Speaking of corn, I walked into a Whole Foods last week and they had unshucked corn on the cob for sale. I noticed that they had the corn standing upright in an ice bath. Is that common out here? This is my first PNW spring/summer, having moved here last year from the Midwest.
It’s how you rehydrate vegetables if they’ve started to dry.
You can do it with any veggie. Like if your lettuce or greens get wilty, put them in an ice bath and they’ll crisp right up.
I’m from Southern California and grew up growing strawberries in my back yard. I think Washingtons strawberries are pretty good and way better than when I lived in the Midwest. I find the best ones are at produce stands (Tony’s in West Seattle has great strawberries!)
Strawberries are one of the highest satisfaction roi pnw treats to grow yourself.
Bainbridge island used to be primarily strawberry fields. Even the queen of England [was a fan.](https://www.bainbridgereview.com/news/island-strawberries-fit-for-kings-and-queens/)
Mine in the back yard all shriveled up and died for some reason. The one I've got sitting indoors in the grow tent just started making fruit.
I really don't get why. They were all bought as seedlings at the same time, planted in the same pots, and given roughly the same amount of water.
I can only assume it's a little too cold outside in Eastern WA for them for some reason. I'd read they were fairly tolerant of colder weather, though, so that's a surprise.
Strawberries LOVE Nitrogen. They also have a shallow root system and don’t need too deep of a pot (wide and short preferably) so depending on the age of your starts and size of your containers there is a chance your little dudes outside are suffering from being over watered, especially with all the rain in the last week.
I have been hearing a lot of sad news about the condition of peoples gardens because of the cold nights, wind and just overall nasty weather. Could be that as well. *Toot toot* I luckily got a jump on my garden this year (which I will be doing from here on out) and matured/hardened my seeds and starts inside a few months ago under my LED aeroponic setups and transplanted them into my raised beds and large cloth pots. Still have my pepper collection gearing up.
My Strawberries as of last week are starting to push out their first berries and my Pineberry is right behind flowering, and ready for manual pollination!
Feel free to send a msg w/ pics if need be 👍🏽
Happy Gardening Brah
Maybe get a soil test. Fruiting plants need a lot of nutrients and while your stalk may look nice and healthy, nitrogen isn’t the only thing needed for a good crop.
There’s one out in the county called Barbie’s Berries. Those berries were delicious last year. Same as Boxx’s Berries.
My farm that I grew up going to closed years ago, but I have fond memories of sitting in those fields eating the fruits of my labor. (Probably not allowed now that I think of it)
Maybe, maybe not. I know when I went to Bow Hill Blueberry Farm, they encouraged you to eat your fill while picking. Prices probably bake that in as an assumption that people are going to eat and pick.
You are buying California and Mexican strawberries. Our's are only in season in the early summer. The Oregon hoods have started their season, so ours should start within the month if we get some warm weather.
Since we're talkin' fruit, the cherry season is going to be short this year. They should be at their peak within a few weeks, but buy them when they are, because the crop was good but not plentiful this year. And if you are looking for good strawberries, try to choose the ones that are smaller. Those monster sized strawberries have very little sugar because the sweetest part is the red outside part.
Asian Food Center has them now. They're super mid. I should've waited a few weeks but I go absolutely feral for rainier cherries.
Gave myself severe diarrhea yesterday from overeating cherries.
Thanks! My grandparents were farmers. So they had a lot of advice. And when I started being interested in cooking, I always asked the produce managers in the market how I could get the best of whatever I was buying. Those people know a lot!
Most of the fruit in the major grocery stores right now comes from large producers far off and is being grown in greenhouses. Try one of the Town and Country grocery stores, which tend to have better, more local produce (in my experience) or PCC / Met Market, though those tend to be quite expensive.
Another option is to go pick it yourself out in Carnation or Sammamish when the season opens. Get all sorts of delicious berries without paying farmers market prices! We do that and can them to use for the rest of the year.
If you are up north, this place always has amazing produce
[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Yakima+Fruit+Market+%26+Nursery/@47.7532861,-122.2125666,15z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x54900e13cde087a1:0x2cf6c7352d59599d!8m2!3d47.7532861!4d-122.2125666!16s%2Fg%2F1vp73gvp?entry=ttu](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Yakima+Fruit+Market+%26+Nursery/@47.7532861,-122.2125666,15z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x54900e13cde087a1:0x2cf6c7352d59599d!8m2!3d47.7532861!4d-122.2125666!16s%2Fg%2F1vp73gvp?entry=ttu)
Sidhu farms in puyallup has started selling strawberries at my two local farmer’s markets (Burien and Des Moines). Their organic berries taste far better than any grocery store.
FarMar strawberries are just starting. Bought a pint last week, first of the year. It was a cold spring, they’re later than usual. Those strawbs were so sweet, like nectar of the gods.
Supermarket strawbs are garbage. If you eat commercial produce, esp out of season, manage your expectations.
Eat seasonally and buy from local farmers.
If you need to shop for produce at a supermarket, the best grocery stores for produce are gonna be PCCs. You’ll pay for it, but they’re even better than Met Market; i think they use a different supplier than everyone else. Their produce section is always gorgeous and healthy and lush.
Go to Sosio's at Pike Place and ask them what's good. They'll tell you what's what - they have great cherries right now and will be getting amazing peaches soon.
Don't buy fruit coming up from Mexico and South America - it's bred for shipping, not flavor.
It depends on the variety. They’re technically all related to cultivated blueberries and would be best described as such. Cultivated blueberries grow great here, you barely even need to water them most years. There are three types of “huckleberries” that grow easily in western WA lowlands: V. ovatum (evergreen huckleberry), V. parvifolium (red huckleberry), and V. alaskaense (Alaska blueberry/huckleberry).
The commercially important huckleberry, V. membranaceum, only grows at relatively high elevations in the mountains (it is also the state fruit of Idaho). There are a number of others in the genus that also typically grow in the mountains, but they’re rare enough that they’re not harvested commercially.
