I’m sorry for not answering you earlier. I just figured they’d slap a big “DISQUALIFIED” on me if I
mentioned the names of strawberries I’d be using in my recipe. Looks like everybody is openly discussing the subject though. So, I hope I can help you. These taste like strawbs to me…
#1 OoO Strawb Jam - perfect realistic strawb & butter to use in a bakery
#2 & #3 CAP Sweet Strawb plus TFA Strawb (Ripe) - used together in whatever %'s work for you
#4 JF Ult Sweet Strawb - I hated the original Ult Strawb, but this one is fantastic & realistic
Hope this helps! 
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Its all good. Thanks for sharing though. I have all of those. Unfortunatly cant taste the strawberry in any of them.i can tell differences in them just not the actual strawberry part.like
Ooo strawberry jam. I get a darker red jammyness dirt with butter
Ultimate strawberry i get a slightly more pinkness dirt taste
Sweet strawberry (which used to be one of my fav flavors i get now just a weird subtle red dirt taste
Strawberry ripe i get a more pinkish floral dirt
Its like i get every note in it around the actual strawberry part but where the strawberry part is supposed to be is just like a weird dr pepperish dirt taste.its crazy that i know whats supposed to be in that spot from past experience with those flavors but it just wont show up. Like with sweet strawberry i use to get in that spot a sweet deep red candied sticky strawberry
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Not the Ult Strawb…but the newer one, Ult Sweet Strawb.
I didn’t like the Ult Strawb either, it was dirty, harsh and I couldn’t find the strawb at all in that one.
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Yup the new one im talking about. I just got it recently
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Yes yes and yes…I didnt hate the Ultimate Strawberry but didnt get the hype. The Sweet SB though soooo good
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Interesting read why it is so difficult to make a perfect strawberry flavor / taste.
But how do scientists know which molecules are responsible for taste and smell? More than 350 molecules have been identified in the vapour from strawberries – and around 20 to 30 of those are important to their flavour.
Unlike raspberries, there is no single molecule with a “strawberry smell”. So what we smell is a blend – these molecules together give the smell sensation we know as “strawberry”.
Chemists made up a model strawberry juice containing what they thought were the most important odorants, at the same concentration found in the original juice extract. Sensory testers agreed that this model closely matched the real extract.
So chemists, make us this strawberry juice for once!
.
Btw crew, this would be interesting - you could add as a side reward (instead of third place for example) to the most natural tasting strawberry mix (used in this recipe or separately; as pure accurate SB)
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Interesting article.
As for the prize for most natural strawberry i think the problem there is a lot of recipes are not gonna be trying to make a natural strawberry shortcake. Theres many kinds of shortcake from like lil debbie pastries to pop tart like to strawberry shortcake ice cream bars or even strawberry shortcake candy.
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yeah, but this wasn’t meant to be a requirement; so only those who make it more ‘natural’ tasting would compete in this one side competition. (was meant just as a cookie here since i assume many people would be interested in this - finding the best natural tasting SB mix with our current flavors).
(or at least when the crew will review all these recipes, pls mention if some SB in a recipe is very accurate natural tasting SB)
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I’ve had great SB Shortcakes that didn’t even try to replicate all natural SB’s. It depends on which way your tastes (or the judges) lean.
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Why @fidalgo_vapes you wouldn’t be suggesting than I attempt a full VTA Strawberry Shortcake would you, because well you never know.
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I find that I can go into my garden and pick 10 strawberries and get 10 distinct different flavors. The flavors changed with ripening. Most strawberry flavorings are freezing in time. Now add sugars and a little lemon to make a au jus to the strawberry and the tastes are limitless. Flavor being subjective I would have to believe there’s no such thing as a best natural tasting strawberry.
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As long as the flavors are available lol
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Yes , yes and yes…And a lot of Strawberry just taste like ligtly sweetens water…Sometimes i just get nothing from a real SB , especially when bought at grocery store out of season
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I agree to some point since we all taste differently, but still with 100+ different SBs on the market there might be some mixes of these that would pronounce that ‘natural’ aspect more than others. I’m not saying that would necessarily be the best SBs flavor since i like some artificial too, but still strictly ‘natural’ aspect which is really hard to get, contrary to many fruit flavors (and obviously even manufacturers haven’t found it yet; but i’m sure that mixing several of these flavors we have would bring us closer to that). Personally i had some great SB mixes, but none was really something that i would define as ‘natural’ SB taste. Coming just a bit closer to that would be a bomb.
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Yea unless you can find them ripe at the suoermarket the frozen strawberries will taste the best because they are always frozen at the perfect ripeness
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Well that’s the best in RL with fresh quality ingredients. Don’t need much, just the best. I’m a SB Shortcake snob 
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That’s a great idea a sponge cake with a strawberry cream. Topped with a whipped frosting. I wonder if anyone has ever attempted a strawberry tiramisu. Strawberry actually works great with coffee.
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Don’t forget. Grocery stores buy bulk. Even in season berries are picked before their time to protect against spoilage. Larger groceries may even gas their fruits to speed up ripening.
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Shit. I just nailed it on my first try. Now what do i do for the rest of the month.
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