Weather Delay Makes Florida’s Strawberries Super Sweet

For weeks, unusually cold winter temperatures delayed Florida’s strawberry harvest, leaving grocery shelves empty. The strawberries now are ripening, and they are even sweeter than usual.

“Abnormally cool temperatures delayed maturation of the berries,” said Florida Agricultural Commissioner Charles H. Bronson. “Strawberries stayed on the plants longer, so they had more time to produce sugar. The result is the sweetest strawberries we’ve seen in a very long time.”

Consumers can expect an abundance of Florida strawberries to be available now and in the coming weeks. The harvest will continue through early April and should reach its peak in the middle of this month.

During the 2008-2009 season, Florida produced more than $300 million in strawberries between December and April, accounting for nearly 240 million pints of berries. Hillsborough County in west-central Florida is the hub of the state’s strawberry production. The county produces about 15% of the nation’s strawberries — about 18 million flasts per year — and virtually all the berries grown during the winter.

Source: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services press release