Where to find yummy Ontario strawberries

[Full tummy]

I bought some great berries at East Lynn Farmers Market last week, but can't wait until Thursday to get some more. Anybody know where fresh, tasty Ontario berries are to be found?

[Flexitarian]

I bought a quart of local strawberries for $6 at the Riverdale Market on Tuesday. They were the sweetest best tasting I have ever had. Costco sells conventional strawberries for less than 1/2 the price but I'd rather eat these and pay way more.

[TOFoodie1]

It's been many years since I've had local strawberries as good as this year. I think that the weather conditions (hot, sunny and not too wet) have been ideal, and there's been a bumper crop. The ones I've had so far have been far better than the imported ones (that are often cheaper).

[MargieEv]

Willowtree market at Port Perry has excellent ones. They will have them right through until Sept. I love that place.The people are so nice and their stuff is so good.

[Flexitarian]

I also like that many of the local ones, if you talk to the farmers, are not necessarily organic 'certified' but use organic farming methods. The certification costs money and is a bit of work is the reason they give that they don't get certified.

[crawfish]

There should be a category for stuff that is farmed without pesticides but doesn't meet the full organic standard. I think in order to call it organic the land must have been free of pesticide use for something like 10 years. Strawberries are one of the worst for pesticide residue so it would be nice to encourage farmers to stop using them even if they weren't prepared to go for the full organic certification.

[justsayn]

Bought a flat of fantastiic strawberries at North SLM. Froze them and they are now smoothilicious!

[TOFoodie1]

I bought some great Ontario strawberries at Loblaws today (Yonge and Yonge Blvd). They were $2.00 a quart (2/$4.00) - firm, juicy and very sweet, and not overripe or mushy like others that I've had recently.

[autopi]

having a harder time finding them now ... not at the loblaws at the maple leaf gardens, the big loblaws at st clair and bathurst, or the sobeys, brunos or loblaws express all at st clair and yonge. went to wychwood barns farmers market toward noon and they were either sold out or didn't have any. yikes!

[scapegoated]

Anyone have a good source for Organic Ontario Strawberries in the GTA?

[Flexitarian]

I just bought some just picked organic strawberries from the Riverdale Farmers Market yesterday for $6/quart. I imagine you can get them at most farmers markets these days. I thought the price was a bit steep as I've seen conventional ones for less than 1/2 the price, and organic ones in supermarkets for less too, but these are local so the carbon footprint is low (if you care about such things). They sure tasted good.

[scapegoated]

Awesome, thanks! Yes, I am most interested berries that taste delightful because they haven't had to travel for ages. Has anyone seen them at Dufferin Grove Market?

[Kagemusha]

And how far did they travel if they're "local?"

[chocabot]

Tomorrow is the Strawberry festival at St Lawrence Market. I've never been but their site says there's strawberry dishes and tastings available at different vendors.

[jamie]

Valu-Mart at Bayview and Davisville has had good batches over the past week for $2.99

[Kagemusha]

Got some nice ones for 2.99 this a.m. from Highland Farms in Miss. Hoping for a stretch of dry heat to keep 'em coming better than last year's awful crop.

[crawfish]

I just bought some at Metro for 3.99. Of course, being Metro, they had a skid of California strawberries front and centre, the Ontario ones were in the back with the organic berries. Fresh obsessed my a$$. I hate Metro.

[TOFoodie1]

I bought some at Metro yesterday (Bayview and York Mills) and they were very good - sweet, juicy and smallish. I've had organic strawberries on vacation in Monterrey, CA, from a farmer's market, so I've been pretty spoiled when it comes to amazing strawberries.

[Bobby Wham]

HAHAHAHAHAHA

[1sweetpea]

I picked up a pint at Zehr's in Windsor for $2.99. They smelled fantastic. They were very nice, save for a couple of rotten ones. I looked at a dozen or so pints before I found one that looked pretty good, though. There were lots that had either underripe strawberries or rotten ones.

[EverymanJack]

You can get some at the Bloor and Borden Farmer's market, from 3-7 on Wednesdays

[eller]

I found some this morning at the Sobey's at Yonge & St. Clair. I imagine they're available chain wide.

[EarlyDrive]

There have been lots at Fiesta Farms over the past week.

[youdonut]

i find the best ones you get are the ones you pick yourself, much better than the ones from the store where quality in the box is questionable.

[Flexitarian]

For sure as things are freshest that way. But, where is there a place near the GTA where you can pick them now?

[cheesymama]

Whittamore's started picking this past Saturday. I have picked both strawberries and raspberries there going on a few years now. It's a bit of a trek so I usually just go once a season for each fruit, but definitely worth it if you make jam or want to freeze a bunch.
If you time it right you can pick various veggies too.
http://www.whittamoresfarm.com/

[grandgourmand]

If you happen to go on a Saturday, make sure you go early. The lineups can be huge. I went last year, and on our way out, the cars waiting to park and then pick were bumper to bumper along the lane that runs through the farm (that's about 1km, easy).

[Nevy]

I bought some amazing ones at the Etobicoke Civic Centre farmers market. There's about 7 vendors that really great ones there. I also spotted real Ontario strawberries at Superstore (2 of them). They're about the same price as the one at the farmers market and just as flavourful as well. They're packaged up a bit more neatly and cleaner than the ones at the farmers market. That's the only difference.

[Full tummy]

Thanks, Nevy. I bought a basket of strawberries (not sure where from) at Loblaws last week only to get them home and discover that what looked nice on top was a pile of mush on the bottom. V. frustrating.

[Nevy]

Ugh, I hate that. I always flip the containers over to check out if there are some super ripe ones on the bottom to avoid that. The ones at Superstore this weekend weren't as ripe as the ones at the Farmers Market so I think they'll be juicy ripe in a day or so. The ones I got at the farmers market were bursting in juices and a vibrant red. My cutting board looked like I was handling steak instead of strawberries!

[sloweater]

The farmers market at the East York civic centre on Tuesdays will have them. They were available up to September last year.

[Full tummy]

Thanks, sloweater! That is close to me, so I will try to get there tomorrow.

[cheesymama]

I'll be heading there this morning for some, my favourite time of year! If you can't make that market then Riverdale Farm also has one today from 3-7.

[TorontoJo]

The ones I got at Longo's last week were delicious.

[Full tummy]

Thank you! I should have thought of them. Will drive up there today.

[TorontoJo]

I picked up 4 baskets on Friday and there weren't many left. I'm assuming/hoping they restocked over the weekend, as there should still be several weeks left for strawberry season. They were tiny and so sweet and juicy. Such a lovely change from the California monster strawberries.

[Full tummy]

Just called the York Mills location and was told they have them. Thanks for the warning!