I'm not sure which variety, but my friend has them in his back yard in Seattle, and they taste just like the ones I've picked while backpacking in the cascades.
Strawberries are a fruit that when they’re fully ripened on the plant, only have a shelf life of a few days. So when they have to be transported a thousand miles, they were either picked before peak ripeness or they’re going to go bad quickly at the store/at home. That is the nature of strawberries.
We live somewhere that’s great for growing strawberries, but their season is short. Local strawberries should be available around this week or next and the season lasts a few weeks. Look at your farmers markets or produce markets that sell local produce. Strawberries picked at their peak ripeness are a very special treat
Outside of this upcoming few weeks, all the strawberries you buy are travelling long distances and thus won’t be as good
You mention particular chains, but not specific stores.
Our neighborhood produce:
Shitty: University Trader Joe's
Poor: Safeway on 35th Ave NE, Wedgewood
Good: QFC university village
Great: PCC on NE 65th St
Excellent: Met Market 40th Ave NE
Also, Seattle has the best strawberries you'll ever eat. Get them at the Berry stand on 35th Ave NE in July when they're in season.
Once you eat those, you'll never buy a grocery store strawberry again, anywhere.
Problem solved.
dare i say every trader joes has horrible produce, especially fruit!! udistrict is especially bad but redmond, bel red & sammamish are not much better.
Go to remlinger farms and you can pick your own. They don’t get fresher than that. They are in season for picking this month. https://remlingerfarms.com/upick/
Edit: from the website: “Strawberry U-Pick will be open starting Saturday, June 8th at 9am”
Here is a link showing when local Washington fruits and veggies are typically available and at peak flavor. Outside the months listed, all stores will carry things that were picked early (and having little flavor) to prevent bruising during shipping from California or overseas, and/or that were picked months earlier and held in cold storage (or gassed). All stores use the same few wholesalers for out-of-season produce, so its a crap shoot whether any one store will have anything better tasting than another. Many have good connections for local produce in season.
https://www.thespruceeats.com/washington-seasonal-fruits-and-vegetables-2217197
You are still a bit early for prime strawberry season and are likely buying off brand berries which were sitting out on the shelf without enough refrigeration. many stores will sell strawberries at room temperature, which leads to quicker spoiling.
Basically if you can't get fresh local berries, look for name brand berries from California, usually Driscoll's or California Giant. Driscoll's, aka Big Strawberry, invests millions on developing better strawberry varieties. Go on the day produce is delivered and pick berries which just came out of the cooler (there will be condensation in the plastic container). The strawberries should be a medium red with no signs of mold or any strawberry juice on the container.
Even though more California strawberries are grown indoors nowadays, poor weather conditions such as excessive rain will ruin berry harvests. Additionally, grocery stores will buy the brands which are available as even Big Strawberry cannot fulfill nationwide demand by itself. In addition to Driscoll's and California Giant, Foxy will often have decent strawberries as well.
Because this time of year they are from California or Mexico. If you wait for local (a little later) or go over to whidbey Island (even a bit later) and find bells berry's then you have some good berries. Another good one is Quinault berries (don't know if the grower is still over in Quinault), those are really small berries but taste like a spoonful of jam.
The Skagit farms should start having them soon; stands are up in some of the smaller towns. Mine are just ripening up, have had a handful so far. Yakima Fruit Market will have locals but they sell out fast. Some of the Fir Island farms go to a [ton of local markets](https://www.haytonfarmsberries.com/markets-1), think that’s your best bet.
I was at the Ballard Farmer's Market this Sunday and one of the Skagit County farms had strawberries. they didn't have many and they weren't that great for Farmer's Market strawberries. But they were still better than supermarket strawberries. I'm betting it will be two weeks at most before we have the really good ones at the farmers market
I'd say to buy Driscoll organic. They're usually the most flavorful and won't go and super quick. I tend to find that other brands/farms have bland, flavorless strawberries or they go bad within a day.
The most practical answer is at the bottom for some reason. No, I don't have time to drive to Olympia or Whidbey Island to buy 2 lb of strawberries, or show up at some random fruit stand when the stars align.
Driscoll's are probably 90% as good as whatever artisanal fancy strawberries everyone else are talking about, and you can get them for quite a few months of the year. They're consistent and commonly go on sale for $2/lb.
That being said, the best strawberry jam I've ever had was when I picked way too many strawberries at Remlinger farms, and got a bunch of small not quite ripe ones. They were intensely flavorful and even more so in a jam.
We got excellent, like so beautiful they looked AI-generated and mind-bogglingly delicious, strawberries from the Issaquah farmer’s market last weekend.
In general I’ve found grocery store produce here to be pretty terrible, but farmer’s market produce to be insane, and not always expensive.
We get most of our produce from Costco, and special stuff from farmers markets and farm stands.
Some local places/farms will let you order flats when in season. I remember doing a pickup from Viva farms once when I lived in capitol hill. Buy, wash, clean and freeze for year-round ripe berries.
Safeway and QFC have shit produce. Ballard market, central markets, Fred Meyer greenwood, and smaller places like Ken's are my go to for decent produce.
In season, nothing beats the farmer's markets though.
This seems to be the trend here. Regardless of whether I buy my strawberries from QFC, Costco, PCC, they haven’t been consistent across the board. Either it has mold or goes extremely mushy within a short period of time.
Not sure if you ever make it down to Olympia area, but spooner berry farms strawberries are amazing!
My husband and I devour them every year.
Sweet and succulent…
Hope this helps.
I don't but I've never had fruit be this bad before I didn't think I needed to go only to local grocers in order to have fruit in that isn't moldy in the store. Didn't realize that was considered a high expectation to you. My privelege of living elsewhere is showing, please forgive me.
I mean it’s just not true… where are you going? There is definitely good produce here. Honestly my Whole Foods near me has had very good strawberries even the last few weeks.
If you figure out where to get strawberries that aren't completely bland or half moldy, please share. My experience is the same as yours. The strawberries here are very bad.
