Where To Find Blueberries (And Fairly Priced Strawberries?)

[ForumUsername]

Hey guys,

Just bought myself a juicer and wanted to start stocking up on more fruits. Seems kind of embarrassing that I don't really know any markets here, but you're all far more knowledgeable than me anyway so I thought I would ask.

Headed to two different Tops but neither of them had Blueberries. I bought literally 7 strawberries (in a tub) for 179thb, which seems expensive. I believe it's an imported item though so that might explain the price -- they had Australian flag stickers on them.

I stay on Nimman but don't mind driving around. Any markets I can head to in order to stock up on both of these?

Thanks!

[JeffreyMcCollum]

Both of those are out of season and import, thus expensive.

Rimping Market has nice fruit, but mostly imported and expensive.

Near the US Consulet and along the river north of there are local fuit market with local fruit but no strawberries or Blue berries at this time.

[KhunVee]

If you don't mind frozen in bags,... then Makro has a good variety for OK prices but the quality is medium and just good enough for blending or sauce making.

Fresh fruit/vegetables that are not native to Thailand but grown in Thailand are in general of mediocre quality.

The Imported ones are overpriced (specially by those over-valued shops like Rimping or Tops) come on,.... 220,- THB for 16 Brussels Sprouts???? That's 2.200 THB per kilo,.... I can buy 8 Year old Parmegiano cheese for less.

[Joop50]

If you don't mind frozen in bags,... then Makro has a good variety for OK prices but the quality is medium and just good enough for blending or sauce making.

Fresh fruit/vegetables that are not native to Thailand but grown in Thailand are in general of mediocre quality.

The Imported ones are overpriced (specially by those over-valued shops like Rimping or Tops) come on,.... 220,- THB for 16 Brussels Sprouts???? That's 2.200 THB per kilo,.... I can buy 8 Year old Parmegiano cheese for less.

Makro sells good quality frozen fruits. Except for the granberries, avoid the ARO brand.

Using a blender is the way to juice most fruits. Juicer is excellent for vegetables but also for apples and other hard fruits..

Rinse your vegetables good by adding vinegar (around 4 tablespoons) to the water and let soak for about 15 min..

Edited September 23, 2012 by Joop50

[NancyL]

Strawberries are out-of-season now in Chiang Mai, but by Decemember you'll be able to buy tons of them at Warorot Market, fairly cheaply.

Blueberries don't grow in Thailand -- or if they do, only in small quantities for Royal Project demonstration farming, like they do with cranberries. Macro is a good source for frozen blueberries that should work nicely in a juicer.

Why not experiment with local fruits like papaya, mango, pineapple? We're getting toward the end of mango season, but there still are some in the markets. Mangos are naturally sweet -- taste a lot like peaches, if you never had them.

[triffid]

Has anyone tried the frozen blueberries in a juicer - not blender - and does that produce much juice?

[hellodolly]

If you don't mind frozen in bags,... then Makro has a good variety for OK prices but the quality is medium and just good enough for blending or sauce making.

Fresh fruit/vegetables that are not native to Thailand but grown in Thailand are in general of mediocre quality.

The Imported ones are overpriced (specially by those over-valued shops like Rimping or Tops) come on,.... 220,- THB for 16 Brussels Sprouts???? That's 2.200 THB per kilo,.... I can buy 8 Year old Parmegiano cheese for less.

Makro sells good quality frozen fruits. Except for the granberries, avoid the ARO brand.

Using a blender is the way to juice most fruits. Juicer is excellent for vegetables but also for apples and other hard fruits..

Rinse your vegetables good by adding vinegar (around 4 tablespoons) to the water and let soak for about 15 min..

ditto on Macro. Was in there last week and got raspberries as well as blueberries. Not sure when strawberries will be in season here but I find the taste in Thailand nothing like back home. They had them at macro but I believe they were about 30 baht more. Of course they were frozen. I also mix in bananas.

I use a blender people say that a juicer gives better quality juice. Personally I can't say.

My boy has a $400 Canadian blender that he has been using for years to make juice with. He recently bought a big dollar juicer and tells me there is a difference. For juice he prefers the juicer. Mind you he did not buy a cheap model. I was talking to him on the phone and he was telling me all about the difference in the end product. I wasn't paying that much attention as it was getting technical. Also I am quite happy with my blender.

[ForumUsername]

Thanks all for the replies.

I've never been to Makro so it makes a good excuse to trip out and see what they have in stock.

Just to clarify, I actually bought a blender - pretty pricey at 4,000thb (I wanted something that would hopefully last as I've had bad experiences) - and not a juicer. Mostly to make fruit smoothies with ice

[butterisbetter]

For quite a while now, Makro has had only cultivated blueberries. They don't have nearly as much flavor as the wild kind.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

mulberries are local and fairly affordable. Can get them at the health food store and keep an eye out for them at produce markets.

[hellodolly]

Thanks all for the replies.

I've never been to Makro so it makes a good excuse to trip out and see what they have in stock.

Just to clarify, I actually bought a blender - pretty pricey at 4,000thb (I wanted something that would hopefully last as I've had bad experiences) - and not a juicer. Mostly to make fruit smoothies with ice

I bought a cheap juicer and it didn't last so went to get a new one and did not want a cheap one. Saw a couple in the 3 to 4 thousand range at macro wrote the information down and tried to look them up on the internet. No web page on either so I went to Siam and paid about 9,000 baht for Cuisinart not sure of the spelling. Over a year now and going strong.

[llp]

makro has cultivated blueberries 270 baht / kg

they had frozen wild blueberries too at one point, but might not anymore, these always tasted very sour

from what i understand you dont want to eat any strawberries grown in thailand unless they are certified organic, as all the pesticides just leach inside the strawberries and a lot of these pesticides are banned in other countries

[jackr]

Yok had/has frozen strawberries but are tasteless in a blender even. Thai strawberries are just crap, period, they should stick to growing mangoes

The imported blueberries in Rimping are nice but 100 baht ish for 100grams.

[cloudhopper]

We grow strawberries and mulberries and I have to agree most of the strawberries look much better than they taste. Agree about the pesticide issue too - everything grown here is laced with it (Mrs. c absolutely refuses to buy cabbage which is unfortunately very difficult to grow organic here).

Oh well it's just not a perfect world at least the last mango season was incredible.

[TongueThaied]

With Makro blueberries, I have seen two kinds. They have one they call "wild blueberries" and then there are the farm grown ones. The wild ones are extremely sour. The farm grown ones are delicious.

[playyer]

Where are these blueberries grown ? Im a bit suspicious against the chinese grown ones because of pesticides. Do they have much control there ? Ive seen wild blueberries from Maine in rimping, out of stock temporarily now. Expensive though.

[cloudhopper]

Funny enough I just wandered through the hong krua to see the mia luang making this mornings lassie with "Cultivated IQF Frozen Blueberries" in a large zip-lock bag from Chile by a Thai distributor. Big and sweet. Says she got them at the market up here in Pai so they must be in CM.