Farmers' markets serve up a spring banquet of local fruits, but act fast or you'll miss them
Of all the signs that herald the arrival of spring in Kyiv, perhaps the most rewarding is the steady procession of local-grown produce through the city’s markets.
In late May, Kyiv’s farmers’ markets are transformed into veritable celebrations of spring succulence, the various forms of berries, cherries, plums and apricots colliding in a dizzying kaleidoscope of color.
While the phenomenon is perhaps best enjoyed by just showing up at the market, purchasing a cup of your favorite berries, and munching away to your heart’s content, the inundation of spring fruit also provides a great opportunity to make fruit-based delicacies such as cobbler and strudel.
But you have to act fast; most of the fruits are temporal. Most berries only last about a month in the markets. If you miss them, it’s another 11 months or so until they come around again.
The key is in the timing. Ten years ago, when there were no supermarkets and nothing was exported to the Soviet Union, everybody in Kyiv knew exactly when each fruit came to market. Today it is not quite as clear, as imports have joined the mix, although it is easy to distinguish between local-grown fruits and imports. Local fruits seldom cost more than a couple hryvna a kilo. Imported fruits – especially rarer fruits such as raspberries and melons – tend to cost more than Hr 20.
Strawberries mark the beginning of the local spring fruit season. Once you have had your fill of strawberries, be on the lookout for cherries, raspberries, gooseberries, and red and black currants. In mid-summer, apricots, peaches, apples, plums and pears appear on the scene. A second, less abundant round of berries closes out the fruit season at the end of summer.
Each region of Ukraine has its specialties. Being the country’s number-one fruit supplier, Crimea is the most notable. The peninsula’s hot sun makes for extra-sweet fruits and berries. Even the onions in Crimea are sweet – the Crimean red onion is so sweet it is almost considered a fruit. Crimean peaches, apricots and grapes are also the first to appear in markets come spring.
But Crimea is not the only fruitful region. The town of Melitopol in southern Ukraine is famous for cherries, Kherson for watermelons, the Carpathian mountains for wild blackberries and blueberries. Poltava and Sumy oblasts are known for apples.
Unfortunately, the northwestern Ukrainian region of Polissya, once home to the best wild strawberry and blueberry fields, was contaminated by radiation related to the 1986 Chernobyl accident.
When buying fruit, keep in mind that the best fruits tend to be pesticide-free. Don’t be deceived by massive apples or bruise-free peaches; the bigger and better they look, chances are, the more chemicals it took to grow them. By contrast, while a pockmarked apple may look less appealing, if it was good enough for the worms, it is good enough for you.
It is better to buy fruit from Ukrainian-speaking grannies in peasant clothes than from urban-looking young traders. Grannies usually don’t have money for pesticides and other chemicals and won’t lie about where their fruits come from.
Of course, there’s a trade off: Homegrown, pesticide-free fruits usually don’t last as long as their robust-looking counterparts. That’s just one more reason why you need to know when the fruits will be in season.
Strawberry fields
In Kyiv, May marks the start of strawberry fever. Victoria berries, which hail from Crimea and other southern areas of Ukraine, are the first to appear, in early May.
Although small, Victoria strawberries are sweet and high-yielding and are great for making jam or compote. But most people simply eat them fresh, since the first strawberries of the year are too precious to store.
One kilo of Victoria at Besarabska market costs Hr 25-35 in the beginning of May. Later in the season, the price should drop to Hr 3. June brings especially delicious strawberry varieties, such as Muto, which can weigh up to two ounces per berry.
Raspberry ramblings
Raspberries start to ripen in the first half of June. Marlboro raspberries are among the most popular. They are most delicious eaten fresh, but they are also suitable for making jams and pies.
Another sort – Taxes – are a cross between raspberries and blackberries. Taxes are perfect for making wine or juice. White raspberries are famous for being aromatic and sour-sweet.
Gooseberries come to town in the beginning of July. English Yellow, one of the best sorts, is quite sweet and high yielding.
