Oregon Strawberries

There are those out there that are content to eat strawberries year round, bought at any old grocery store whenever you have the yearning for them.  Most likely shipped for hundreds of miles from the Central Valley of California, and likely picked before they are even ripe.

First flat of the season - Hoods

I am not one of those people.

In fact, I come from a long line of California Strawberry Haters.

California berries are big and red on the outside, but beyond that they have nothing on Oregon berries.  Their interiors are white and they are frankly flavorless.

My mom loves strawberries probably more than anyone else I know, but she is very particular about where they are grown. Our entire family looks forward to the two to three weeks each year in June when the Oregon berries are ripening and filling the roadside stands.  We look forward to them so much that we pretty much abstain from eating berries at any other time of year - it is just too disappointing.

Oregon berries are special because they truly are redder and sweeter than berries grown anywhere else.  Don't believe me?  Check this out.  Oregon is so convinced of our exceptional strawberries they have devoted an entire website to the facts and history of strawberries in Oregon.  There is actual scientific proof that our berries are redder and sweeter.

Strawberries and raspberries from my yard.

My mom used to take my sister and I to pick strawberries every year, it was more affordable to pick your own....bonus being the fact you could eat your fill as you were picking!  Last year was such a poor year for strawberries, it was too wet and cold for too long and berries were almost $30 a flat. The flat I bought this weekend was $22, bargain!  We have already eaten almost all of them.  The next flat will be going into jam...and probably more shortcake...and probably just eaten out of the box.

Breakfast this morning - strawberry oatmeal and cream and honey

The berries in my oatmeal are from my garden (my plants are two years old), picked this morning while I was out feeding the chickens.

Note how red they are in the center, red all the way through...and they were sweet.  Go get some berries while they last!