Berry nice ideas

WE’RE at the height of the strawberry season at present, and all along the main roads strawberry growers are doing their best to tempt us to indulge. So let’s feast on beautiful ripe berries while they are at their best.

Eco Santa is the favourite commercial variety but a few growers are beginning to offer some heritage berries. It’s not easy because many of the older more flavourful varieties produce smaller berries which take longer to pick. Time is money and there is already a serious problem to be resolved to facilitate the employment of fruit pickers who are needed on a casual basis for a short period during the berry seasons, which is also weather dependent.

So let’s support our Irish soft fruit growers; otherwise we’ll have no choice as has happened with so many other products. There are a myriad of delicious ways to serve strawberries.