[spottymint]

HI

I have some Elsanta strawberries in tubs, now on a food forum, people are disscussing how tasteless they are.

Has anyone had experience of Elsanta ? Are they tasteless & not worth growing ?

Thanks,
Spotty.

[rem858]

i sitched to elsanta this year have just picked a load this morning for lunch they are fantastic prolific and tasty no complaints here

[tosca100]

Elsanta are nice, but need to be properly ripe or they are sour and tasteless. Best eaten warmed by the sun. I think they get a bad reputation because they are commercially grown and often under-ripe and full of water from being grown in glasshouses/polytunnels. They have to pick them under-ripe because of handing and transport.

[Jonajo]

they are ok - infinitely superior to any you can buy in the shops, mind.

But they are at their best - as will all strawberries - eaten at room temperature without even having a whiff of the fridge. WHY oh WHY folk put them in the fridge and eat them cold I have no idea...they sure miss out on flavour!

[Trikidiki]

Funnily enough I popped a large Elsanta in my mouth this evening and thought how poor it tasted having just eaten a very tasty Christine. I then tried another from a different plant which was smaller and it was quite good.

The first one was growing in a strawberry planter and was a very large berry. The second was not so big and from a plant growing in a growbag.

The plants were from different sources.

I guess there must be different strains of the same variety from different growers which will give some variation. Also how they're grown must be an important factor.

I have about ten varieties that I'm trying to decide which I like best. Of those cropping so far the best have been Honeoye and Christine. Some are grown from seed so I'm holding fire on making final decisions until they're all up and running next year.

[compostqueen]

I was given some Elsanta plants and I picked a bowlful the other day and they were deliciously sweet   

[sclarke624]

Elsanta are nice, but need to be properly ripe or they are sour and tasteless.

As Tosca says I think this is a factor.  I have grown Elsanta for 4 years now.  Its difficult to get it right when there are loads of them and I'm usually in a hurry.But nowdays I try to pick bright red, slightly shiney and with a very very slight give.  Even now though its hit and miss.  Try not to pick after heavy rain or a watering.

For some odd reason i have found my first year fruiters sweeter this year, maybe they have been so in previous years as well and I haven't notice which trough I have picked from.  I know they deteriate with age but assume that is just fruit size and disease, don't know about taste.

I'm going to turn my attention to T&M's "irresistable" from now on though and gradually dump the Elsanta.  Much sweeter.

[DD.]

Got back from Denmark yesterday evening.

Nipped up the plot and got 3lbs of "Irresistable".

Dribble.........

[agingchick]

ooohhh I've just ordered 30 plants of those, they look delicious roll on next summer
Diane

[diggerjoe]

Thats it mine this year were pants they can go -  looks like it will be irresistable for me  next year

[sclarke624]

DD bet you are pleased you didn't miss them.  What year are they on now.

[DD.]

This is their second year. Planted spring 2009.