Spring has sprung and comes with it the first Irish strawberries of the season. Keelings, Ireland’s largest supplier and producer of fresh fruit, have officially announced the arrival of the first Irish strawberry harvest of 2020, with punnets now available across supermarkets nationwide.
Strawberries are high in vitamin C and fibre and just five strawberries will provide you with more antioxidants than four bananas! A delicious springtime snack, the best-looking Irish strawberries are a deep red colour, indicating sweetness and readiness to eat.
Keelings Irish strawberries are the first to hit the shop shelves each year and Keelings are the only Irish grower producing 100% table-top strawberries, a growing-method, which keeps the fruit off the ground and helps to eliminate pests and diseases. This method allows for Keelings to produce the highest quality strawberries each spring.
Keelings innovative glasshouses have successfully extended the strawberry season from March through to December. This allows for strawberries to be nurtured by the Keelings’ growers all year round and for the first Irish strawberries of the season to be available earlier than was originally possible.
The Keelings farm, located in St.Margaret’s, North Co. Dublin has the capacity to produce over 100 million Irish strawberries for the Irish market to enjoy.
Keelings are considered pioneers in strawberry production as they work to advance new varieties of strawberries and continuously invest in new technology and infrastructure to develop the highest quality berries each year.
Did you know, Keelings have 12,000 m2 of the roof across their strawberry glasshouses, and for every 1mm of rain falling onto the glasshouse roof, Keelings collect 11000 litres of water, along with the condensation on the inside of the glass which all filters into the reservoir on the Keelings farm. This amounts to 8.4 million litres of rainwater every year, which is then recycled.
Keelings also have strawberry tunnels on the farm. The growers responsible for the glasshouses work hard to produce strawberries as early and as late as quality will allow, whereas the tunnel growers are dedicated to filling any gap in-between, with a steady supply of high-quality berries.
The Irish company has been growing strawberries since 1926 and has expanded across the country, offering berry-based recipes along with tips on how to lead a more balanced lifestyle.
