The first real harvests of any size were realized today. The weather was clear and sunny with a coolish breeze--just perfect for weeding and harvesting. The nets could be rolled-back to a great degree and that made checking and picking very easy. Of course the most difficult thing of all was not eating the harvest. I could hear my partner peeping with delight as she found another "Big Red". At one point I had to ask if her method was--"One for the trug...one for me, one for the trug...one for me". I kept my own "sampling" quiet, working with all the discreet stealth of a cut worm. (whispering--they WERE delicious). As some of you may know, we decided to renew our strawbs with some "new blood" last year--that is to say, we bought some new plants after researching at length. The types that we decided upon were the 'Corona', the 'Polka' and the 'Lambada'. The Lambadas were the weakest and did the worst, not producing a flower as of yet. The most succumbed to the harsh winter. We did a taste taste of the remaining Corona and Polka. We included a third 'taster'- our neighbour at the new lottie. We all three agreed (independently) that the Corona was sweeter and that the Polks was a bit strionger in flavour. Tartness was a factor in it's flavour. So the Coronas will be the ones that we use when eating whipped cream and cake and the Polka will be mixed with the Coronas for making Jam. Here you see the first, modest harvest of new and old plots... As I was taking pics, my partner tweeted fron across the way, "No, no don't take the pics yet, I have something to go with them...and came running up to me out of breath. She had weedled a hand full of Rhubarb out of our neighbour taster. The rhubarb was used to mix with the strawbs when making jam. It adds natural pectin for setting-up and one doesn't notice it when eating the jam. You don't need to use much. Here are just a couple of close-ups of the beauties And some in her hand to show size of some of them. There were six jars of jam produced from that trug of strawbs. Here you can see some of the small peas. We got enough for two meals for ourselves and one meal for the m-i-l. I can still almost taste those strawbs and peas that we had for supper. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....
Oh, my, already? Drool and double drool! Ours are still in bloom. I always use "one for the basket - one for me", since I have to pick them. It's only fair I think.
Hahahaha... oh Droopy, you are a caution. Well...Those strawberries really are so delicious that one can't be expected to pick them without doing constant "taste tests", can he. We al;l suffer from this, "malady", I reckon.
Oh I love picking strawberries and peas. Neither would have lasted long though if I'd done the picking. It's not so much one for the basket - one for me, more like one for the basket - two for me. Well Ian's not that fond of strawberries anyway. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
They LOOK luscious.... I can just imagine how they tasted -- cracked me up, your sneaky tasting.... Were those peas soooo sweet? I do love peas... and I like the photo of the peas too.
Jealous of Essex here! What a lovely trug of stawbs Sjoerd. I am amazed you managed to collect as many leaving your wife in charge of picking! I am on the plot tomorrow but I don't think I will have such a good harvest. The peas look lovely also. Do you get pea moth or do you cover them with fleece??
Mmmm....strawberry's and pea's!! I've been waiting for fresh strawberry's and peas's!!! They look great!
Yes Daisy, those peas were indeed very sweet. I ate quite a few raw for a real treat. Thanks Emma, I know that your strawberries will soon be coming through. I don't get it though--usuallly you are two weeks before me with everything. Please do show pics and comment on your harvest tomorrow when you get back from your lottie. Thank you very much, Netty. I hope that yours will hurry up--I am curious to see how they look.
The weather here has been so cold and wet here this spring that I wonder if I will EVER get my veggies in Sjoerd! Tonights low is 3°C !!
Oh darn, Netty--that's cold. We have had several nights that were 5-6° C, and I thought THAT was bad, but your temps are worse. Everyone here is waituing for the strawbs and to take off...but that won't happen until the nights are warmer. Hang in there, kid.
Ummmmm Yummy yummy.I love strawberries but only grew them once as cutworm hit them as they were starting to produce and they cut all but 2 plants and I never tried them again as they all died and then the last 2 was cut.You will just have to enjoy them for me.
I totally dig this post. It is almost like I am right there with you and tasting the lovely strawberries. I like the way you wrote it up. Thoroughly enjoyable. :-D
Heh heh heh. thanks Palmpie-- I wish that I could put a scratch and sniff button on the picture. hahahaha
