chokos that were later to be boiled and served with butter and black pepper the best part about hanging out here was being handed ripe, plump strawberries straight from the garden.
Every year just as summer was arriving, the row of strawberries that framed his veggie patch would come to life with the most vibrant ‘hot-rod red’ berries.
These little treasures, defended from the birds with a couple of precariously placed mouse traps were juicy and sweet with the richness of the humus soil in which they grew.
Whilst they were in season, dessert at the Grandparents was always strawberries macerated in lemon juice and sugar then served on vanilla ice cream. A dessert I still prepare to this day, it is simply delicious.
Perhaps it is because I was fortunate enough to be munching on the best berries in the land as a boy that in recent years I have been so disappointed with the quality of strawberries.
Or maybe the disregard we have shown lately for the basic seasons in nature has meant availability now comes before quality.
It seems in our desire for the ‘eternally convenient’ we have overlooked a few little basic facts of life like there are seasons for everything and no matter how much tweaking we give Mother Nature, the quality of fresh produce will never be as good out of season, regardless.
I had a nice little reminder of this earlier in the week when I ate some fresh Portland Strawberries. Oh my lord.
After giving in on occasion throughout the year to the temptation of the convenient variety we see in the supermarket, my mouth had a necessary and pleasant reminder of what strawberries used to taste like.
Resembling nothing of the hard flavourless out of season berries these Portland strawberries were so good I could have believed they were grown by my grandfather.
Having been reminded of the difference between produce grown in and out of season it made me aware eating seasonally is not just an issue of sustainability but rather one also of quality. It is almost as though Mother Nature is rewarding us for doing the right thing.
I think from now on I won’t waste my time in the off season eating bland fruit and excitingly anticipate their arrival each November.
Strawberries are in season right now so if you can head out to one of our local strawberry farms and pick yourself some fresh berries you will remember what these little goodies used to taste like - just like the ones from my Pop’s veggie patch.
Storing Strawberries
Strawberries will store best in the refrigerator for up to about 5 days. It is best not to wash them until just before they are eaten as this will help to stop them going mouldy. Be sure they are allowed to come up to room temperature before you eat them otherwise they will not be as lush.
Spiced StrawberriesIngredients
1 cup of water
½ cup of caster sugar
1 punet of fresh strawberries (washed and dry)
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 tsp whole coriander seeds
1 tsp whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
5 cardamom pods
In a saucepan bring all ingredients to the boil. Allow to simmer gently for 10 minutes. Cool slightly then poor over strawberries in a bowl. Store in a glass jar in you refrigerator at least overnight or up to 3 days. Serve with ice cream, fresh cream or chocolate cake.
½ cup of caster sugar
1 punet of fresh strawberries (washed and dry)
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 tsp whole coriander seeds
1 tsp whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
5 cardamom pods
In a saucepan bring all ingredients to the boil. Allow to simmer gently for 10 minutes. Cool slightly then poor over strawberries in a bowl. Store in a glass jar in you refrigerator at least overnight or up to 3 days. Serve with ice cream, fresh cream or chocolate cake.
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