Strawberries from Prague's Kunratice: When are they picked, and which are best for jam?
"We try to grow strawberries with the best taste. Appearance, durability and size come second," says Jana Jakoubková, who takes care of the running and administration of the farm, where four types of strawberries are grown.
The season starts with the earliest American variety Honeoye and ends with the latest Florence. "The sweetest and most aromatic is, in my opinion, the Korona, but unfortunately it is very soft and not very durable. My husband is always angry that he won't plant it anymore because of this. A lot of growers have switched from Korona to Darselect, which is close in taste but lasts longer," says Mrs Jakoubková.
What kind of strawberries do they grow in Kunratice?
Honeoye - earliest, beautiful, shiny, round, but a little sour
Darselect - medium early, sweet and firm
Korona - sweetest, most aromatic
Florence - the best of the late strawberries, but it doesn't have such an intense aroma and flavour
Growing strawberries is a science
The large-fruited strawberry plant takes three years to grow. It is planted first and allowed to get stronger in the so-called 'year zero', when strawberries are not harvested. After the zero year, the three years of harvesting begin. After that, the fields are ploughed and green manuring begins - for example, peas are planted. "We grow it mainly because it improves the soil and binds micro-organisms. So we also harvest it, but only marginally," says Ms Jakoubková.
The strawberry plants fruit in about three weeks, depending on the weather. When it's hot, the strawberries grow quickly and, conversely, when it's cooler, they take longer to grow. Berries hidden under the leaves also take longer to ripen.
In recent years, the strawberry picking events that the Jakoubkas organise in their fields have also gained in popularity. "The first picking of the season is always a disaster. Everyone knows there will be a thousand people there, and they still come. It's not technically possible for there to be that many strawberries for everyone. So if you want to go to the first picking, you have to put in a lot of work. We always start at seven in the morning," says Ms Jakoubková.
And what is the best way to enjoy Kunratice strawberries? According to Ms Jakoubková, the best variety for direct consumption is Darselect. The sweetest jam is made from the smaller Korona strawberries. It doesn't run - it's thick and aromatic. "I use Pectogel in my marmalade, unlike Gelfix and others, it has only fruit pectin and citric acid in it - no chemicals," concludes Mrs Jakoubková. Half a kilo of sugar per kilo of strawberries.
Interesting facts about strawberries
- Strawberries don't benefit from washing under running water, as they lose their aroma. It is better to put the strawberries briefly in a bowl of water and leave them to drain.
- The ideal time to pick strawberries is in the morning, before the sun warms them up. After harvesting, cool them down to 4-6 °C, they will keep for several days.
- A strawberry is neither a berry nor a fruit. While berries such as currants and blueberries have seeds surrounded by flesh, this is not the case with strawberries. What we eat is the overgrown flower bed; the actual fruit is small green seeds on a red skin. The average strawberry has around 200 seeds on its surface.
- Strawberries belong to the same plant family as roses.
