Oregon may not grow the most strawberries in the country (California has that distinction ), but we certainly grow some of the best. That鈥檚 thanks in part to a one-of-a-kind cooperative berry breeding program that鈥檚 more than 100 years old. Since 1917, this collaboration between and the USDA Agricultural Research Service has been behind some of the most iconic strawberries in the state. Both and strawberry varieties were developed right here in Oregon.
But the vast majority of strawberries being grown here never see a farmers market stand or grocery aisle. 鈥淥ur industry has always been a processing industry, so that makes our strawberry cultivars really unique, having traits that are exceptional for processing,鈥� says Bernadine Strik, professor emeritus for the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University.
Processing varieties are bred to have an intensity in color, flavor and acidity. That鈥檚 because they鈥檙e often used in things like jam, yogurt, and of course, strawberry ice cream. And if something is being frozen or used within another food, the flavor needs to be even more exceptional and intense than normal. And since there is no travel time to your store, the strawberries are picked at peak ripeness and frozen immediately to use.
Ice cream maker H盲agen-Dazs is said to only use 鈥� Hoods and Totems 鈥� chosen by the brand鈥檚 co-founder Reuben Mattus for their ice cream. But hometown ice cream heroes like Tillamook, Salt & Straw, and Fifty Licks all use Oregon strawberries as well.
鈥淭here鈥檚 no berries like what鈥檚 growing here in the Pacific Northwest,鈥� says Tyler Malek, the co-founder and head ice cream maker at Salt & Straw. 鈥淓specially Oregon berries, there鈥檚 so much density in flavor.鈥�
And each year, Salt & Straw goes through 50,000 pounds of strawberries, much of which is used in one of their signature flavors: Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper. It was the Salt & Straw ever created, back in 2011 when they served ice cream out of a pushcart on Northeast Alberta Street in Portland.
鈥淭his flavor has very much put us on the map,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 quite realize when we were making it how important this would be for the future of our company.鈥�
Strawberries are the centerpiece for the ice cream, which uses a traditional Italian flavor trinity as its jumping off point. Serving strawberries with balsamic vinegar is a classic dessert in the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy, where balsamic vinegar originates from.
鈥淏lack pepper, balsamic vinegar, and strawberries are so perfect together because you actually enhance the acidity with the vinegar,鈥� Malek said. 鈥淭hen you balance out that perfume quality of the strawberry with a really fresh grind black pepper.鈥�
It鈥檚 a mix of flavors as surprisingly complex as the strawberries they highlight.
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