The Sweetness Trade-Off: Markets Shaped Today’s Strawberries

Store-bought strawberries often taste bland because breeding has prioritized size, color, and yield for marketability over flavor; appearance drives purchases more than taste, and most U.S. berries come from California and Florida. To find sweeter fruit, check for pesticide-free packaging, choose berries with strong aroma, and seek varieties grown outside the big growing regions (e.g., Rutgers’ D’Light or Omakase in New Jersey). Ripening largely ends after harvest, and some farming practices can alter sugar content.