June heat wave takes it toll on Quebec strawberry crops
CTV
Strawberry farmers in Quebec are in damage control after this week's extreme heat soured the beloved summertime fruit.
Strawberry farmers in Quebec are in damage control after this week's extreme heat soured the beloved summertime fruit.
Three days of above 30-degree temperatures left its mark and burned the strawberries.
On Friday, customers at the Ferme chez Mario fruits et légumes southeast of Montreal had their pick of the strawberry fields and France Hamel is one of their most loyal customers.
"The berries were excellent last weekend, they were really sweet. This week, they're a little more rare, a little bit more rotten and they're not as sweet as they were last week," Hamel said.
The change in taste is due to the recent heat wave, according to farmer Mathieu Beauregard.
"It's a fruit that prefers weather between 20 and 25 C," he said.
"The foliage goes down and the berries come to the surface and they burn like this."