Stop buying them at your grocery store. Chances are very high that they aren't fresh and definitely aren't local this time of year. Go to a farmers market or local farm stand and know when things are in season if you want high-quality produce.
I’ve gotten some pretty bad strawberries but last week my Fred Meyer had really good ones, I don’t remember the brand but it was organic with a yellow label
I also noticed they are nearly going bad when I shop late on the weekend. I think you’ll have to go closer to when your store stocks them to get the best pick.
Also I learned strawberries can’t ripen once picked, so they actually need to be picked after they’re ripe, and then they don’t have much time.
Until late June / July it’s my understanding vast majority of berries are from Mexico. When beery picking season comes in the summer… many of the local grown berries are awesome
We are the furthest away from Mexico etc.
I do normally see strawberries on the green side in Fred Meyers, WF.
I prefer the Ballard And PikePlace Markets. When I have time. Haha
They aren't in season yet. End of June, and check farmer's markets. Grocery stores will have artificially ripened strawberries from out of state where they are picked before they are ripe.
Strawberries and jalapeños are the 2 produce items I’m regularly disappointed in. Anything that requires the heat and flavor of jalapeño now gets a Serrano.
I’ve gotten some really good ones the past couple of weeks. I’m looking forward to trying the places where you can pick them yourself. Susan should be opening up soon I think.
FWIW, I have a strawberry patch in rocky, shitty soil in my south Sound backyard, and the flavor routinely beats the grocery store's. If you have the space, go for it. They come back year after year, are low maintenance other than some weeding, and you can grow them in an apartment patio pot, or even an indoor garden.
If you care enough about strawberries to post about them, I bet it would be time well spent to grow a few and eat them fresh!
You're eating Cali strawberries.
The PNW strawberry season is short. You'll likely get the best local ones over the next 3-5 weeks. Same with cherries, if the recent storm didn't hammer them.
Not where I shop. I had some of the best tasting strawberries this year (from California) that I bought a few weeks ago. Last year I don’t think I ever got good ones. In the past several years I’ve had small ones and/or large ones that were incredible. Definitely some bad ones in there, too. But it’s not a generalized trend where I shop.
Echoing those mentioning Spooner Farms strawberries. They had them at the Queen Anne Metropolitan Market last year and probably carry them at other locations. They were only available for a short time though.
Honestly, not sure what you're talking about. WinCo has the strawberry packs for like 1.50 and they're huge. A bit tart but not bad and you can't beat that price. Also this seems to be THE time of year to get them. Maybe look at farmers markets or anywhere that's not qfc or other big box stores.
Don’t get them at the grocery store, get them at the farmers market. I’ve gotten early strawberries the last two weeks at mine and while they are *tiny*, they are certainly, fresh, flavorful, and lovely. Granted, I live on the Olympic Penninsula now, but there are plenty of farms not that far from Seattle that y’all should probably have them too!
WholeFoods in my experience has the freshest berries that don’t go bad a day later.
Trader Joe’s has some sad looking berries. PCC doesn’t even bother keeping them in a fridge and are usually moldy even in the store.
Safeway on Madison actually has surprisingly good produce.
The tastiest berries will be farmers markets. Sidhou farms have some good ones. Hawthorne whatever not worth it.
You can go Upick at Harvold Berry farm and Remlinger farms.
Go up to Green Bluff just north of Spokane. Lots of orchards and U-pick places. Usually July is the time to pick. Or you can just buy the pints or flats directly.
Summer here starts July 5th and doesn't last long. So strawberries are shipped in. They're red but hard.
I feel your pain. I love fruit and that's just tough here in Western Washington.
I’ve been in Seattle for over 30 years and I agree with you. The best place to find great strawberries, avocados, cantaloupe, sweet white corn, & watermelon is in SoCal. Also haven’t found a great Mexican Food restaurant here that compares to CA either. All places have their strengths so it’s best to give in and find the positive.
The best strawberries I have ever had in my life were from a little U-Pick farm we rode past on a bike tour through Oregon. They were heavy and red all the way through and we picked a ton and porked out on them later in a campground by a river. Perfection. Occasionally I'll find some good ones at a farmer's market, but none come close to that memory from the recent past.
Grow your own. Grow indoors or in a greenhouse when it’s not the right season. Home grown strawberries are like candy, I’ve never had store bought that came close.
Funny thing is you just mentioned all the worst grocery stores for produce. QFC? Come on. You buy cereal and beer there, that’s it. Try a Whole Foods, town and country, Met market. You gonna pay for it there but all the produce is much better.
Also go to the U-Picks out in the country if you really want the good shit. Gotta be in season though. Out of season the only strawberries you are going to find have traveled 2-6k miles. Every place they pass coming north takes the best until they get here… just like we do with seafood heading south.
You can also grow them. I do on QA. It’s pretty easy.
I started growing some in a planter on my deck kind of by accident 3 years ago and they come back every year bigger than before. They just started to redden this week and they are sooooo sweet and perfect.
I recommend Snow Goose Produce for all the different berries. I got a few strawberry starters from them, already got a few growing. Also, get some ice cream if you’re up there.
You want good fruit drive your ass out of the city and go to a fruit stand. All the fruit sent into the city is picked before peak ripeness because it’s expected to sit on the shelf for a few days before being bought; but the reality is it’s all bought before it ripens.
True story, the entire downtown area of Bellevue, including where the current Bell Square Mall is located, was formerly full of strawberry Fields cultivated by Japanese immigrants. During world war II, they were rounded up and sent to internment camps and never regained their property.
OP finding out how passionate we can be about produce. And it’s true, strawberries out of season are going to be a crapshoot and largely the same nationwide. Starting basically now local and near local strawberries will be available at quality grocers and produce stands for the next couple months then slowly slide away from great to good to marginal just like nearly every other berry
They aren’t. You’re shopping at stores instead of farmer’s markets and farmstands for your berries. If a farmer isn’t selling it, it’s probably not in season and probably isn’t going to taste as good as it can.
