rene123 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 It is strawberry season here in Chiang Mai and the Wororot market by the Ping River has displays of them everywhere. Unfortunately, most of the berries have just barely started to ripen. If you eat one it tastes sour and has barely any of the classic strawberry flavour. I DO know what strawberries are SUPPOSED to taste like. I've grown enough of them back home on Vancouver Island. They are a wonderful berry if they come from the proper soil and allowed to ripen. California strawberries are terrible, even if they look good. I think that is because the strawberry farms of California have used up all the natural goodness in the soil and are now relying on man made fertilizers. i don't think that is the case for Thailand, though. Maybe it is the heat and something just isn't right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TommoPhysicist Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Strawberries in Thailand are always bitter. Doesn't get cold enough for the sugar to grow. Love English strawberries, can't stand Thai strawberries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tywais Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 I picked some up at Rimping recently and they were quite good. Larger than what I normally see but at a bit of a premium price. Besides, I slice them, put sugar on them and let them sit for 24 hours for the sauce then sprinkle them over vanilla ice cream. Sweet enough then. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
circusman Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Beware of some sellers of strawberries. On Doi Suthep I bought a large box for 200 baht. As I expected, and didn't bother to check, under the top few were banana leaves. So I ended up with about 65 baht worth of sour strawberries. My bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skills32 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 There are two types of strawbery grown in Samoeng. Sweet and sour. The sour ones are large, very red and look delicious- except they are not. The sweet ones don't look ripe and are much smaller but they are good. rey You have to ask for strawber wahn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glegolo Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 You should know that it is not merely the soil it is about, it is mostly about the weather conditions, as one of you mentioned. Strawberries grow way to fast in warm climates, and the sugar in them is not keeping up. So what you get is a strawberry with way too low portion of sugar. In exemple northern Europe, mostly Scandinavia, you get the best ones in Europe just because the climate and the growers are giving the berry the time it deserve to be good. Bad exemple is Spain, tasteless and bitter strawberries... What about North Americas like USA/Canada I dont know, But Canada have a climate somewhat like Scandinavia, so you should be fine there... Glegolo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierra01 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Cant beat English strawberries, if they werent the best they wouldnt have them at Wimbledon. I agree that Spanish stawberries arent very good, too hard and not sweet. Thai strawberries make good wine, as sold by the roadside on the way up to Mai Sai. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Briggsy Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Ah yes, English strawberries. Dragged out by my dad to some pick your own place in order to save a few pennies and chucking the rotten ones at my brother. That's all I know about strawberries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
market trader Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Rene. I presume it has been sometime since you have been away from Canada and Vancouver island. I agree that California strawberries used to be the size of chicken eggs but tasted like cardboard. But two years something happened. Although still the size of chicken eggs they became sweet and juicy. Guess they must have started planting some type of new cultivars. The area of Canada I come from we basically have 2 seasons. Winter and the next season is spring, summer and fall combined. However we have strawberries that become available in July and last for 3 or 4 weeks. Not very large but extremely sweet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rene123 Posted January 30, 2013 Author Share Posted January 30, 2013 There are two types of strawbery grown in Samoeng. Sweet and sour. The sour ones are large, very red and look delicious- except they are not. The sweet ones don't look ripe and are much smaller but they are good. rey You have to ask for strawber wahn. That is true. I bought a bag of the small ones on the woman's recommendation. They weren't bad after I sliced them and sprinkled sugar on them. I mixed them with sliced, ripe mango and it was a pleasant treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyL Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 There are several types (cultivars) of strawberries used in commercial production. Here in Thailand they will grow those best suited to warm-weather conditions and commercial transport after picking. In other words, our good old American land-grant colleges, with their ag extension programs, have educated the managers running the Royal projects where new crops are trialed. This is just a convoluted way of saying they taste just like the strawberries "back home". I just have to accept everyone's word that they can taste any better. Sorry, I grew up thinking all strawberries were suppose to taste that way. Makes our Michigan blueberries all the more welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
junglechef Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 I've had the better Thai strawberries this year than in the past, bought a real large bag at Mae Rim intersection last weekend for 120 bht. Like all fruit one must know how to buy which is not only how they look and they will let you taste first. Though never a huge fan, even during my childhood summers in England, the ones here esp. if you consider texture when purchasing, are great for trifle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulysses G. Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 To me, the strawberries here are not as sweet and not as tart as back home, but a little lemon juice and sugar helps a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fcgprg Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 If you see a sign in thai but with 80 on it that is not the price it is the type of strawberry.Ripe or not they are sweet yesterday at warorot market they were 150B a kilo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricardo Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Ditto 150B/kg, from the lady who sells outside the Bangkok Bank in Mae-Jo, however the strawberry jam is still 3-jars-for-100B, as in previous years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rene123 Posted January 31, 2013 Author Share Posted January 31, 2013 It costs so little to eat a nutritious Thai meal (in Thailand) that I don't mind splurging on the more expensive treats now and then. Strawberries might be a little more expensive than other fruits, but it's nice to treat yourself occasionally. Unless I cook it myself, I hardly ever eat a Thai meal when I go back to Canada. The comparison of paying $14.95 in Canada for the same meal that I pay one dollar for in Thailand kind of bothers me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rasseru Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 I have never had a half-way decent strawberry in Thailand, either fresh or in a pastry. Mind you, after trying them a handful of times, I learned to stay clear of them. English strawberries are said -- even here! -- to be good . . . first hand I can report that Japanese strawberries are fabulously delicious. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobl Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Gave up on Thai strawberries a long time ago... Was horrified first few times I tried them, never gave it much thought after that as to why they're so different from what I'm used to (Scotland), I figured it was just a different breed but the weather theory makes perfect sense... That said, if you eat the sour ones with salt & chilli and manage to not think of them as strawberries, they're quite good... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRS1 Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Like any produce, strawberries are picked early in the hopes they will ripen into sweetness off the vine. It increases the shelf life. Selling fully ripened strawberries reduces the shelf life dramatically. oh yeah and the strawberries here suck too, thats another big reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianf Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 The best way to get your strawberries is to pick your own! There are some good places near Samoeng or better still go to the King's Project near Doi Angkhan - however, the best strawberries I've had in this region were from Malaysia. My wife and I picked our own in the Cameron Highlands. Organic. Delicious. 1 hour to pick 2.5 kilos, 10 minutes to eat them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rene123 Posted January 31, 2013 Author Share Posted January 31, 2013 1 hour to pick 2.5 kilos, 10 minutes to eat them. Ain't that the truth. It reminds me of mom saying "I spent all day preparing a nice supper and you bunch just wolf it down and take off without even helping with the dishes." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balo Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Nothing beats the Scandinavian Strawberries, they are the best in the world. It must be the cold climate and short Summers that give them the sweet delicious taste . Strawberry season up there lasts for a few weeks in June / July . Thai Strawberries does not taste good, not even with a lot of sugar on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaideeguy Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 unless you grow your own strawberries and can maintain them without all the chemicals they use here, then pick them ripe on the vine, you won't get a decent fruit. Thai strawberries are grown at [marginally] cooler altitudes, picked early and heavily sprayed with fungicides to make them last in the hot market down in the lowlands. I've given up on local strawberries and hate to admit that i now buy the frozen ones at Makro that are grown in China. Grown here, they are just a novelty crop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nitecm Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 I picked some up at Rimping recently and they were quite good. Larger than what I normally see but at a bit of a premium price. Besides, I slice them, put sugar on them and let them sit for 24 hours for the sauce then sprinkle them over vanilla ice cream. Sweet enough then. They are very sweet and very nice to eat when are ripe but the buyer don.t want to buy when the color is red Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiangmaiman99 Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Does anyone have any experience making jam with the local strawberries? If so, can you provide any pointers? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaideeguy Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 (edited) My favorite strawberry jam recipe is so fast and easy and leaves the freshest flavor is to not even cook them......freeze them after cleaning well, then in a stainless bowl place the half frozen strawberries and sugar to taste [i like a little tart, add a couple of teaspoons of pectin, then crush them with a smasher to about 75% crushed, leaving a few whole strawberries, mix well, then put them back into freezer and when you want to eat them....let them thaw a little or if in a hurry, give them a quick zap in the microwave to soften a little. Result....super fresh tasting strawberry preserves that haven't had the freshness boiled out of them. Those plastic ice cream containers make great storage containers, or food storage bags. You will never be satisfied with boiled preserves again!! Edited February 23, 2013 by jaideeguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiangmaiman99 Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 Thanks Jaideeguy, That does sound good. Have you used the local strawberries with this recipe? And were you satisfied with the results? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaideeguy Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 CTRL + Q to Enable/Disable GoPhoto.it Yea, I have used the local ones when they were ripening faster than we could eat them. This #%$* heat makes every fruit/vegetable ripen real fast. I must confess that i now use the makro frozen Chinese strawberries @ 59/kilo, cleaned and perfectly ripe and get excellent results. Very satisfied and never buy expensive jars of jam with way too much sugar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Microwave Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 I first noticed strawberries in the markets around early December. They were much sweeter then, I don't know why they're not as sweet now. For a strawberry lover like myself, I'm simply glad that there are strawberries here! An earlier post mentioned the Mae Sai strawberry wine as being delicious. I wholeheartedly agree! About 10 km from Mae Sai the strawberry wine vendors appear on the side of the road. A case of 12 bottles for 1000 baht. Mulberry and lynchee wines as well as strawberry juice for sale. A case of 12 bottles of strawberry juice for 350 baht. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiangmaiman99 Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 And thanks for the tip about the makro frozen Chinese strawberries. I'll have to give them a try. I hope I can find pectin... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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