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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Nine unusual and delicious ideas for strawberries
The arrival of British strawberries is one of the most delicious signs that summer has begun. And this year, berry lovers are in for a treat: it's shaping up to be an exceptional season. According to Sandy Booth, CEO of New Forest Fruit Co – a key supplier for Sainsbury's – the sunny weather has worked wonders. 'With the recent spell of sunshine, our strawberries are ripening at a faster rate than usual, not only giving us a bumper crop but also yielding fruit with enhanced sweet and juicy flavours due to the cooler nights, after long sunny days,' he says. More than 30 varieties are grown across the country, but most supermarkets either don't list the variety on the label or default to the reliably firm and sweet Elsanta. Look a little further and you'll find other cultivars, such as the aromatic Eve's Delight from Kent (currently at M&S for £8.33/kg). But if you're simply planning to slice and serve with cream, save a few pence and pick up a punnet of Waitrose's 'wonderfully wonky' but fabulously sweet berries (£7.20/kg). But why stop at cream? Piled onto a pavlova, muddled in a jug of Pimm's or stirred through an Eton Mess are just a few of the strawberry's starring roles; there's no shortage of ways to enjoy this year's giant, juicy berries, as you'll discover below. A quick note before you tuck in: to enjoy strawberries at their best, store them properly. Don't wash them first – simply refrigerate in their original container, or, if they came in a paper bag, transfer to a shallow bowl lined with kitchen paper. For full flavour, bring them to room temperature at least an hour before serving. These make a fab addition to a charcuterie board and the leftover juices can be whisked with olive oil for a zingy salad dressing. Hull and halve 400g strawberries and place in a jar. Warm together 150ml white wine vinegar, 75ml water, 3 tbsp caster sugar. Add your choice of whole spices, such as a sprinkle of pink or black peppercorns, a couple of star anise, cracked cardamom pods or a pinch of chilli flakes. Stir until the sugar dissolves then pour over the strawberries. Leave to cool to room temperature then chill until ready to serve. Keep chilled and eat within two days. For a surprisingly wonderful flavour match, swap the cherry tomatoes in your traditional tricolore salad for sweet and juicy strawberries. Or to make delicious pre-dinner nibbles to serve alongside a glass of summer spritz, thread small or halved strawberries, mini mozzarella and basil leaves onto cocktail sticks and finish with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Butter two slices of brioche bread and make a sandwich (butter on the outside) with goat's cheese and sliced strawberries. Season with chilli flakes, black pepper and a drizzle of honey if you fancy it, then toast in a panini press or frying pan until crunchy and golden brown. For neat and speedy removal, gently push a straw, preferably a thin metal or reusable plastic one, through the tip of the strawberry. The calyx will simply pop out of the top. Place 400g halved strawberries, 2 tsp sumac, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 tbsp caster sugar and 4 tbsp water in a small heatproof dish. Stir well then roast or air fry at 200C for 15-20 minutes until softened and bubbling but still holding their shape. Wonderful served with yoghurt for breakfast or ice cream for pudding. Homemade creamy strawberry ice lollies need only three ingredients and an overnight stint in the freezer (no additives or emulsifiers in these, thank you). Hull and halve 300g strawberries and blend with 170g condensed milk and 100ml milk until smooth. For seedless lollies, strain the mixture, otherwise pour into 6 ice lolly moulds and freeze overnight. For a pretty summer salad, toss together halved strawberries, diced or sliced ripe avocado and some baby spinach leaves. Crumble in a little feta, add a few slivers of red onion then dress with a honey-mustard vinaigrette. Thoroughly dry the strawberries by patting with kitchen paper then remove the hull. Push in a cocktail stick then freeze the strawberries in a single layer. Dip the frozen strawberries into melted white chocolate, using the stick to shake off any excess. Once all the strawberries are coated, return to the freezer until fully set then repeat with a layer of milk or dark chocolate then slide out the sticks. Serve frozen. Roughly chop 12 large strawberries and 2 limes and muddle together in a jug with two tablespoons of white sugar and few fresh mint leaves. Stir in 400ml white rum, mixing well. When ready to serve, divide between 6-8 glasses, fill with ice cubes then top up with sparkling water. Fill a blender goblet with hulled and halved strawberries (if you have any other berries such as raspberries or blueberries, add a few of those too). Break in a small banana then add a good splash of milk or coconut milk or water and whizz until smooth. Pour over ice and serve. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
North Wales Live
18-05-2025
- Climate
- North Wales Live
UK strawberry alert at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and M&S amid 'never seen anything like it' reports
