Sweet and flavoursome: France’s strawberry season starts now

Strawberry growers in the Lot-et-Garonne department of south-west France are harvesting the first gariguettes of the year. 

Some people may be wary of buying and eating ‘summer’ fruits this early in the season, however the sweet and flavoursome gariguette variety is already appearing in shops and on market stalls.

This particular strawberry was created in 1976 by Georgette Risser at l’Inra (the National Institute of Agricultural Research) near Avignon. She spent almost 20 years developing the variety in a field on the garrigue (a type of shrubland found on limestone soils in southern France), hence the name: gariguette. 

Read also: Gariguette strawberries arrive at market

A quality strawberry

March strawberries are the "tastiest variety as they are tangy and sweet at the same time," gariguette growers Ferme Ruffoni, told The Connexion. 

"They can be more of one or the other depending on the weather conditions the week before harvest: very sweet if lots of sun but cold at night, but more tart if it is too hot at night," added the fruit farm, who started picking their strawberries on February 20 this year.

This early strawberry variety is sealed with the official Fraise Label Rouge (Red Label), which guarantees the superior quality of the product and ensures they are handpicked when ripe. 

The fruit is also subject to strict specifications and frequent checks at various stages of production and packaging.

It should be juicy, extremely aromatic and a brilliant vermilion red - the brighter the colour, the sweeter the strawberry. 

The Fraise Label Rouge recommends eating them at room temperature to release all their aromas and appreciate the full flavour. 

Read also: How many of these 12 fruity French expressions do you know?

Worth the price

Gariguettes may cost more, but many say they are worth it. 

Carrefour, for example, is currently selling a 250g punnet of gariguettes for €3.99 (€15.96 per kilo).

The price will gradually drop once the harvest picks up speed and other more common varieties arrive. 

Gariguette greenhouses are usually in production from March to late June, with peak production in April and May.

A recipe suggestion

Ferme Ruffoni recommends using your gariguettes to make a Charlotte aux fraises (strawberry shortcake).

"Sponge fingers should be well soaked in the alcohol of your choice (rhum), and don't be shy about using crème fraîche mixed with sugar."

Ingredients:

• 500g of tasty gariguettes 
• 1-2 packets of sponge fingers (or boudoirs)
• 350g of crème fraîche  
• 50g of caster sugar
• Your alcohol of choice 

Method: 

1. Rinse and hull the strawberries, then slice into small pieces.

2. Mix 350g crème fraîche with the sugar and mix in the strawberries.

3. Soak one side of the sponge fingers in the alcohol. Line them along the sides and bottom of a charlotte mould.

4. Add half of the crème fraîche/strawberry mixture, then top with a layer of sponge fingers and the rest of the strawberry mixture.

5. Finish with a layer of sponge fingers. Put the lid on the charlotte mould and leave to rest in the fridge for 6 hours.

6. Finally, remove from the mould and decorate with a few quartered strawberries.

Read also: La fraise: The strange history of France's strawberry family