We got quite a few complaints from subscribers last week about the flavor and ripeness of the strawberries in your boxes: as always, feedback is much appreciated. I apologize if they did not live up to your expectations.
In my excitement about how early the berries were ripening, I neglected to include a disclaimer that they might lacking a bit in the flavor department. This is often true of the first strawberries of the season — as well as other fruit as well. Large amounts of rainfall or irrigation both tend to “water down” the fruit. This year it was probably a combination of the two, as we had been irrigating the plants just prior to the rain that arrived right after we began harvest. But at the start of the season, when the plants are flowering profusely, growing quickly and the berries are beginning to size up, adequate water is critical to keep the plants happy. (For those who pay close attention to these things, this is also the reason why our first tomatoes are never as tasty as they are later in the season.) There’s nothing we can do about it: it’s similar to how the oldest child in a big family tends to get less attention from their parents.
But that wasn’t the only issue. We had concerns about the unusually hot temperatures, so the crew was harvesting the berries before they were fully ripe out of concern that they might spoil before the next harvest. We had a little meeting about that and made sure everyone was being more selective. You should notice an improvement in the flavor of this week’s berries…but that might be temporary.
Over the weekend, we’re looking at a much wetter storm than we have had since February. Coming as it is on Saturday and Sunday, it is almost certainly going to cause problems with next week’s berries. If it rains enough and the field is still muddy on Monday, we may not be able to harvest at all. And if the ripening fruit sits in water overnight, it will quickly rot. But even if neither of those outcomes occur, the fruit may still end up “watered down” when we harvest it — strawberries have very thin skin, and they absorb water through it very quickly. The one thing we can control is the irrigation, and we have shut the water off for now in expectation of the rain.
As the season progresses, we expect the flavor of the berries to continue to improve. But remember that it’s not entirely under our control, and that it may change from week to week based on…yep…the weather.
Thanks,
Pablito