Stawberries - growing and using this wonderful fruit

Strawberries – fragaria x ananassa

This is, arguably, everyone’s favourite fruit and the flavour is used in drinks, ice-creams, cakes, preserves and even medicines universally as an irresistible flavour. That said, strawberries are really quite easy to grow.

Sowing and Growing

It is possible to grow strawberries from seed although you may have to search for suppliers and the choice is limited. Sow in early spring after a couple of weeks in the freezer which will improve the germination rate.

For most people, the easiest way to get started is with young plants [runners] which will be supplied in pots from garden centres and seed suppliers. If you want to establish a good-sized bed, this can be quite an expensive way of getting started. Most of your allotment neighbours will have established strawberry beds which will produce many unwanted runners each summer. Have a chat with them and ask if you can take runners from their plots. It is reasonable to assume you will have to do the work yourself and water regularly in dry summers to ensure they establish in their pots. When they have rooted firmly into the pots you can cut the stems to the mother plants.

It is probable that your neighbours won’t know what variety they are growing but, if you choose good strong plants you are likely taking from stock which is happy with the ground you will plant into. Once you have established your own bed you can then use your runners to enlarge your bed and create new ones.

In May/June/July - the plants will put out these runners [long stems with one, two or even three young plants which will root into the nearby ground to create new plants]. Unless you are planning to increase your stock or set up a new bed, it is a good idea to clip out these runners as they appear as they will take away from your ‘mother’ plants. Of course, as you remove them, they will continue to put out new runners. You can use these runners for your own use or to share.

It is recommended that you pin or peg these young plantlets [the young plants as they appear on the runners – choose the ones closest to the mother plant as they will be the strongest] into pots which you then bury into the surrounding ground to prevent them from drying out.

In dry years they will have to be watered regularly anyway.

Being a lazy gardener, I prefer to take the strongest runners from the strongest plants in the early autumn when they have already rooted strongly into the surrounding ground. A few of these will fail but I will have so many more to replace them. My chosen method is to take the young plants with the best developed root structure which I will lift with as much of the root area as possible and transplant them into the prepared bed.

To help reduce weeds I will cover an area 2 metres wide by the width of my plot 4 – 5 metres, [it really isn’t necessary to have such a large area but, I have the space and enjoy the fruit] which has been well dug and had a very liberal dressing of well rotted manure [20 cm thick, at least] with a woven fabric usually sold as ‘Weed Control Ground Cover Membrane’ or ‘Weed Barrier Matting’. I pin this matting down securely, cut ‘cross’ holes in the matting at approx 60cm apart and plant the young rooted runners into the well-enriched ground beneath. Water well until the plants have established. The matting will keep most of the weeds at bay unless perennial weeds have not been removed beforehand. The matting will allow rain to penetrate to water the plants although in very dry years some extra watering will be necessary.

In the spring clear off the previous season’s dead leaves to ensure slugs and snails don’t have anywhere to hide and to keep the plants tidy.

Strawberry beds should be replaced every three years. On the first year, it is recommended that you don’t allow the flowers to develop fruits though, I always do! In the second year the fruit should be at its best – large luscious fruits - and in the third year you should have more berries but, maybe not so large. Although you can continue to harvest from these plants in following years, it is not really recommended as the fruits will become increasingly small and insignificant. I find it useful to have two plots on the go, so that I can always have a good crop [well, some very wet years have to be the exception].

Types and Varieties

Strawberries can be classified  by their time of harvesting or by type.

·         Alpine strawberries frageria vesca – usually much smaller than their more cultivated cousins – they can be a bit sourer but are exquisitely flavoured fruits.

·         Cultivated Strawberries

§  early season – Christine [ can harvest from May in warm areas or from under cloches], Sweetheart

§  mid season – from mid-June - Cambridge Favourite, Malwina, Sonata, Royal Sovereign, Malling Opal [will produce fruit from June until October

§  late season – Elegance, Malling Opal

§  Everbearer / all season – there has now been developed a range of plants which will produce fruit from June until autumn – eg. Malling Opal, check the seed houses to see what has been recommended.