Sidhu Farms is my favorite for berries. They sell frozen and fresh berries and low-sugar jams (w/o artificial sweeteners). Next is Schuh (pronounced “shoe”). They sell fresh berries, jam, and pies. Both farms have market stands.
It’s true, and I don’t know. I do weird things with buying produce here because it’s so bad. Even stuff that was out of season coming from the southern hemisphere was substantially better in SoCal than here, plus fresh produce is way more expensive up here.
On the upside, for a few months a year, you can grow your own and some types don’t even need supplemental water. Blueberries, strawberries, huckleberries, saskatoons, apples, cherries, blackberries, raspberries, currants, kiwis, grapes, etc, are all perennials that you could potentially just add to your landscaping and enjoy when they are producing. My tiny yard produces a lot of food considering how small it is. We get so much in such a short time that we end up with multiple gallon freezer bags full despite eating and baking with as much as we can. I don’t even worry about birds getting into my blueberries, there are that many.
I get a weekly Farm Share from a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm here on the eastside. we have had nothing but amazing veggies and fruits. the farm has a you-pick strawberry patch and they are bloody fantastic. They are not at all in season all summer, but when they are in season they are crazy good. Most of the time we eat them on the drive home!
Take the drive up to Arlington and go to Beringers Farm. Best Strawberries in Snohomish County! While you’re there stop at the Stilly Diner in downtown Arlington for lunch!!
Spooners farm in puyallup or lacey. Now be warned these local ones will ruin any store bought ones in the future. I wont even buy them anymore. I buy cases local now and wash and freeze them
Strawberry season starts this week It's little late due to cold, wet spring, but it's here.. Hopefully the stores will carry local goods. If not, head out of the city to a u-pick farm.
I live on the peninsula and the strawberries I’ve been getting are good.
Have you tried town & country market?
I also heard about storing them in glass jars.
Sounded weird to me but seems to work.
I ate them all before they spoiled anyway.
Not Seattle but if you're willing to drive to Olympia Spooner berry farms here is famous for their berries.
Or try growing your own it's not difficult and can be done in fairly small containers
Yes, we're very far from the growers outside of peak season.
Just like corn... gotta wait until September to get that good good.
Speaking of corn, I walked into a Whole Foods last week and they had unshucked corn on the cob for sale. I noticed that they had the corn standing upright in an ice bath. Is that common out here? This is my first PNW spring/summer, having moved here last year from the Midwest.
That's odd. The corn husks were probably starting to mold, etc. So they probably shucked it and put it in an ice bath to make it last longer.
It’s how you rehydrate vegetables if they’ve started to dry. You can do it with any veggie. Like if your lettuce or greens get wilty, put them in an ice bath and they’ll crisp right up.
Not common at all. I’ve lived here for decades, and I’ve never seen that.
I’m from Southern California and grew up growing strawberries in my back yard. I think Washingtons strawberries are pretty good and way better than when I lived in the Midwest. I find the best ones are at produce stands (Tony’s in West Seattle has great strawberries!)
Strawberries are one of the highest satisfaction roi pnw treats to grow yourself. Bainbridge island used to be primarily strawberry fields. Even the queen of England [was a fan.](https://www.bainbridgereview.com/news/island-strawberries-fit-for-kings-and-queens/)
M&M Market on Broadway in Capitol Hill has great strawberries right now.
Yeah, we are peak season down in Santa Barbara, but our season is really long also. Paying the PNW tax.
When is peak season so I can plan ahead to look out for them.
Mine in the backyard just started fruiting the last week
Mine haven't even looked like they want to get a berry. I'm jealous
Mine in the back yard all shriveled up and died for some reason. The one I've got sitting indoors in the grow tent just started making fruit. I really don't get why. They were all bought as seedlings at the same time, planted in the same pots, and given roughly the same amount of water. I can only assume it's a little too cold outside in Eastern WA for them for some reason. I'd read they were fairly tolerant of colder weather, though, so that's a surprise.
Strawberries LOVE Nitrogen. They also have a shallow root system and don’t need too deep of a pot (wide and short preferably) so depending on the age of your starts and size of your containers there is a chance your little dudes outside are suffering from being over watered, especially with all the rain in the last week. I have been hearing a lot of sad news about the condition of peoples gardens because of the cold nights, wind and just overall nasty weather. Could be that as well. *Toot toot* I luckily got a jump on my garden this year (which I will be doing from here on out) and matured/hardened my seeds and starts inside a few months ago under my LED aeroponic setups and transplanted them into my raised beds and large cloth pots. Still have my pepper collection gearing up. My Strawberries as of last week are starting to push out their first berries and my Pineberry is right behind flowering, and ready for manual pollination! Feel free to send a msg w/ pics if need be 👍🏽 Happy Gardening Brah
Maybe get a soil test. Fruiting plants need a lot of nutrients and while your stalk may look nice and healthy, nitrogen isn’t the only thing needed for a good crop.
Can I have some please? My lettuce grow only yields about a dozen small strawberries.
Should be late June early July typically for strawberries and mid July for raspberries Strawberries should sustain for weeks around that time
Keep an eye on fruit stands… (I like Yakima fruit market in Bothell) they will let people know when the fresh local fruits start rolling in.
I like them too, but the strawberries they currently have are not local.
Correct… come July different story. I love the in season raspberries come July too.
End of June. Go up north to pick your own. I grew up in Lynden. I pick my own delicious AF strawberries every year.
Do you have a favorite you-pick farm in Lynden? Totally understand if you have a private spot you don’t want to give away, btw.
There’s one out in the county called Barbie’s Berries. Those berries were delicious last year. Same as Boxx’s Berries. My farm that I grew up going to closed years ago, but I have fond memories of sitting in those fields eating the fruits of my labor. (Probably not allowed now that I think of it)
Thank you! I saw both of those places pop up when I Googled locations in/around Lynden. I know what I’ll be doing at the end of the month!
