Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published January 4, 2006 Click here for the current edition Louisiana Strawberries Are Here A nice weather oddity in this very odd weather year is that the Louisiana strawberry crop--which many of us await with much anticipation--is early this year. A combination of persistent warm weather until December got them to ripeness well before Christmas. And although it was a colder-than-average December, it wasn't so cold that the growth of Louisiana strawberries was slowed much. Anti-frost measures like water spraying--which protects the berries but causes the berries to bloat with water and dilute their flavor. This year, placing cloth covers on the fields was enough to protect against the mid-20s we had in the strawberry fields a few nights last month. The growers are ecstatic, because the earlier they get the berries out, the higher the price they can command. The quality has been spectacular in the berries we've been buying, mostly from the fruit stand in Abita Springs but also in the farmer's markets. My daughter Mary Leigh, who is a strawberry connoisseur and can scarf down two pints of the things before we even get home with them, says that they're the most delicious she ever remembers having. You don't even need to put sugar on them. © 2005 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com