Harvesting and Storing

Blackbirds just love strawberries and will go around your ripening fruit eating the red patches out of them before they have had a chance to properly ripen ready for harvesting. I find this a problem only at the start of the season when I am looking forward to my first fruit of the year. After that, I feel there are enough to share with them. If you are trying to beat the blackbirds try harvesting slightly before they are fully ripe, they will continue to ripen over the next 24 hours, even in the fridge.

Strawberries really are best eaten fresh, enjoy them while they are fresh as it will be many months before they are available again. They won’t keep for long in the fridge – 24 hours maximum.

Although it is possible to freeze them, it isn’t particularly successful as they will turn to mush when defrosted.

However, if you are determined, try putting 1 berry into each of the sections of an ice-cube tray, fill the section with water and freeze. They can be left in the trays for a short time or for longer storage decant them into a freezer bag. Alternatively, place the dried, hulled berries onto a tray, making sure the berries are not touching then, freeze. When well frozen, the fruits can be stored in a freezer bag.

If you have more fruit than you can happily eat fresh or – heaven forbid you might get tired of eating them – they do make the most wonderful jam and conserve - see below

Nutritional Value

Excellent source of	Useful amounts	Traces
Vitamin C	Dietery Fibre Folate Potassium Manganese	Vitamins – B – thiamine, riboflavin,niacin, B6 Minerals – calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, copper, selenium
Low in saturated fat and protein also low in cholesterol and sodium [salt]

Pests and Diseases

Slugs and Snails – slugs and snails can be a serious nuisance with these ground growing plants, especially in damp weather. The pests will hide under the dense leaf growth during the day then, come out at night to destroy your harvest. Use slug pellets, beer traps or nematodes.

Botyritis [grey-mould] – this is usually only a serious problem in damp warmish weather although a few fruits may be affected, even in dry years. Pick off and remove any affected fruit before the spores can affect other fruit. Keep weeds under control and avoid overcrowding the plants.

Birds – the best protection for your crop is to net it. Keep the net off the ground and high enough for you to get inside for easy picking. It can be a nuisance if you have to remove the net each day when you want to pick your fruit. Allow an escape route for birds who will, almost find a way in despite your best efforts. It is most distressing to find the remains of a bird that has been caught by the net or trapped by a predator.

Strawberry Jam

2kg ( 4lb) strawberries

1¾ kg  ( 3½ lb) sugar

Juice of half a lemon

Method

1.      Hull the strawberries and wash only if really necessary ( it is important that no more liquid is added to the fruit).

2.      Put the strawberries into the preserving pan with the lemon juice and heat very slowly until the fruit is really soft and has released much of its juice. ( 20 minutes or so).

3.      Add the sugar and stir over a gentle heat until you are sure that all the sugar has dissolved.

4.      Bring it to the boil and boil briskly until setting point is reached – test  a little on a saucer or use a sugar thermometer.

5.      Leave the jam in the pan for 10 – 15 minutes until it has cooled slightly. (when it has cooled slightly the setting process has started and this prevents the fruit rising to the top.

6.      Heat sterilised jam pots then place them on a wooden surface to pot the jam.

7.      Pot up the jam, cover and label.

( my personal preference is for the jam to be only lightly set, I think it has a better flavour.)

Strawberry Conserve

There are many recipes for strawberry conserve and all saying much the same thing. This particular one is from ‘Allotment Growing Recipes’ – www.allotment.org.uk

2lb (1kg) small strawberries or halved, hulled larger strawberries

2lb (1kg) granulated sugar

Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tblsp bottled lemon juice)

·        Place alternate layers of strawberries and sugar into a bowl.

·        Add the lemon juice, cover and leave to stand overnight – 12 hours.

·        Next day, transfer the fruit and the sugar to a pan, bring slowly to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.

·        Pour back into the bowl, cover and leave again for another day.

·        Finally, transfer to a pan, bring to the boil and simmer until setting point is reached.

·        Remove from the heat and leave to cool a little (until the fruit begins to sink in the syrup).

