Strawberries and champagne—the
ultimate romantic hors d'oeuvre. Honestly, who doesn't remember Pretty Woman, when Julia Roberts coyly excuses
herself to floss after eating strawberries?
It's one of my favorite scenes.
(Well, that...and every image of
Richard Gere.)
Strawberries and romance share a long
history. With its heart shape, the strawberry symbolized Venus, the
Goddess of Love. In France, newlyweds received a soup made from
strawberries, sour cream, borage, and powdered sugar to serve as an
aphrodisiac. And if you're looking to fall in love, just break a
double strawberry in half and share it with your crush. According to
legend, you'll soon be inseparable.
With its rich mythology and delicious
history, is it any wonder that strawberries are a main ingredient in
Valentine's Day? Chocolate covered, tarted up, or baked into a pie,
strawberries are the fruit of love.
Actually, it's perplexing. Strawberries
aren't in season on Valentine's Day--unless you live in Florida or
California. And honestly—nothing compares to the deep, rich,
sun-warmed sweetness of just-picked strawberries. So, although
they're the fruit of choice for Valentine's Day, strawberries eaten
on February 14 hardly compare to the backyard berries of spring.
Growing strawberries is simple. Often,
gardeners become intimidated when researching how to grow
strawberries. Rows or mounds? Plastic or straw? June-bearing or
everbearing? While there are many options for varieties and growing
methods, the process doesn't need to be complicated for a home
grower.
In our garden, for instance, strawberry
plants serve as a border in our potager. As the strawberry plants in
the potager grew new runners, I harvested the babies and began a new
bed by the greenhouse. And when we harvested more runners, the kids
planted them in their raised bed garden. We didn't mound, we don't
use plastic—and we definitely don't use any spray. Our result?
Hundreds of perfect, achingly sweet organic strawberries—in three
small beds.
Large commercial growers, of course,
treat their strawberry crops differently. Because strawberry plants
decline in production after two years, commercial growers treat the
plants as annuals. In our zone 7b garden, however, our strawberry
plants are perennials, performing year after year, until we notice a
decline. (We haven't yet.) Then, as our plants slow in production,
we'll replace old plants with runners we've harvested from other
beds, ensuring an endless supply of fresh starts as we need them.
Strawberries may be my favorite
perennial plant.
Types
June bearing (spring bearing)
strawberries produce a crop during a three-to-four week period in the
spring, with the duration based on the climate. June bearers produce
flowers, fruits, and runners and are classified into early,
mid-season, and later varieties. June bearing plants are ideal if you
want a large harvest at once to make jams, for instance.
Everbearing strawberries produce three
periods of flowers and fruit: spring, summer, and fall.
Day neutral strawberries produce fruit
throughout the growing season, producing only a few runners. These
plants work well for gardeners with limited space or who want to
incorporate strawberries into borders or containers.
Isn't this a great idea? Strawberry
baskets for space-challenged gardeners!
When to Plant
In cold climates, plant strawberries as
soon as the ground can be worked in the spring. In warmer climates,
fall planting is ideal.
How to Plant
Strawberries prefer well drained soil,
rich in organic matter. Plant in an area that receives at least 6
hours of sun for best fruit production, and ensure the plants receive
at least an inch of water per week during the growing season. Don't
plant strawberries in a bed where peppers, tomatoes, eggplant or
potatoes resided. Strawberry plants are susceptible to verticillium
wilt, which can be spread by nightshade plants.
Like all transplants, strawberries
should be planted on a cloudy day or during late afternoon, rather
than in full sun. Set the strawberry plant in the soil so that the
soil is just covering the tops of the roots. Do not cover the crown.
After four to six weeks, the plants will produce runners and new
plants.
When you research planting
strawberries, all of the experts will tell you to remove the flowers
of the newly planted strawberries during the first season to develop
strong roots and runners. The goal is to ensure a large crop the
following year.
I can't do it.
In fact, I've never pinched back the
flowers. And guess what? We had a nice little, delicious harvest the
first year...and the second year, we could barely keep up with
harvesting the berries.
Maintenance
Spring frosts and freezes can wreck
havoc on your strawberry patch. Mulch or row covers can protect the
blossoms. In colder zones, a thick layer of straw provides good
insulation for strawberries. Remove the top layers in the spring, but
keep it close by in case of a late frost. Additionally, mulching with
straw around the base of the plants helps retain moisture and keeps
the fruit off the soil, which can promote disease and pest damage.
Always remove any damaged fruit or dead
leaves to avoid pests or disease.
Harvest
Wait to harvest until the berry is
fully ripe. Unlike some fruits, strawberries do not continue to ripen
after harvest. Leave an inch of stem attached, and refrigerate to
preserve freshness. Wash immediately before use.
Eat
In honor of Valentine's Day, I baked a
classic romantic dessert: Strawberry Tart. It's February, so I admit--I used store bought Florida berries. Still, it was pretty
delicious. Now, imagine it with fresh, just-picked strawberries...oh
my. This is definitely a recipe to make again in May.
Strawberry Tart
Adapted from Southern Living
Ingredients
1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, cut up
2 tablespoons cold shortening
3 tablespoons cold water
½ cup sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
2 cups half-and-half
5 egg yolks
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced
Instructions:
- Mix first three ingredients together, then add 1/3 cup butter and 2 tablespoons shortening. Mix until crumbly.
- With mixer running, slowly add 3 tablespoons water. Mix until dough forms a ball, adding more water as needed. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
- Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Press into bottom and sides of a 9-inch tart pan. Line dough with parchment paper; fill with pie weights (which I don't own) or dried beans (chickpeas worked for me!)
- Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove the weights/beans and parchment paper. Bake an additional 3-5 minutes.
- Combine ½ cup sugar and cornstarch in a medium saucepan.
- Whisk together half-and-half and egg yolks. Gradually whisk half-and-half mixture into sugar mixture in saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Remove mixture from heat.
- Stir in 3 tablespoons butter and vanilla; cover and chill at least 4 hours. Spoon into prepared pastry shell. Top with sliced strawberries and serve immediately.
So, are you ready to plant your
strawberry patch? I promise—You Can Grow That!
XO~
Julie
Join us on the 4th day of
each month to find out how You Can Grow That!
Shared on Wildcrafting Wednesdays, Home and Garden Thursdays, Farm Girl Friday Blog Fest, and Little House in the Suburbs.
Shared on Wildcrafting Wednesdays, Home and Garden Thursdays, Farm Girl Friday Blog Fest, and Little House in the Suburbs.