Supermarket shoppers looking to buy strawberries this summer have been given a heads-up about what to expect. Lovers of the fruit have been told to prepare for an extraordinary bumper crop of "giant" berries this season. The strawberries are reportedly of unprecedented size, so much so that growers suspect some may be too big to fit into consumers' mouths. Some told the Guardian newspaper they'd "never seen anything like it" before. Bartosz Pinkosz, of the Summer Berry Company, said he's been finding huge berries weighing as much as 50g. He said: "We had the darkest January and February since the 70s but then the brightest March and April since 1910. From March onwards it was really kind of perfect for tunnel strawberries. The berries are between 10% and 20% larger." Nick Marston, of British Berry Growers, which represents almost all British producers, is expecting impressive crops this summer, reports Birmingham Live. Lots of sunshine and strong bee pollination have helped produce the classic strawberry that consumers demand. He said: "We're seeing very good size, shape, appearance, and most of all, really great flavour and sugar content, which is what consumers want when they buy British strawberries. "I'm always a little cautious of saying strawberries are 20% bigger because there's an average involved and some crops will be slightly smaller than others. But I think it would be fair to say the very nice sunshine, and the cool overnight temperatures, are ideal for fruit development. "The slower the development of the fruits, the more time they have to expand the cells and create a bigger berry. What we are now seeing is something I have never seen in 19 years, which is consistently larger berries." Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now Given the vagaries of the weather, growers are naturally cautious and Mr Marston said there was a potential cloud on the horizon: the conditions that got the growing season off to a flying start might yet come back to haunt fruit growers. With a drought alert already issued, he expressed concerns that water shortages could pose problems for some growers later in the season. Even this cannot deflate the sector's current optimism. Mr Marston added: "It has been a perfect start to the strawberry season for us ... I have genuinely never seen a harvest produce such large berries consistently. Some are supersized – growing to the size of plums or even kiwi fruits." Until recently, the UK's favourite strawberry was a Dutch variety known as Elsanta. Its disease resistance and high, consistent yields made it a hit with growers. However, many consumers found Elsanta somewhat tasteless, prompting growers and retailers to seek an alternative. So far this year, the prospects are looking good. This news comes as Wimbledon prepares to host its annual tournament in July, when tennis enthusiasts will devour countless strawberries with cream or sugar. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox On the All England Club's website, the tournament's organisers insisted only the best will be served. "Our world-famous berries are hand-picked and delivered to the All England Club each morning where they are inspected by our Food and Drink team to make sure only the best are served to our guests," they confirmed.
Daily Record
18-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Strawberry alert issued for households buying at Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's or M&S
Strawberry fans over the UK are being warned of a so-called 'giant' bumper crop A warning has been issued for shoppers buying strawberries at UK supermarkets this summer - including Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Asda and M&S. Strawberry lovers are being informed about a so-called 'giant' bumper crop that has emerged. The strawberries this season are reported to be huge in size, sparking concerns that they may not even fit in mouths. UK growers have spoken to the Guardian about the unusual size of the berries, with one saying they have "never seen anything like it." Bartosz Pinkosz, Operations Director at the Summer Berry Company, explained the unusual growth: "We had the darkest January and February since the 70s but then the brightest March and April since 1910. From March onwards it was really kind of perfect for tunnel strawberries. The berries are between 10 percent and 20 percent larger." Pinkosz stated that the company's strawberry plants are producing 'giant' 50g berries that are too large to fit in your mouth, Birmingham Live reports. Nick Marston, the chair of the industry body British Berry Growers, stated: "We're seeing very good size, shape, appearance, and most of all, really great flavour and sugar content, which is what consumers want when they buy British strawberries." He added: "I'm always a little cautious of saying strawberries are 20% bigger because there's an average involved and some crops will be slightly smaller than others. But I think it would be fair to say the very nice sunshine, the cool overnight temperatures, are ideal for fruit development." "The slower the development of the fruits, the more time to expand the cells and create the bigger berry. What we are now seeing is something I have never seen in 19 years, which is consistently larger berries," he said. As well as the giant size of the berries, Marston had another warning. He spoke on the fears of water shortages, and how it may become an issue for some growers. He went on to say: "It has been a perfect start to the strawberry season for us ... I have genuinely never seen a harvest produce such large berries consistently. Some are supersized – growing to the size of plums or even kiwi fruits." Up until recently, the UK's most popular strawberry variety was the Dutch variety called Elsanta. Favoured by growers for its disease resistance and reliable, high yields, Elsanta dominated supermarket shelves. However, many consumers found the fruit to be lacking in flavour, prompting growers and retailers to search for a more appealing alternative. It comes ahead of Wimbledon in July, with strawberries and cream being a famous pairing at the tennis tournament, tennis spectators might be in for a bigger treat this year than usual. Ahead of the summer tournament the website said: "Our world-famous berries are hand-picked and delivered to the All England Club each morning where they are inspected by our Food & Drink team to make sure only the best are served to our guests."