·        Stir and pour into small, hot, sterilised jars and cover immediately. Label.

 

Growing and using Globe Artichokes and easy Hollandaise Sauce

Globe Artichokes  - Cynara cardunculus – scolymus

 

The perennial globe artichokes are a member of the thistle family and a close relation to that wonderfully architechural plant - cardoon. The edible parts are actually the flower buds which, if left will develop into huge thistle like flowers. It is important to pick them and eat them well before they reach that stage.

Sowing and Growing

Globe artichokes are fairly easy to grow from seed in early spring and the young plants will give an artichoke or two in the first year though you are strongly advised to remove any developing ‘flowers’ as soon as they appear as tiny buds, to allow the plant to develop.

Similarly, if you buy young plants [in April], they are likely to give you a globe or two – with the same advice. Although, being an impatient sort of person I have harvested my first globe artichokes without any apparent damage to the development of the plant.

If sowing from seed, follow the instructions given by the seed company. I have read that it is a waste of time trying to grow this wonderful plant in heavy clay soil but, all of my growing area is heavy clay soil and I have grown globe artichokes productively for years. However, they do prefer a light well-drained soil in a sunny spot. It is best to consider the area more-or-less permanent as the plants can stay productive for some years. Although they are classed as perennial plants, it is a good idea to replace the plants every 3 - 4 years, or so, as the roots start to fragment and become less productive.

Once you have an established bed, it is easy to continue to take side shoots from your plants [you will see that, as the plants are 2 – 3 years old, the root appears to have several side shoots. During March or April, using a sharp spade, the side shoots can be cut away from the parent plant, taking a good portion of root along with it and re-established in a new bed].

Although the plants are large and bushy, swamping most weeds in their vicinity, it is important to keep their bed as weed free as possible and remove last season’s dead leaves in the spring when new growth emerges to help reduce the slug and snail population.

Provide a good dressing of well rotted manure, compost or straw to protect the roots in the winter. The top leaves should be cut back to avoid frost damage during harsh winters although, in mild winters the plants will survive happily with little protection.

In spring give the plants a good top dressing of well-rotted manure or you chosen fertiliser to feed the crop for the new season. Water well during dry spells.

Types and Varieties

Do have a look for new varieties which may be available each year from the seed houses – new varieties are often more frost tolerant and disease tolerant but, for a good range of products try Thompson and Morgan – www.thompson-morgan.com, Marshalls – www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk, Suttons seeds – www.suttons.co.uk

The most common varieties available now are Green Globe – an old favourite

                                                                    Purple or Violet Globe

                                                                    Emerald

Harvesting and Storing

The globe artichoke season is from late June until early October – depending on your site

After the first year, each plant should be putting up several ‘flower heads’ and these then put out side shoots. As the season progresses the globes tend to become more plentiful though smaller. Harvest them regularly to encourage the development of new growth. Although I have lost a few plants during particularly bitter winter weather in the last few years, I still have 6 or 7 plants which give me more artichokes than I can eat or give away.

Although they can be unwieldy to prepare and to eat, I feel they are well worth the effort. They have a flavour like no other, which is not to everyone’s taste but, they are still considered a luxury vegetable and are expensive to buy.

They make a wonderful dinner party starter as they take time to eat allowing guests time to enjoy the wine, the company and the chat without spoiling their appetites for the main course. So what, if they are a little awkward and messy to eat! To me, they are utterly delicious.

Globe artichokes will store in the fridge, in a polythene bag for a week or more, if necessary but, they are best eaten the day they are picked.

The artichoke hearts can be blanched and frozen but, I prefer to eat and enjoy them as a seasonal crop.

Nutritional Value

Excellent source of	Useful amounts	Traces
	Fibre Folate	Vitamins – B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, C and K Minerals – calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, Phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc
Excellent antioxidant, good for digestion, helps to reduce cholesterol

Pests and Diseases

Slugs and Snails – Although not a serious pest, slugs and snails will eat the tops of the new leaves as they appear.

