Strawberries - add sugar or not?

[Silverbirchleaf]

Growing up, my dm would always add sugar to strawberries to sweeten them. I realise that I no longer do that, as varieties sold now are alot sweeter. I wasn’t actually That fond of strawberries in the past, but quite like them now.

Does anyone routinely add sugar nowadays?

I remember it being a thing but I don't do it no. I try and avoid added sugar as much as possible in general. I personally like my strawberries diced up and mixed in with yoghurt.

Strawberries are best with balsamic vinegar - just a little of the thick, syrupy variety.

My parents always added sugar and a little water to make a syrup. I don’t bother now but I think strawberry quality is better so they generally don’t need sweetening.

Doesn’t it depend on the strawberries? I tend not to put sugar on them (and I’m the age of most of your mothers!) but sometimes they are very sour and need a little sugar.

My mum always did but I don’t. It did make a lovely syrupy sauce that mixed with the cream, but I wouldn’t even think to now. Are they sweeter I wonder, or have our palates changed?

But there used to be much less sweet stuff around generally, I think. So sugar in tea and sugar on strawberries has been replaced by chocolate biscuits and convenience food with sugar in.

I used to love strawberries, but haven't a nice one this century.
Never put sugar on them.

I was always brought up with sugar on them and cream.
I haven't had sugar on them for 30 odd years and nor do I have cream. I just eat them as they are and they're always sweet enough for me.

Same. No sugar and Greek yoghurt.

I don't have those either.

I like them without but also sometimes fancy a little bowl cut up with sugar on. Like sometimes I'll just spread an inch of butter on some white bread for a snack. Reminds me of nana

I still do it and yes my kids love it

I nearly always macerate them.

I do. Dh doesn't. It brings out the flavour as well as the juice which is lovely to pour on a cake.

You don’t use sugar in a tomato sauce to correct the flavour? I’m 42 and do that!
on strawberries it depends how I feel. Might have sugar and cream, might have lemon curd and Greek yoghurt

Absolutely not. My parents did, but things like berries were just special treats for grown ups, so I’ve never tasted them like that.

I add a tiny sprinkling of sugar to sliced strawberries in a bowl with blueberries and raspberries. We have this as dessert on Sundays when British strawberries and raspberries are in season (British blueberries too when I can get them). I don't buy strawberries and raspberries out of season. My husband likes to have frozen yoghourt or ice cream with this. I prefer single cream. The berries are definitely better for not being fridge cold.

Some people are reacting to the mention of sugar here as if it's rat poison. I doubt if I put as much as half a teaspoon on a whole punnet. It draws the juice out and makes them tastier.

People often say this. It certainly wasn't true in our house. I am in my mid 60s and growing up we had lots and lots of jam, biscuits, cakes, sweets and puddings. We didn't have sugar in tea or coffee but that was because none of us liked it. I didn't like sugar on cereal either so didn't have that. The end result of all of that was that I grew up without much of a sweet tooth. The thing I craved was fruit because that was rationed. I assume it was much more expensive than biscuits etc. I often used my pocket money to buy myself a big orange I could eat all to myself. My Mum would cut an orange into quarters or an apple in half and share it out that way.

Not this time of year they’re so sweet! Strawberries in winter just aren’t worth eating in my opinion.

This was a habit of a generation for whom added calories / energy was a good and necessary thing. We are no longer of those generations.

Another no sugar on the strawberries woman. However..... when feeling indulgent I put a few drops of sugar free vanilla syrup on them. OK that has sweetener but hey it's once every so often. So bloody lush though.

My dad used to add a drop of brandy and pepper to strawberries, sounds odd but it really bought out the taste.
it really is worth a try

I don't think they are sweeter now at all, I think that having them with sugar was just an unhealthy habit that people had in the past. My parents did it, but I stopped as a child after I had strawberries at my Aunt's house one summer and asked for sugar. She was a dentist and was aghast at the idea of adding sugar to them telling me they were delicious without, and of course she was right. I've never had sugar on them since.

As a child I used to lick the bottom of my strawberry and dip it in the sugar pot so the sugar would stick to it! Obviously didn’t realise how disgusting it was at the time 😂

My mother used do cover them in sugar and leave for a while before serving. I have since learned that it's called macerated. They were delicious and i have to admit they were much nicer than the strawberries I eat now without sugar!