Strawberry Love Forever
For some strawberries dipped in hot chocolate is the ultimate tool of seduction, for others it is strawberries with whipped cream, for some it is strawberries and champagne, but for us at Neantog strawberries dipped in freshly made quark/soft cheese is simply heaven on earth.
In ancient Rome wild strawberries, shaped like hearts, were seen as a symbol of Venus, the goddess of love. In the French countryside, there was once a tradition of serving newlyweds cold strawberry soup to help promote the aphrodisiac of honeymoon romance. In any case the strawberry is a delicious, nutritious and beautiful little berry that has been used as a symbol of love in cultures around the world for thousands of years.
Strawberries are always associated with love
As a member of the rose family, strawberries share many features with the rose, like the sweetness and the aroma, but mostly it is the red colour that associates strawberries with love and romance. One theory is, that red is the colour of the human blood, another is that the red colour stimulates the body and mind. We also know that strawberries are a rich source of anthocyanins, which according to scientists may have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It has also been suggested that anthocyanins could have a romantic effect on the human body by triggering the release of feel-good hormones like serotonin and dopamine. Anthocyanins have also been shown to increase blood flow to the area around the heart, which could explain why they've been associated with romance. Or could it be that their tiny seeds containing a lot of zinc promotes the desire of men and women?
For me it’s the sweetness that counts and the flavour. Thanks to my parents, whose favourite variety was Senga Sengana, there intense sweet aroma will stay with me forever.
The right variety for every taste
The 600 strawberry varieties found today stem from five or six original wild species and differ greatly in shape, colour and taste. Typically, the larger the berry, the more water it contains; the smaller the berry, the better the flavour.
Still, nothing comes close to the essence of wild strawberries, the inconspicuous Fragaria vesca is native to Europe. It is very small, but has an intense aroma. In the garden it spreads through its runners. The fruits form in June and July and keep going till the first frost.
The monthly strawberry comes from the wild strawberry, but tastes a little less intense. It produces larger fruits “for months” - from June to December. Monthly strawberries are well suited for planting on the edges of beds, for the balcony and as pot plants. You can also cultivate them in greenhouses and harvest fresh fruits in winter.
The large-fruited garden strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) is a chance cross between two American wild strawberry varieties. These Summer-fruiting strawberry varieties can be split into those that are early-season (mid-June to early July), mid-season (late June to mid-July) and late-season cropping (early to late July). So choosing a selection makes it possible to enjoy strawberries for weeks on end.
· Early fruiting varieties: Christine and Honeoye
· Mid-season fruiting varieties: Cambridge Favourite, Elsanta, Mara des Boyes, Symphony
· Late season fruiting varieties: Fenella, Rhapsody
How to grow the sweetest strawberries
Strawberries, except for Alpine varieties, need a sunny position and to grow the sweetest strawberries your soil has to be fertile, well drained, ideally slightly acidic soil. I find plants yield more and are sweeter when grown in compost-enriched soil. At least 8 hours of sunlight are essential for growing sweet strawberries.
Overcrowded plants are more likely to produce small and often sour berries, that’s why I space them about 30cm apart in rows 45cm apart. I grow some red and white Alpine strawberries in the polytunnel as border plants and most of my outdoor strawberries are in containers, which gives me more control especially against pests like birds and slugs. I keep 3-4 runners of the best plants each year and replace any plant older than 4 years.
July and August is the time to plant and divide strawberries. To do this, remove runners from your most productive plants. They usually already have roots, so that after pricking out they continue to grow quickly in flat plant boxes or pots filled with growing medium. Plant out at the end of July or beginning of August if possible: the earlier the planting, the higher the yield in the first year.
Important: Don't hurt the heart of the strawberry plant!
Mieze Schindler is the one (see main picture above)
If you haven’t tried Mieze Schindler, you haven’t lived. Named 1935 by breeder Otto Schindler after his wife it is the most popular strawberry across much of Europe because the flavour is out of this world, sweet and succulent, not watery or dull. The fruits are so soft and delicate that they are unsuitable for transport, so this variety has never even stepped foot inside a supermarket and you have to grow it yourself to experience this unmistakable aroma!
While my Senga Sengana is still the most popular variety in German gardens, Elsanta is the favourite amongst many Irish growers. It is not only loved for its flavour, it is extremely high in Vitamin C and like all strawberries fat free, sweet but low in sugar and low in calories.
How to eat a strawberry
If there ever was a reason to grow your own, it is for the sweetest most nutritious strawberry. Once harvested it will not ripen and after 2 days of storage will lose a high percentage of Vitamins and polyphenol antioxidants. Strawberries should never be eaten cold! Theyn need to be eaten when absolutely ripe, because picked too early the sugar content has not sufficiently developed.