Aphids – aphids can be a serious pest as they will attack the new leaves and the young flower heads establishing themselves within the bracts of the globes and making them almost impossible to remove while trying to prepare for eating. A regular spraying with SB Plant Invigorator will encourage good growth in the plants and reduce the aphids [ organic] – or use your choice of aphid killer.

Cold  - very harsh winters with deep frosts which penetrate the soil, especially on heavy clay soils which retain moisture, are likely to kill the plants. Some of my allotment neighbours have reported a 100% loss in recent harsh winters. While my own losses have not been so disastrous, it has still made a huge impression on my artichoke bed. Good protection is necessary – a heavy mulch of compost and/or well rotted manure around the roots. Cut the top growth off as winter approaches and cover the plants with a layer of straw or cover the bed with a sheet of environmesh – taking care to keep the mesh above the plants so that the frost can’t come into contact with them. I have tried fleece but found that it drops onto the plants and creates a worse situation.

Preparation and Cooking

They are a great starter for dinner parties as eating them takes almost as long as preparing them and gives guests time to chat and enjoy a glass of wine or two without spoiling their appetites for a more hearty main course.

To prepare

Cut off the stem and the base head, also removing the smaller outer bracts [scales] of the artichoke, as close as possible to the main head – be careful not to remove too much of the heart which is the best part. Cut off the outer bracts until it is apparent that there is a useable swelling at the bottom of each – the base of these bracts are edible. Using a pair of kitchen scissors cut off the top of the head so that you can gain access to the centre or ‘choke’. I also like to cut the sharp tops off each of the bracts as they can be quite thorny.

To cook

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and place the artichokes in the water. Simmer gently for 25– 30 minutes [depending on the size of the heads]. Remove from the water and drain well. Serve with Hollandaise sauce [see below] or with butter, lemon and black pepper.

An Alternative Method

I have also found this method quite successful and much quicker to prepare: -

Cut off the stem, part of the base and the outer bracts as before. Then, using a strong sharp knife, cut away ⅔ to  ¾ of the top leaving the choke and the centre exposed. Cut the head in half down through the centre. This gives easy access for removing the choke and the fibrous inner scales or bracts and they can be easily removed with a sharp knife.

Place these artichoke hearts in a large sheet of greaseproof paper or tinfoil. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Add some fresh lemon zest and a knob of butter or two. Wrap the tinfoil or greaseproof paper to make an envelope. Bake in a preheated moderate oven [180ºC] for approx. 45 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and warm crusty bread.

Hollandaise sauce 

This sauce with the ‘difficult’ reputation is easy really and is just wonderful with asparagus, globe artichokes, Eggs Benedict [why pay top restaurant prices when you can make it so easily at home?] and with lots of other vegetables to turn them from the mundane into the exquisite.

Some recipes you will find don’t set out to have a ‘cooked’ sauce, the heat of the melted butter providing the thickening agent. However, I do prefer to have my sauce cooked over a Bain-Marie [a water bath – or saucepan of simmering water]

I am giving my preferred recipe for the smallest practical quantity – to double/treble/etc, for each egg yolk added, increase an equivalent amount of the other ingredients:

1 egg yolk                                            juice of half a lemon                                  4oz [100gm butter]

¼ tsp whole grain mustard                  salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

·         Cut the butter into small pieces and melt it over a bain-marie [water bath – ie. in a bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water].

·         Put the egg yolk into a bowl [preferable glass or ceramic] with the mustard, salt and pepper[not too much – check later for appropriate seasoning] and the lemon juice.

·         Whisk well with a medium or small balloon whisk until the ingredients are well mixed.

·         Place the bowl into the ‘bain-marie’ – saucepan with gently simmering water and whisking continuously, pour the warm, melted butter in a thin stream, slowly into the egg mixture, until all of the butter has been added.

·         As you add the butter, the sauce will thicken and while you are preparing other ingredients for your chosen dish the sauce will thicken further

·         Taste for seasoning. You may wish to add a little more lemon juice or salt and pepper.

·          Keep the Hollandaise sauce warm over the bain-marie until you are ready to use it but use within a couple of hours.