Good morning and happy Monday!
How was your Holy Week, {nombre}?
I hope you've recharged your batteries and that getting back into the swing of things isn't too hard. We've had a short break ourselves, and we're back to work, taking and sending orders from early in the morning.
And I also have some news that will make you smile: strawberries are now available on the website.
They grow in the heart of Valencia, in warm and airy lands, and you can taste it in their flavor. They are cultivated artisanally, just like our grandparents taught us, and we harvest them to order every morning.
We haven't had them for two years... Now I'll tell you why it took us so long to bring them back.
Two years ago, we had a big problem with shipments because there were long and heavy rains, a lack of sun, and strawberries are as delicate as glass. With so much humidity, the fruit loses its vibrancy and firmness, and traveling like that is a bad idea.
Not even the largest umbrella can save a plant when the sky drizzles for several days in a row.
Since then, we've taken it calmly and thoughtfully. Together with Miguel, our fellow farmer, we tested dates, refined the exact cutting time, and adjusted the dry selection, with no water on the fruit. We wanted to be sure before saying we're back, and now we truly are.
Ready to assemble your order, which, whether it includes strawberries or not, we prepare with the utmost care, so that everything arrives from the field to your table without any intermediate naps.
I'll tell you a country secret, but explained simply. The strawberry, which is the large strawberry we usually eat in Spain, concentrates sugars when it alternates sun and cool nights.
If it has consecutive humid and cloudy days, it gets watery and loses sweetness. It's like me without coffee in the morning; I function, but I don't shine. And be careful, strawberries don't like water on the outside either. They're a bit like cats.
That's how we work now. Every dawn, we review orders, we go to the plants with the low sun. We cut only those that are at their peak, with a very green peduncle and a promising aroma, and they go directly into the shade. They leave for your home that same day.
I'll take this opportunity, {nombre}, to share my young grandparent's trick. Once you have your strawberries, store them in the fridge unwashed and take them out a little while before eating them so they release all their fragrance. Then wash them and enjoy.
This holiday, I behaved well and only ate two "torrijas" (French toast). Okay, fine, three.
This year it's time to enjoy. There has been enough sun and a dry breeze that in our region we call a blessing. The strawberries are firm, sweet, and with that red color that makes the family fight over the last one on the tray.
Order soon if you'd like them, as we cut only what's necessary to not lose an ounce of freshness. Direct from the Spanish countryside, at a fair price and without intermediaries.
Thank you for continuing to be by our side. I'd love to know what you think of these first strawberries of the season.
Have a wonderful week, and I hope the first bite brings you to our side in the orchard for a moment.
A big hug and until next time.
