Do you find yourself cruising down Buenaventura? Do you think about strawberries when you should be working? Do you eat strawberries daily? Do you ever eat strawberries alone? If you answered "yes" to more than one question, don't panic. The strawberry goddess has returned to the corner of Buenaventura and Lakeside with baskets of freshly picked, locally grown strawberries.
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| Strawberries at the corner of Buenaventura & Lakeside |
The diminutive strawberry lady is named Gheng. She was born in Laos and has lived in Redding for 20 years. Together with her husband, son, and daughter-in-law she farms her strawberries in Churn Creek Bottom. She grows several different varieties and harvests strawberries from late April through August. The berries are picked in the morning and sold in traditional green plastic containers, three containers in a half flat.
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| Gheng: Redding's Strawberry Goddess |
Gheng's strawberries are the most delicious strawberries I have ever eaten. They are juicy with a firm bite, but somehow dissolve in your mouth with an explosion of alternating sweet and tangy flavors. The flesh is bright red and the juice will stain your fingers. As they are picked ripe and have no preservatives, they should be eaten the day they are purchased. My strategy is to eat most of a basket on the drive home, serve the rest at dinner, then repeat the process the following day.
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| Berries Remaining After the Short Drive Home |
Unless you are making jam or entertaining, I recommend buying the half flat. The baskets are full and every berry is usable. The half flats are $6. Another customer, who was buying strawberries, said she freezes Gheng's strawberries for year round Churn Creek strawberry enjoyment. Gheng is on the corner most days until she has sold her last strawberry.
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| Yummm..... |
My kids really like strawberries. So we planted a few beds of strawberries in our garden. It is looks very beautiful among the flowers.
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