Cherry Jubilee
From the end of May through the first 10 days of June, you can sample one of the most delicious types of cherry: Melitopolska. These yellow cherries from the southern Ukrainian towns of Melitopol and Zaporizhya are sold tied to small cherry-tree branches. Yellow cherries are just as good in compote as they are eaten fresh.
Red and black cherries are better suited for jam or as pie filling. The best way to preserve cherries is by mixing them with sugar. The mix will last for about three weeks and makes a ready filling for varenyky and other pastries.
Sour and summer cherries come to market at the same time as their yellow kin. As the name implies, these cherries taste extremely sour but have lots of vitamins. When mixed with sugar, they can last for more than a month. Sour cherries are also used to make wine, liqueurs and, of course, pie.
Cut to the core
July is a good time for scones because it is when black, red and white currants come to town. In Ukraine red and white currants are usually used for compote, while black currants are used for jams and liqueurs. For some reason few people eat currents fresh, although they are extremely rich in vitamins.
The first 10 days of July bring apricots and peaches. One of the best kinds of apricots is Ambrosia. Mayflower and Amsden apricots appear quite early; they have green pulp and white-reddish skin. Yet the most delicious apricots, with tender orange pulp, ripen in August and come from the Caucasus.
July also means apple pie and pear compote. Bily Nalyv and Papirovka apples appear in July, as do the popular Bere pears, which have a dozen different varieties. Apples and pears are often dried for the winter. The fruits can be dried by hanging them on a string in a sunny spot or in the oven. Pears may also be used in compote and pickled apples are an easy-to-make traditional Eastern Slavic appetizer.
Most Ukrainian plums ripen late – in August – and are used for making prunes and jams. Vengerka is one of the best varieties.
Although summer is a rich time for fruits, it is matched in abundance by the autumn months, when the melons and fall apples come into season. So if you don’t get your fill during the warm months, don’t worry – the fall months won’t let you down.
Recipes
Red strawberry jam
Wash, dry well and stem one quart of strawberries. Place in a deep cooking pot. Cut into a few berries to release some juice. Cover the berries with four cups of sugar, then stir over low heat until the mixture has liquefied. Increase heat to medium, stop stirring and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes without stirring. Let cool and store in sterile jars.
Cherry Jubilee Sauce
Heat well 1 cup preserved cherries and add 1/4 cup warm brandy. Ignite the brandy. When the flame has died down, add 2 tablespoons of kirsch. Serve hot with ice cream.
Sour Cream Raspberry Pie
Prepare a baked pie shell. Mix: 3 eggs, 3/4 cups of sugar, 3/4 cups of cultured sour cream, 2 cups of fresh raspberries. Bake for an hour.
Red and black currant or gooseberry canned compote
Wash an ample supply of currants or gooseberries and heat them at 85 C for 3-5 minutes. Cool and pour into cans two-thirds full. Top cans off with boiling water or sweet syrup. Close cans and place them into boiling water for 10 minutes to sterilize.
Peach Preserve
Skin and pit several peaches (To easily remove skins, dip peaches briefly into boiling water). Set aside peaches. blend together 3/4 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons water and 1.5 teaspoons lemon juice per 1 cup of peach pulp. Boil syrup for 5 minutes. Separately simmer peach pulp until transparent. Place 1 cup of pulp into every jar. Pour syrup over fruit and add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to every jar.
Pickled Apples
Cover bottom of wooden barrel with black currants and cherry leaves. Place apples in barrel and cover with more cherry leaves so that barrel is full. Fill barrel with brine, place wooden lid on barrel and let sit for about a month. To make brine, combine 400 grams of sugar and 3 tablespoons of salt per every 10 liters of water. Boil and cool.
Plum Jelly
Fill a saucepan with plums. Add water until you can see the water through the top layer of plums. Boil plums until soft and strain through a mesh jelly bag. Jar juice and add 1 cup of sugar to every 3/4 of juice.
