Israel's Huge Prize-Winning Strawberry

 Nadene Goldfoot                                               

      One gigantic strawberry ;  not this one, but this was on an ad selling Green Seed Garden strawberry seeds. But---

                                                       

This giant strawberry grown  in Israel and weighing 289 grams (10.19 ounces) has been confirmed as setting a new Guinness World Record as the heaviest ever.  "The bulging fruit was discovered on the Strawberries in the Field plantation run by the Ariel family in the agricultural community Kadima-Zoran, in the central district of Israel."

Israel's very mild and often dry winter is not ideal for strawberry growing, a crop that needs plenty of water. In contrast, however, strawberries do not need much sunlight, and the length of the light winter allows for a long season in the country, beginning in November and ending in May.

                                          

        Strawberry picking in Israel 

The large green fields of Udi Nachshon's farm are dotted with 

thousands of red strawberries. Workers pick them one by one, 

carefully lay them in boxes and pack them for sell. It is the peak

 season in Israel and the markets are full of the red, bright and

 inviting small fruit.   

 

There are about 12 different varieties grown in Israel. varying in levels of sweetness and moisture,  Most

consumers will not be able to tell the difference unless 

sampling them one after the other.  "Today there are varieties 

that are much sweeter, varieties that yield more crops," 

Nachshon told Xinhua. But still there are challenges. "There are

 a lot of problems. Climate problems, soil fertility problems, soil

 diseases... But we always want to bring something different,"

 Nachshon added.          

 In 1980, I saw strawberries sold on all the street corners in plastic bags, and they were sold by the kilo (2.2 lbs).  They were lovely.  All the hotels had all sorts of desserts with strawberries at that time.  

Ice cream terrine with roasted strawberries.  

The area just beyond Portland, Oregon, Gresham, has always been known to be the place to grow strawberries.  When I was in school as a student, summertime was the time when kids went there to pick strawberries and earn money for their fall clothes that way.  There is lots of rain here and sunshine in the summer.  

Today, fresh strawberries are selling for $3.49 for a 6 ounce box in Gresham, Oregon.  Just think, one bag of strawberries weighed 34 ounces.  They're not ready here in February but in June and July.    

Perhaps there is hope that there were huge grapes in the biblical days after all. 

Resource:

Israel AM

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-strawberry-wins-guinness-record-as-worlds-largest/ 

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-01/14/c_139667727.htm#:~:text=Israel's%20very%20mild%20and%20often,November%20and%20ending%20in%20May.