Gassed Strawberries – a bit of “Acorn” news!

submitted by Ruth VanBogelen, Acorn Farmers’ Market & Cafe

Since February grocery stores have had strawberries at a pretty low price.  Of course, these strawberries didn’t come from Michigan, but instead from Florida, California, or South America. 

Ever wonder why these strawberries last for a week or two in your refrigerator, when Michigan strawberries need to be eaten in a couple days or they are mush? Well, the shipped strawberries are picked when they aren’t ripe, and once they arrive at their ‘for sale destination’, they are gassed! Yep, they are treated with ethylene gas, which causes the outside of the strawberry to turn red. Note – they still aren’t ripe, they are just red!.  Some might tell you that these gassed strawberries taste the same as strawberries picked from the plant when they are ripe. In a couple weeks, do the taste test yourself.  

You might have asked why strawberries from Michigan strawberry growers are $5-6 a quart versus $2-4 a quart of the gassed strawberries. Well, shelf life plays a big role. If you pick strawberries (pretty hard work) but then have to sell all of them that day, there is likely to be waste. All the quarts that don’t sell, can’t be just stored and sold for a week or two. As a consumer, decide if you are going for taste (buy from plant ripened grown locally fruit) or price (buy from other states or countries).

Acorn Farmers’ Market & Café will be a non-profit food store in Manchester, MI next spring when Michigan strawberries are naturally ripe. To follow progress on this new food store which will sell locally grown produce, meat, dairy, eggs and more – all produce by local farmers – go to the web site www.acornfarmersmarketcafe.org and like us on Facebook @Acorn Farmers’ Market and Café.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.