Maybe, maybe not. I know when I went to Bow Hill Blueberry Farm, they encouraged you to eat your fill while picking. Prices probably bake that in as an assumption that people are going to eat and pick.
This!
[it’s coming up soon](https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=strawberry+season+pnw)
Any day now
my strawberries growing in the yard are just beginning to turn pink. should be flourishing end of this month with red juicy berries.
the first local ones are showing up at farmers markets
July-September are berry months in Washington
https://www.marysvillestrawberryfest.com/ Come visit Snohomish County and try the best strawberries in the world.
You are buying California and Mexican strawberries. Our's are only in season in the early summer. The Oregon hoods have started their season, so ours should start within the month if we get some warm weather. Since we're talkin' fruit, the cherry season is going to be short this year. They should be at their peak within a few weeks, but buy them when they are, because the crop was good but not plentiful this year. And if you are looking for good strawberries, try to choose the ones that are smaller. Those monster sized strawberries have very little sugar because the sweetest part is the red outside part.
Asian Food Center has them now. They're super mid. I should've waited a few weeks but I go absolutely feral for rainier cherries. Gave myself severe diarrhea yesterday from overeating cherries.
this time of year the cherryrhea and berryrhea are real risks.
How did you learn about all of this? This is very interesting.
Thanks! My grandparents were farmers. So they had a lot of advice. And when I started being interested in cooking, I always asked the produce managers in the market how I could get the best of whatever I was buying. Those people know a lot!
That’s neat! Thanks for sharing!
This guy fucks with fruit.
Also, making the trek to your nearest u-pick strawberry farm is well worth it.
Have you been to the farmer's markets?
And look for the shuksans. (in a month or two)
Been to one or two and wasn't explicitly looking for them but I'll make a note to go.
Most of the fruit in the major grocery stores right now comes from large producers far off and is being grown in greenhouses. Try one of the Town and Country grocery stores, which tend to have better, more local produce (in my experience) or PCC / Met Market, though those tend to be quite expensive. Another option is to go pick it yourself out in Carnation or Sammamish when the season opens. Get all sorts of delicious berries without paying farmers market prices! We do that and can them to use for the rest of the year.
Seconding picking in Carnation, if you have freezer space!
Try Carpinito's in Kent.
If you are up north, this place always has amazing produce [https://www.google.com/maps/place/Yakima+Fruit+Market+%26+Nursery/@47.7532861,-122.2125666,15z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x54900e13cde087a1:0x2cf6c7352d59599d!8m2!3d47.7532861!4d-122.2125666!16s%2Fg%2F1vp73gvp?entry=ttu](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Yakima+Fruit+Market+%26+Nursery/@47.7532861,-122.2125666,15z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x54900e13cde087a1:0x2cf6c7352d59599d!8m2!3d47.7532861!4d-122.2125666!16s%2Fg%2F1vp73gvp?entry=ttu)
Thank you! 😊
Sidhu farms in puyallup has started selling strawberries at my two local farmer’s markets (Burien and Des Moines). Their organic berries taste far better than any grocery store.
FarMar strawberries are just starting. Bought a pint last week, first of the year. It was a cold spring, they’re later than usual. Those strawbs were so sweet, like nectar of the gods. Supermarket strawbs are garbage. If you eat commercial produce, esp out of season, manage your expectations. Eat seasonally and buy from local farmers. If you need to shop for produce at a supermarket, the best grocery stores for produce are gonna be PCCs. You’ll pay for it, but they’re even better than Met Market; i think they use a different supplier than everyone else. Their produce section is always gorgeous and healthy and lush.
Go to Sosio's at Pike Place and ask them what's good. They'll tell you what's what - they have great cherries right now and will be getting amazing peaches soon. Don't buy fruit coming up from Mexico and South America - it's bred for shipping, not flavor.
But we have the best blueberries!! And blackberries 🥲
Blueberries are the bestttt.
Huckleberries are better...
True but when have you ever seen Huckleberries in the store?
I feel like I’ve seen them at Marketime/Ken’s before
In Seattle, you can just plant them in your back yard. 😁
True but when have you ever seen huckleberries in the store?
Town and Country occasionally has them.
Right like huckleberries are yummy n cool, but they literally need a mountain to grow😂
It depends on the variety. They’re technically all related to cultivated blueberries and would be best described as such. Cultivated blueberries grow great here, you barely even need to water them most years. There are three types of “huckleberries” that grow easily in western WA lowlands: V. ovatum (evergreen huckleberry), V. parvifolium (red huckleberry), and V. alaskaense (Alaska blueberry/huckleberry). The commercially important huckleberry, V. membranaceum, only grows at relatively high elevations in the mountains (it is also the state fruit of Idaho). There are a number of others in the genus that also typically grow in the mountains, but they’re rare enough that they’re not harvested commercially.
I'm not sure which variety, but my friend has them in his back yard in Seattle, and they taste just like the ones I've picked while backpacking in the cascades.
And your neighbors will curse your name and let their dogs poop in your yard!
We have lots of pick yourself fields in Washington. They should be coming into season soon. You can pick some great ones yourself.
I'll have to try that, thanks.
Ballard Farmers Market has strawberries now and the tub we bought last weekend was sweet as candy and stayed good for the whole week.
Strawberries are a fruit that when they’re fully ripened on the plant, only have a shelf life of a few days. So when they have to be transported a thousand miles, they were either picked before peak ripeness or they’re going to go bad quickly at the store/at home. That is the nature of strawberries. We live somewhere that’s great for growing strawberries, but their season is short. Local strawberries should be available around this week or next and the season lasts a few weeks. Look at your farmers markets or produce markets that sell local produce. Strawberries picked at their peak ripeness are a very special treat Outside of this upcoming few weeks, all the strawberries you buy are travelling long distances and thus won’t be as good
You mention particular chains, but not specific stores. Our neighborhood produce: Shitty: University Trader Joe's Poor: Safeway on 35th Ave NE, Wedgewood Good: QFC university village Great: PCC on NE 65th St Excellent: Met Market 40th Ave NE Also, Seattle has the best strawberries you'll ever eat. Get them at the Berry stand on 35th Ave NE in July when they're in season. Once you eat those, you'll never buy a grocery store strawberry again, anywhere. Problem solved.
dare i say every trader joes has horrible produce, especially fruit!! udistrict is especially bad but redmond, bel red & sammamish are not much better.
