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We grow five different varieties of strawberry which enable us to provide strawberries throughout the season, right through until the middle of August - weather permitting, of course! The plants are grown on raised beds for easy picking.
Strawberries are fat-free, saturated fat-free, sodium-free, cholesterol-free and are a good source of fibre, potassium, vitamin C and folic acid. Strawberries top the list of fruits high in antioxidants, which are important for disease prevention.
At Hawkswick we grow the following varieties: |
| Elsanta: |
England's most popular variety. Superb fruit quality with good shelf life. Medium to large orange-red.
Mid-season. |
| Sonata: |
New variety. Bright red glossy fruit with excellent flavour.
Mid-season 5 days later than Elsanta. |
| Alice: |
Large, conical, deep red/orange. Strong flavour with high sweet/sugar.
Mid-season. |
| Symphony: |
High yielding, large firm berries.
Late season. |
| Florence: |
Darker berries, more firm skinned. Sweet. Excellent shelf life - can keep for some days in the fridge.
Late season. |
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Strawberries should be picked with the stem attached. This helps the fruit to stay fresh longer. |
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Raspberries are a very healthy food; they are high Vitamin C and naturally have no fat, cholesterol or sodium. They are also a good source of iron and folate (which is used especially in treatment of low red blood cells or anaemia). They contain a natural substance called ellagic acid, which is an anti-carcinogenic (cancer-preventing) compound. Raspberries have been shown to lower high blood cholesterol levels and slow release of carbohydrates into the blood stream of diabetics.
Raspberries are also high in fibre, potassium, vitamin A and calcium.
The five varieties we grow at Hawkswick:
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| Glen Ample: |
Virtually spine-free large fleshy fruits of about 4-5g. Excellent flavour. Freezes well.
Mid season fruiting. |
| Glen Magna: |
These large dark red fruits are sweet and easy to pick.
Freezes well.
Mid/late-season. |
| Malling Leo: |
Long-standing favourite with orange/red berries.
Strong flavour and freezes well.
Late season.
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| Autumn fruiting - limited availability: |
| Polka: |
Bred in Poland. Primocane. Excellent deep red fruits with outstanding shelf life.
Freezes well.
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| Autumn Bliss: |
First available primocano fruits from end-July. Smaller fruit with lovely flavour.
Freezes well.
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| Raspberries are probably the most delicate of the berries. Remember to look in the middle of the bushes and low down for the best fruit. |
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Blackberries |
Blackberries are a good source of antioxidants, which have been shown to help prevent cancer and reduce the signs of aging. Blackberries are also low-fat, saturated fat-free, sodium-free, cholesterol-free, high in fibre, high in vitamin C and a good source of folate.
The two blackberry varieties we grow at Hawkswick are: |
| Silvan: |
Medium/large fruits with good flavour. Best for immediate eating as shelf life is poor as they tend to bruise. Some spines so care needed in picking.
Early Season |
| Black Butte: |
Extra large fruit. Colour needs time to develop. Spineless. Great for 'show' cookery.
Early Season. |
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| There are two types of blackberry to know about: thorny and thornless! We do both at Hawkswick. Obviously, the thornless are easier to pick, but some people claim the thorny varieties are sweeter. With the thorny plants, you want to reach into the plant in the gaps, so you don't need to touch anything but the berry you're after, avoiding the thorns.
A ripe blackberry is deep black with a plump, full feel. It will pull free from the plant with only a slight tug. If the berry is red or purple, it's not ripe yet. Reach in between the stems to grab for hidden berries ready for harvest. Bend down and look up into the plant and you'll find loads of berries that other people missed!
When picking blackberries, remember the dark purple juices will not only stain your hands but also your clothes. In olden days blackberry juice was used as a dye!
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Red Currants |
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Nutritionally, redcurrants are high in Vitamin C. They also contain fibre, Vitamin B, iron, potassium and phosphorus, and are good for the immune system. The antiseptic properties of redcurrant jelly make it an effective treatment of minor burns - after cooling the affected area with cold water. |
| Junifer: |
High yielding, long fruit trusses make this variety easy to pick. High quality fruit with lovely sweet flavour. Freezes well.
Early season. |
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| Choose red currants which have an even, rich colour and plump form. Remove the fruit from the plant by snapping the stalk at the top of the stem, rather than picking individual berries. |
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Blackcurrants |
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Latest research has discovered that the blackcurrant outshines the rest when it comes to health boosting benefits. They have a very high content in antioxidants and vitamins. In particular, they're very rich in Vitamin C (and for this reason they were farmed on a massive scale in the UK during World War II). Blackcurrants also contain several rare nutrients, like GLA ( Gamma Linoleic Acid, a very rare Omega-6 essential fatty acid) and MAOI (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors), and may therefore be used in therapies against depression. |
| Ben Connan: |
Exceptionally large berries with superb rich flavour. Freeze well.
Main season. |
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| Blackcurrants hang in bunches which are quite easy to pull of the bush. The fruit comes on last year's stems, which means that the fruit bearing stems are pruned out to encourage new growth for next year's harvest. It is therefore quite acceptable to break off the whole twig bearing the blackcurrants (called strigs), and then pick the berries off later.
The strigs are quite short, but can pose a problem when preparing berries for the kitchen. A table fork works well to strip the blackcurrants off the stalk. |
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Gooseberries |
Gooseberries are very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. They are also a good source of Vitamin A, Potassium and Manganese, and a very good source of Dietary Fibre and Vitamin C.
We grow two gooseberry varieties - one with the traditional thorns, and one without:
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| Invicta: |
Tradiitional green colour, good flavour. Spines on laterals so pick with care.
Main season. |
| Pax: |
Virtually spine-free, red dessert gooseberry.
Main season. |
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| Gooseberries have a tough skin and are easy to pick by lifting up tip of a branch with one hand and picking off the hanging ripe fruits with the other hand. Our Invicta gooseberries are often picked green, after they reach their full size but before they fully ripen. These are used in pies, tarts, jams and meat sauces. Fully ripe fruit, soft and pink or red, makes an excellent fresh, sweet fruit. Be careful of thorns! Our sweeter Pax gooseberries are picked when they are a deep red, plump and softening.
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