Craving Fresh Strawberries

As the winter months drag on, the little display of fresh strawberries (and sometimes blueberries and raspberries) draws me away from the apples and bananas. 

I look, but I rarely buy...as the fruit has traveled from far away lands.  I wouldn't mind pawning my jewels to offset the purchase, but the texture and taste is usually disappointing. 

Today I caved.  (I'm blaming it on Sabrina - she posted photos of her little fellow chowin' down  in the middle of a sun splashed U-pick field down in the far away lands of Texas.)

After washing them, I grabbed a bowl and sliced into the first one.  Even though a bit too crisp, the scent was a faint but definite berry. Enough to trigger a saliva gland twitch in response.

Not every berry was as appealing, however.  I eventually sprinkled sugar over the contents of the small bowl and micro-waved them (slightly) into a softer snack.  There was just too much unripe flesh.

When our local fields come to fruition in June, the strawberries are red to the core.  They melt in your mouth after staining your fingers and lips.  And, whatever you are wearing - if you're careless and the sweetness dribbles down your chin.  (Which I am and it does.)  The juice soaks into your shortcake and turns the whipped cream pink. 

The fragrance wafting from a field of ripe berries on the hot afternoon breeze is on my mind.

But, the little plastic container posed between the other fruits and vegetables in the produce department is my reality.

Can you tell that I am craving fresh strawberries?

Comments

Peter said…
G'day Pamela, yes.... I can tell that you are craving fresh strawberries, and after your very descriptive post so am I, thanks buddy!!!!
dawn said…
Yeah, and now I am too...thanks a lot. I was craving oranges this evening and took a run to the store but the selection wasn't great for the navels so I only bought 5 of them. I got some little honey oranges in a tiny little box and got some grapefruit. I had one of each and two of the tiny ones. I am stuffed now, but could still go for that taste. Perhaps I will wait til morning.
bichonpawz said…
Thanks Pamela! Now I am craving the taste of strawberries too!!! Excellent description!
LadyStyx said…
mmmm! Right now Im makin due with the frozen ones. Toss a cup of them into my blender with yogurt, mils and a banana for a yummy smoothie.
Jenni said…
Reading this made my stomach growl and my mouth water. I'm ready for strawberry season!
nikki said…
The last 2 containers of strawberries I bought have actually been decent. AND on sale to boot. I can't wait for Michigan's blueberries, strawberries and cherries to come into season. Hot dang I'm drooling.
Karmyn R said…
I just bought a huge pack from Costco - and with a little bit of sugar my kids are munching them down.

and this post reminds me I need to go out and weed my own strawberry patch.
Susie said…
I noticed fresh strawberries from Watsonville (near Monterey) at our farmer's market this week. They looked and smelled delish, but $5.00 a basket was too pricey for me!!
xo
ChrisB said…
You have really made me crave strawberries with this post. Sadly it will be several months before we get any local ones here. I love blueberries and I do buy them and I try not to think they have been flown in. I'm hoping for a bigger crop of my own this year but it still won't be that many.
Carole Burant said…
Oh great! Now you have ME craving fresh strawberries! lol Our fresh field ones won't be ready until mid or late July so I have to make do with the store bought ones right now. I also have frozen ones I picked last summer...love making smoothies with those! xoxo
jill said…
me too, but the cost has me holding back. sigh.
Anonymous said…
Nope, I'm not craving stawberries here - but after reading the comments an orange or two wouldn't go astray!
C... said…
I wish I loved strawberries - I can't even stand the smell of them or anything strawberry flavored.
darkfoam said…
now i'm hungry for strawberries .. :/
:)
BlondeBlogger said…
I LOVE going strawberry picking with my kids! There's a gorgeous farm near us that's just below the mountains and the scenery is gorgeous. We picked tons of juicy strawberries last summer and they were the best ones I've ever tasted. Now you've got me craving them again too. :)
DesLily said…
me too! I love love love blueberries and strawberries (and kiwi's!.. i know, not a berry!) I do splurge now and then and treat myself to blueberries or strawberries.. generally if you can smell the strawberries they are tastier than those you cannot.
kitten said…
I can't wait for fresh strawberries either! YUM!
I've been craving strawberries (real ones), too, Pam.

Do you have Driscoll's? We love Driscoll berries in winter. They cost more, but tend to have the fragrance and taste of "real ones", until summer. Driscoll's is one of our once in awhile winter treats.
Claudia said…
mmmm... I couldn't help myself-I bought some at the store yesterday. sigh...and blackberries!
Unknown said…
I love getting fresh berries! Can't wait until there's some ripe up here and then we can run out and pick to our heart's content. :)
Carla said…
And now I'm craving strawberries. I love fresh berries. Mmmm...
Mercy's Maid said…
I planted two strawberry plants last weekend. I've never tried growing them before, but so far they look healthy.

I'm not sure about the 70 day maturity though. I think I will pray for them to grow faster because I'm not sure I can wait that long. :)
Helene said…
I love them too! I made chocolate fondue recently and had strawberried... YUM!!!
Christy Woolum said…
I made the mistake of buying some also. They looked so pretty too!
cactus petunia said…
This has been a looong winter. Just the thought of June strawberries from Sauvie Island makes it possible to go on....Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Claudia said…
And I have to add...you're very right-while the store bought ones are still good, they cannot compare to fresh picked berries!!
Gattina said…
I can understand you ! I love strawberries too. In Belgium you usually get the once which grow in glass houses and they are very expensive and famous, to me they have no taste at all. But sunday on the market I found strawberries from Morocco, freshly arrived. You know they rent a truck together drive over there in one shot with 2 or 3 drivers and bring fresh fruits back out of natural sunshine ! It was a strawberry feast here (and still is) because I bought as much as I could for the next days.
Gattina said…
I am not sad at all that this wheeping willow is finally gone. It should have never been planted there on these tiny properties ! It took all the light away in our living room and no sun in the garden after 3 pm !
The roots started to get til our house ! Now it's light and sunny and I have to seed grass !
Attie said…
OOHh man I want me some too!! only do them come from far away and usally aren't good either...they are soooo expensive now!!
Sabrina said…
Sounds like a snowball effect!!! We had a craving, too, so we went back and picked enough to make jam! Yummy!
Me too, just had some last night - lots of sugar. At the rate our spring is going, we won't have berries until July!!

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