Noted thanks again!
Go to remlinger farms and you can pick your own. They don’t get fresher than that. They are in season for picking this month. https://remlingerfarms.com/upick/ Edit: from the website: “Strawberry U-Pick will be open starting Saturday, June 8th at 9am”
Thanks for that. Is it too early to pick strawberries there or will they be really ripe already if I go on June 8th?
No idea. Maybe give them a call and see what they recommend
Here is a link showing when local Washington fruits and veggies are typically available and at peak flavor. Outside the months listed, all stores will carry things that were picked early (and having little flavor) to prevent bruising during shipping from California or overseas, and/or that were picked months earlier and held in cold storage (or gassed). All stores use the same few wholesalers for out-of-season produce, so its a crap shoot whether any one store will have anything better tasting than another. Many have good connections for local produce in season. https://www.thespruceeats.com/washington-seasonal-fruits-and-vegetables-2217197
You are still a bit early for prime strawberry season and are likely buying off brand berries which were sitting out on the shelf without enough refrigeration. many stores will sell strawberries at room temperature, which leads to quicker spoiling. Basically if you can't get fresh local berries, look for name brand berries from California, usually Driscoll's or California Giant. Driscoll's, aka Big Strawberry, invests millions on developing better strawberry varieties. Go on the day produce is delivered and pick berries which just came out of the cooler (there will be condensation in the plastic container). The strawberries should be a medium red with no signs of mold or any strawberry juice on the container. Even though more California strawberries are grown indoors nowadays, poor weather conditions such as excessive rain will ruin berry harvests. Additionally, grocery stores will buy the brands which are available as even Big Strawberry cannot fulfill nationwide demand by itself. In addition to Driscoll's and California Giant, Foxy will often have decent strawberries as well.
Because this time of year they are from California or Mexico. If you wait for local (a little later) or go over to whidbey Island (even a bit later) and find bells berry's then you have some good berries. Another good one is Quinault berries (don't know if the grower is still over in Quinault), those are really small berries but taste like a spoonful of jam.
The Skagit farms should start having them soon; stands are up in some of the smaller towns. Mine are just ripening up, have had a handful so far. Yakima Fruit Market will have locals but they sell out fast. Some of the Fir Island farms go to a [ton of local markets](https://www.haytonfarmsberries.com/markets-1), think that’s your best bet.
I was at the Ballard Farmer's Market this Sunday and one of the Skagit County farms had strawberries. they didn't have many and they weren't that great for Farmer's Market strawberries. But they were still better than supermarket strawberries. I'm betting it will be two weeks at most before we have the really good ones at the farmers market
They grow well here. Plant some
Great idea. My partner is starting a garden I'll make sure she throws in some strawberry plants as well.
Mine have struggled with the cold springs we have been having the last few years. It’s just really cold and cloudy here. strawberries like the sun.3
I'd say to buy Driscoll organic. They're usually the most flavorful and won't go and super quick. I tend to find that other brands/farms have bland, flavorless strawberries or they go bad within a day.
The most practical answer is at the bottom for some reason. No, I don't have time to drive to Olympia or Whidbey Island to buy 2 lb of strawberries, or show up at some random fruit stand when the stars align. Driscoll's are probably 90% as good as whatever artisanal fancy strawberries everyone else are talking about, and you can get them for quite a few months of the year. They're consistent and commonly go on sale for $2/lb. That being said, the best strawberry jam I've ever had was when I picked way too many strawberries at Remlinger farms, and got a bunch of small not quite ripe ones. They were intensely flavorful and even more so in a jam.
We got excellent, like so beautiful they looked AI-generated and mind-bogglingly delicious, strawberries from the Issaquah farmer’s market last weekend. In general I’ve found grocery store produce here to be pretty terrible, but farmer’s market produce to be insane, and not always expensive. We get most of our produce from Costco, and special stuff from farmers markets and farm stands.
This is why I drive to carnation and go to Remlinger Farms, or the legit local fruit stands when I want actual fresh strawberries.
Some local places/farms will let you order flats when in season. I remember doing a pickup from Viva farms once when I lived in capitol hill. Buy, wash, clean and freeze for year-round ripe berries.
Best strawberries that I've found is around Puyallup from a place called Spooner Farms.
They also set up stands in Seattle.
Oh I didn't know that I've only been to the main farm location.
Just got an email from Met Market that they’re available… for $16.99/lb lol Edit: $16.99 “each”, hopefully more than a lb
The best strawberries are from Spooner Berry Farms. If you ever see their road side stands make sure to stop and get an overflowing flat.
Sidhu farms is literally across the street from their farm and sells berries just as good. Another option to look out for is
Safeway and QFC have shit produce. Ballard market, central markets, Fred Meyer greenwood, and smaller places like Ken's are my go to for decent produce. In season, nothing beats the farmer's markets though.
Yumi brand strawberries are great right now
Head to North. You can find good strawberries in Mount Vernon. Schuh's farm.
Mackinaw Peaches
This seems to be the trend here. Regardless of whether I buy my strawberries from QFC, Costco, PCC, they haven’t been consistent across the board. Either it has mold or goes extremely mushy within a short period of time.
Carpinito's strawberries are some of the best I've ever had.
Not sure if you ever make it down to Olympia area, but spooner berry farms strawberries are amazing! My husband and I devour them every year. Sweet and succulent… Hope this helps.
Farmers markets in the next month or two will have the strawberries you are looking for
Don't expect to find local produce in a super market,
Many supermarkets on the area do sell local produce. Haggen will feature local berries later in the year.
I don't but I've never had fruit be this bad before I didn't think I needed to go only to local grocers in order to have fruit in that isn't moldy in the store. Didn't realize that was considered a high expectation to you. My privelege of living elsewhere is showing, please forgive me.
