Good morning!
I hope you start this new week in the best way possible. Here, we've started as always: working 💪🏽.
The fields offer no respite these days, especially during the harvest of small fruits, like blackberries, blueberries, and cherries. They are harvested by hand, one by one. Can you imagine? It's quite a job. It's not the same if machinery intervenes in the process; there's nothing like feeling the fruit between your fingers to know if it's ripe or not.
Speaking of which. There's always technological innovation in the fields, and that's a good thing, because it helps us with things like irrigation. But at the same time, there are ancestral ways of cultivating that not only work but also make a difference. And that's something you notice in the fruits and vegetables we offer at Campos del Abuelo.
Like the blackberries we are harvesting:
And thinking about these foolproof methods, today, I want to talk to you about the blueberries and blackberries we have available on our website. You already know that Antonio's blueberries are hydroponically grown; I told you about it a few weeks ago...
But that's not the only thing that makes a difference. Both the blueberries and blackberries we offer are grown outdoors. And they are very different from those grown under plastic.
And believe me: nothing beats the taste of fruit grown in the open air. And you might say... but does it really make that much difference? Yes, it does. And today I'm going to explain it in detail, because you know we don't just talk for the sake of talking.
When we work with fruits like blueberries or blackberries, the first noticeable difference between one grown naturally in the field and one rushed in intensive cultivation is the flavor. Let me try to make you feel the difference with words.
Blueberries that grow in open fields, exposed to the sun, the breeze, and the whims of the weather, ripen more slowly. This allows them to gradually concentrate their natural sugars, acidity… and especially their aromas. The result is a blueberry with a complex, balanced flavor, the kind that fills your mouth and leaves an unforgettable aftertaste. It's not just sweetness; there are nuances, like good wines.
Now compare that to those grown intensively, often under plastic or artificial structures. There, everything is controlled: temperature, irrigation, light. Everything seems "perfect." But in that perfection, the fruit loses character. They tend to be larger fruits, yes, but also more watery. With a less intense flavor. More insipid. As if something is missing from their story.
And if we talk about texture, something similar happens. Where the blueberry grows in a more natural environment, it offers a firm, yet juicy texture. Thin skin, but resistant. In contrast, those from intensive cultivation usually have softer skin and a flabby pulp. You'll notice it especially if you store it for a few days: you'll see that the natural one lasts longer, without breaking down so quickly.
But it's not just a matter for fussy farmers like me. People are noticing it too. In the case of our customers, who try a true traditionally grown blueberry, they usually come back for more.
I like to believe that a whole movement of people who value artisan products, products that taste of the countryside, is emerging, even if the fruit is a bit smaller or has some wind marks. For us, these imperfections are badges of authenticity.
And let me tell you something else. Blackberries, the real ones, also benefit when they grow naturally. I don't know if you knew this, but many wild blackberry bushes are now being cultivated in small open-air plots.
In Antonio's case, knowing well that these plants are very wild, he places a mesh that has nothing to do with plastic. It is simply a mesh that protects the fruit from extreme heat, but the air and humidity are dictated by nature. Just like the pollinators that arrive: bees love blackberry flowers.
This yields fruits with a vibrant acidity, a sweetness that isn't cloying, and a flavor like in the old days. They are those fruits that, when you eat them, it feels like you're going back to childhood, when you picked blackberries by the roadside with purple-stained fingers.
These blackberries, like blueberries grown in real field conditions, may not win in terms of being perfect, but they win in personality. And for those who cook or make artisanal sweets and jams, there's no comparison. In fact, many haute cuisine chefs are preferring these wild fruits for their intensity.
So, the next time you taste a blueberry, a blackberry, or even one of the mountain cherries we're harvesting right now, keep in mind that these fruits have known the same sun as you, that they aren't grown under the fluorescent lights of a greenhouse.
Because that, even if it's not visible at first glance, is noticeable from the first bite.
And here, from our Valencian fields, we will continue to champion that: the taste of the open air. For fruits with a natural accent. For the earth as it is.
See you next week and...
Thank you for being on the other side!
A big hug from the field
