Strawberries add colour to spring season

The spring season is associated with the revival of the natural world. New leaves and flowers bloom making the surrounding atmosphere colourful and pleasant. A marvellous addition to the beauty of springtime is strawberry fruit. The red and heart-shaped juicy fruit, relished by everyone, is really adding to the attractiveness of fruit carts, and catching the attention of buyers in Islamabad.

Fruit was once imported from other countries and was available only as a canned item. However, now fruit is grown locally. Strawberries were introduced in Pakistan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and have since been grown all over the country. According to the Fruit, Vegetables and Condiments Statistics of Pakistan 2018-19, from 387 hectares of area, 795 tonnes of strawberries were produced.

Strawberries have a low shelf life and are available only for a brief time. The high demand and short availability make it an expensive item. At the wholesale market, prices are between Rs250 and Rs280 per kg, while in the local markets the price is around Rs300 to 400 per kg.

Four varieties of the fruit were tested in Pakistan the ‘chandler’ is the most commonly cultivated for commercial purposes. Picking and packing are the most important steps when it comes to the handling of strawberries. Since they are perishable, the fruits are picked at a semi-ripe stage.

An official of PARC told the media that "Ideally, strawberries should be packed in half to one kg baskets. However, due to a lack of resources and technical knowledge, farmers overstuff them. Strawberry is a soft fruit, and the ones placed at the bottom become damaged under the weight of those above them. Once they are ruptured, their shelf life further decreases as their likelihood of rotting increases".

He continued, "Through calcium treatment, it is possible to increase the life of strawberries, but it would only add 3 to 4 days at most." The internet, however, thinks differently. It is full of different ways to preserve strawberries. One of the commonly employed methods involves cutting strawberries into slices and freezing them in plastic bags. Another way is to dry the strawberries.

The tendency is to focus on value addition like making squash, jams, jellies, and other products. It helps to preserve strawberries for longer. Strawberries are consumed in various other forms as well - the most popular being juice, shakes, pickles, fruit chats, salad, ice-cream, and cake toppings.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2022.