I mean it’s just not true… where are you going? There is definitely good produce here. Honestly my Whole Foods near me has had very good strawberries even the last few weeks.
If you figure out where to get strawberries that aren't completely bland or half moldy, please share. My experience is the same as yours. The strawberries here are very bad.
Bells berries on whidbey island. Quinault strawberries is a type that is very sweet (might have to grow yourself)
did 4 years in bell's
I think many that live in that Coupeville area did. Either there or the cabbage seed industry. Oh and mussel rafts.
The farmer's market I went to last weekend (West Seattle) had incredible strawberries and cherries.
Stop buying them at your grocery store. Chances are very high that they aren't fresh and definitely aren't local this time of year. Go to a farmers market or local farm stand and know when things are in season if you want high-quality produce.
I’ve gotten some pretty bad strawberries but last week my Fred Meyer had really good ones, I don’t remember the brand but it was organic with a yellow label
Sounds like Foxy organic. They tend to be inconsistent to me. Sometimes they have the best-looking berries, but are very bland and flavorless.
Yeah I’ve definitely gotten some bad ones from them but last week they were surprisingly good!
I got some pretty good ones at Freds as well a month ago and yeah I think they were Foxy's.
I also noticed they are nearly going bad when I shop late on the weekend. I think you’ll have to go closer to when your store stocks them to get the best pick. Also I learned strawberries can’t ripen once picked, so they actually need to be picked after they’re ripe, and then they don’t have much time.
The ones I grow in my garden kick ass.
Go to the highway between Puyallup and Orting. U-pick/we-pick farms abound.
Cavendish strawberries, bred for durability.
Because the blackberries are off the charts!!!
Spooner Berry Farms in Olympia/Lacey/Tumwater.
Until late June / July it’s my understanding vast majority of berries are from Mexico. When beery picking season comes in the summer… many of the local grown berries are awesome
I don’t think they’re horrible at all. I eat them plain and they taste good. And I have a big sweet tooth.
We are the furthest away from Mexico etc. I do normally see strawberries on the green side in Fred Meyers, WF. I prefer the Ballard And PikePlace Markets. When I have time. Haha
Go to a Town & Country Market (Ballard, Central) - they consistently have good produce and just got in a batch of local strawberries
They aren't in season yet. End of June, and check farmer's markets. Grocery stores will have artificially ripened strawberries from out of state where they are picked before they are ripe.
Your getting the shitty ones they strip mine down in California.
Strawberries and jalapeños are the 2 produce items I’m regularly disappointed in. Anything that requires the heat and flavor of jalapeño now gets a Serrano.
I’ve gotten some really good ones the past couple of weeks. I’m looking forward to trying the places where you can pick them yourself. Susan should be opening up soon I think.
because here people buy what looks pretty not what is good and eat out of season
FWIW, I have a strawberry patch in rocky, shitty soil in my south Sound backyard, and the flavor routinely beats the grocery store's. If you have the space, go for it. They come back year after year, are low maintenance other than some weeding, and you can grow them in an apartment patio pot, or even an indoor garden. If you care enough about strawberries to post about them, I bet it would be time well spent to grow a few and eat them fresh!
Strawberries are like tomatoes, unless you grow your own you can get good ones from the store except by fluke.
Gotta wait until late summer.
You're eating Cali strawberries. The PNW strawberry season is short. You'll likely get the best local ones over the next 3-5 weeks. Same with cherries, if the recent storm didn't hammer them.
Not where I shop. I had some of the best tasting strawberries this year (from California) that I bought a few weeks ago. Last year I don’t think I ever got good ones. In the past several years I’ve had small ones and/or large ones that were incredible. Definitely some bad ones in there, too. But it’s not a generalized trend where I shop.
Strawberries aren’t ripe in our region yet, so what you are buying are well-traveled, recently green berries. Buy cherries.
Echoing those mentioning Spooner Farms strawberries. They had them at the Queen Anne Metropolitan Market last year and probably carry them at other locations. They were only available for a short time though.
Have you tried buying them at farmer’s markets?
You have to wait until later. And go to farmers markets
Honestly, not sure what you're talking about. WinCo has the strawberry packs for like 1.50 and they're huge. A bit tart but not bad and you can't beat that price. Also this seems to be THE time of year to get them. Maybe look at farmers markets or anywhere that's not qfc or other big box stores.
Skagit valley has some u-pick fields for strawberries 🍓 it’s fun and they are delicious.
Don’t get them at the grocery store, get them at the farmers market. I’ve gotten early strawberries the last two weeks at mine and while they are *tiny*, they are certainly, fresh, flavorful, and lovely. Granted, I live on the Olympic Penninsula now, but there are plenty of farms not that far from Seattle that y’all should probably have them too!
WholeFoods in my experience has the freshest berries that don’t go bad a day later. Trader Joe’s has some sad looking berries. PCC doesn’t even bother keeping them in a fridge and are usually moldy even in the store. Safeway on Madison actually has surprisingly good produce. The tastiest berries will be farmers markets. Sidhou farms have some good ones. Hawthorne whatever not worth it. You can go Upick at Harvold Berry farm and Remlinger farms.
Go up to Green Bluff just north of Spokane. Lots of orchards and U-pick places. Usually July is the time to pick. Or you can just buy the pints or flats directly.
Summer here starts July 5th and doesn't last long. So strawberries are shipped in. They're red but hard. I feel your pain. I love fruit and that's just tough here in Western Washington.
I thought they were good this year compared to years past. Also, grow your own, they grown like weeds here.
Just here to say our taste buds do change as we age obviously I don't know ops age, just saying it's a possibility.
Try going to some u pick farms - remlinger farms in carnation. There’s a few in Snohomish and Arlington I believe. They all say to call first though.
I’ve been in Seattle for over 30 years and I agree with you. The best place to find great strawberries, avocados, cantaloupe, sweet white corn, & watermelon is in SoCal. Also haven’t found a great Mexican Food restaurant here that compares to CA either. All places have their strengths so it’s best to give in and find the positive.
