Strawberries in New York City
Over the past year or so, I've noticed that strawberries have been really cheap to buy -- many outdoor fruit stands sell them for 2 large boxes for $5 dollars. (If I remember correctly, some nights, they were even on sale for 2 boxes for $3 dollars.) I don't recall strawberries being this inexpensive.
Regarding taste, it seems lower-quality -- specifically, the strawberries taste very "chemically", rather than sweet and tart.
Has something changed recently with strawberries that has made it significantly cheaper to buy -- and also made it taste noticeably worse?
My question is specific to New York City - in Manhattan - but perhaps the question could be generalized to include other areas of the United States; I'm not sure, though.
Best Answer
You didn't say what time of year you're talking about and that would dictate where they are coming from. If they are coming from outside the U.S., other countries are allowed to use chemicals that our growers are not allowed to use - but that does not seem to affect produce importations! Also, where they are grown can definitely reflect on costs - the cheaper the workforce the cheaper the product will be inherently (and even transportation doesn't seem to kick the prices up dramatically, so the items must really be inexpensive at their point of origin).
Of course, as already stated, some years are good for some produce and their is a market glut!
Additionally, the larger the strawberries the lower their taste concentration (generally) and you also didn't mention size.
Pictures about "Strawberries in New York City"
How an indoor farm in New York is growing unique Japanese strawberries
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Samson Katt, Samson Katt, E M, E M