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In a recent morning phone call to my good friend Kathy down in the Los Angeles area, I told her I was doing an article on local strawberries.
She sounded wistful. If only she could find a strawberry that promised and delivered. No "white shoulders", no white interiors and no green stems.
Ah ha, do we come through! Biting into a California berry (yes, I know I sang the praises of this early version a few issues back) and a local berry is like day and night. No white shoulders on the home-grown variety and our berries have color right through. Apparently, we can thank the cool weather for that - it results in a slower development of our berries (I knew our weather was good for something).
But there's more to the local strawberry story. How many of us know that we grow mainly three varieties in these parts? They are: the Totem, Raineer, and Nanaimo. The fields yield their strawberries for up to three years.
By this time next week, we shouldn't have any trouble finding this little red beauty at all our green grocers.
Picking, then preserving, the berries makes for a fun time, not to mention quick results. Keep in mind that early-morning visits are the best time to be in the fields as the weather and berries are cooler. If time is a factor, fresh B.C. strawberries may be purchased direct from the field, freshly picked by someone else each morning.
Here are a few tips for a family u-pick outing before you come:
- Plan to pick and preserve strawberries on the same day.
- Remember to wear sturdy shoes, sunscreen, hats, and bring refreshments.
- Bring your own containers - flat ones are best. Ice cream buckets (4-litre) with handles work well and will hold approximately 5.6 pounds.
- Leave your pets at home.
By the way, the business of preserving just got a little fancier. The Bernardin canning company has just introduced little four-packs of the cutest wee glass jars with strawberry and other sundry tops (the type of which is called for in the Recipe of the Week, opposite). The days of saving up old mustard jars (and wondering what to do about that word "dijon" on the lid) are long gone.
Do you have a sure-fire jam recipe you're willing to share with readers? Send it to Time Out, c/o The Richmond Review, 120-5851 No. 3 Rd., Richmond, B.C. V6X 2C9, or fax it to 273-5272.
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