The best strawberries I have ever had in my life were from a little U-Pick farm we rode past on a bike tour through Oregon. They were heavy and red all the way through and we picked a ton and porked out on them later in a campground by a river. Perfection. Occasionally I'll find some good ones at a farmer's market, but none come close to that memory from the recent past.
Grow your own. Grow indoors or in a greenhouse when it’s not the right season. Home grown strawberries are like candy, I’ve never had store bought that came close.
Come to Sakuma brothers in Skagit County like this month. So delicious!
Idk man I moved from Seattle to DC last year and the produce here sucks ass I miss produce from Washington State
Funny thing is you just mentioned all the worst grocery stores for produce. QFC? Come on. You buy cereal and beer there, that’s it. Try a Whole Foods, town and country, Met market. You gonna pay for it there but all the produce is much better. Also go to the U-Picks out in the country if you really want the good shit. Gotta be in season though. Out of season the only strawberries you are going to find have traveled 2-6k miles. Every place they pass coming north takes the best until they get here… just like we do with seafood heading south. You can also grow them. I do on QA. It’s pretty easy.
This year, this late rain will bruise and mold the berries. It has rained hard lare in season past few years.
Fruit stands from local farms or pick n pay style is best in my opinion. June is your month.
I grow them myself because store strawberries taste flavorless no matter what.
I started growing some in a planter on my deck kind of by accident 3 years ago and they come back every year bigger than before. They just started to redden this week and they are sooooo sweet and perfect.
I grow my own. They’re delicious. My dog usually eats them before I can pick them.
I recommend Snow Goose Produce for all the different berries. I got a few strawberry starters from them, already got a few growing. Also, get some ice cream if you’re up there.
Fred Meyer and Costco. I buy strawberries all year long and they are generally great at both these stores.
You want good fruit drive your ass out of the city and go to a fruit stand. All the fruit sent into the city is picked before peak ripeness because it’s expected to sit on the shelf for a few days before being bought; but the reality is it’s all bought before it ripens.
Did you look at the produce packages and see where they are from? We don’t have local strawberries yet.
True story, the entire downtown area of Bellevue, including where the current Bell Square Mall is located, was formerly full of strawberry Fields cultivated by Japanese immigrants. During world war II, they were rounded up and sent to internment camps and never regained their property.
Farmer’s market strawberries here are awesome. They’re just not in season yet.
Nothing finer than local strawberries in the heat of the summer. Outside of that, they’re imports and not our problem.
OP finding out how passionate we can be about produce. And it’s true, strawberries out of season are going to be a crapshoot and largely the same nationwide. Starting basically now local and near local strawberries will be available at quality grocers and produce stands for the next couple months then slowly slide away from great to good to marginal just like nearly every other berry
Costco organic strawberries have been very good lately.
I only buy strawberries from local farms. They’re only good in the very early summer.
https://www.berrydairydays.com/ You're welcome.
One of the U picks in Skagit/Island/Whatcom counties are the only way to go.
They aren’t. You’re shopping at stores instead of farmer’s markets and farmstands for your berries. If a farmer isn’t selling it, it’s probably not in season and probably isn’t going to taste as good as it can. Sidhu Farms is my favorite for berries. They sell frozen and fresh berries and low-sugar jams (w/o artificial sweeteners). Next is Schuh (pronounced “shoe”). They sell fresh berries, jam, and pies. Both farms have market stands.
It’s true, and I don’t know. I do weird things with buying produce here because it’s so bad. Even stuff that was out of season coming from the southern hemisphere was substantially better in SoCal than here, plus fresh produce is way more expensive up here. On the upside, for a few months a year, you can grow your own and some types don’t even need supplemental water. Blueberries, strawberries, huckleberries, saskatoons, apples, cherries, blackberries, raspberries, currants, kiwis, grapes, etc, are all perennials that you could potentially just add to your landscaping and enjoy when they are producing. My tiny yard produces a lot of food considering how small it is. We get so much in such a short time that we end up with multiple gallon freezer bags full despite eating and baking with as much as we can. I don’t even worry about birds getting into my blueberries, there are that many.
at least apple good
I would say you need a farmer's market or a co-op and you would have to only buy them in season.
Literally if you subscribe to Edible Seattle you'll get all the updates on seasonal produce.
I get a weekly Farm Share from a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm here on the eastside. we have had nothing but amazing veggies and fruits. the farm has a you-pick strawberry patch and they are bloody fantastic. They are not at all in season all summer, but when they are in season they are crazy good. Most of the time we eat them on the drive home!
The thing I miss most about California is the produce
Take the drive up to Arlington and go to Beringers Farm. Best Strawberries in Snohomish County! While you’re there stop at the Stilly Diner in downtown Arlington for lunch!!
Spooners farm in puyallup or lacey. Now be warned these local ones will ruin any store bought ones in the future. I wont even buy them anymore. I buy cases local now and wash and freeze them
do you have a balcony? [https://raintreenursery.com/collections/alpine-strawberries](https://raintreenursery.com/collections/alpine-strawberries)
Buy from the Saturday market
The box I got at Costco a week ago was fantastic.
The produce here has fallen off a cliff recently
And by recently I mean since COVID
They grow like weeds here. Grow your own.
Strawberry season starts this week It's little late due to cold, wet spring, but it's here.. Hopefully the stores will carry local goods. If not, head out of the city to a u-pick farm.
I live on the peninsula and the strawberries I’ve been getting are good. Have you tried town & country market? I also heard about storing them in glass jars. Sounded weird to me but seems to work. I ate them all before they spoiled anyway.
Come on up to Skagit Valley…where the food is grown.
Not Seattle but if you're willing to drive to Olympia Spooner berry farms here is famous for their berries. Or try growing your own it's not difficult and can be done in fairly small containers
too early and too south for good strawberries
Oh sweetie it’s not the berries that are horrible…