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OREGON'S LGBTO NEWSMAGAZINE
Strawberries:
the sassy garden
&
3 0
. J
ing a mouthwatering sauce perfect for ice
cream or frozen yogurt, over shortcake or
even for breakfast on top o f plain Greek
yogurt.
BY LEANN LOCHER
You may have heard Oregon’s strawberry
season is running late this year due to our cool
spring and the delay of warm temperatures. It
doesn’t mean it will be a bad season, just a little
later to the table. I’ve seen berries at the local
farmers markets early on thanks to growing
them in protected greenhouses or under hoop
houses, and of course California’s strawberries
are available at the supermarkets. But I have a
soft spot for having strawberries ripe from the
picking, and Oregon’s are pretty scrumptious.
Their beauty is in high demand because they’re
red all the way through, making them a pre
mium for ice cream- and yogurt-makers seek
ing the deep red color in their products.
One o f the most popular and sought-after
strawberry varieties is the Hood strawberry.
Sweet and large, it’s particularly excellent in
ice cream. Totem is the most popular straw
berry grown in the Northwest, and where we
like to pick, Sauvie Island outside of Portland,
you’ll find farmers growing Hood, Puget Re
liance, Honeoye and Tillamook strawberries,
to name a few. Each tastes and looks a little
different, and it’s fun to note the variations.
Strawberries are also fun to grow, and
they’ll easily take over a raised bed if you let
them. I’ve been growing them in a hanging
container, and they seem to like this environ
ment. If you’re looking to grow your own,
keep in mind there are three different types o f
strawberries: June-bearers, everbearers and
day-neutrals. The June-bearers will produce
one crop a year, while the everbearers produce
two. Day-neutrals will continue to produce
throughout the season. If you’re seeking a
flush o f big, juicy strawberries, you’ll want to
go with the June-bearers. If you want to pluck
a few for your morning cereal throughout the
season, you’d be good to go with the everbear
ers or day-neutrals.
There’s a whole lot o f enjoyment to be had
with fresh strawberries. We make freezer
jam — a simple method o f jam -making that
doesn’t require a hot water bath and preserves
the fresh flavor o f the berries. Smoothies and
milkshakes can’t go wrong here, but my new
favorite way o f enjoying fresh strawberries
(other than fresh and plain) is by roasting
them in the oven with a mixture o f sugar and
balsamic vinegar. Roasting deepens the flavor,
and the sugar mixes with the balsamic, creat
Roasted balsamic strawberries
6 cups strawberries, washed and hulled
V 4 cup sugar •
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the
strawberries, sugar and vinegar. Spread the
mixture out on a rimmed baking sheet (this is
going to get a little juicy and you want to hold
onto that juice). Bake for 40 minutes. Let
cool, then pour them into a container, juicy
bits and all. Serve on shortcake, vanilla bean
ice cream or for breakfast on top o f plain
Greek yogurt. I t ]
LeAnn Locher is an OSU Extension Master
Gardener and gardens in North Portland. Find
many, more strawberry recipes on her blog, lelo-
nopo.com.
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LEANN LOCHER
I t’s the great debate in my family. My part
ner hails from Oregon, and I from California.
She insists Oregon’s strawberries put Califor
nia’s to shame. I love Oregon’s strawberries, but
seriously? I was born in the strawberry capital
of the world. My birthplace is also the largest
grower of strawberries in the state of Califor
nia, and California is responsible for 85 percent
o f the nation’s supply. W hile it has the unfor
tunate name of Oxnard, it’s home to what’s
known as the Oxnard Plain and one of the
most agriculturally fertile areas of the world.
So I guess you could say I was born with the
best strawberries coursing through my veins,
ut that would be a bit dramatic, no?
A few years back, we held a blind taste test
featuring Oregon vs. California strawberries.
Several bowls held the red gems, covered so
tasters could not see the differences. (Many of
the California berries have white centers,
whereas Oregon’s berries are red throughout).
Five o f us took turns silently tasting and choos
ing our favorites, carefully marking our votes
'and thoughts. Almost everyone at the table
was rooting for Oregon, insisting they would
be far superior. Alas, California’s strawberries
won our taste test. There was much shouting—
but then we all dug into some strawberry
shortcake and it didn’t really matter. Strawber
ries are delicious when they’re in season.
Oregon vs. California?
JUNE 3, 2011
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