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Hound Dog

Mar 29, 2010, 2:36 PM

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Berries

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"Berries" are extremely dangerous. Not so much raspberries as ground-grown berries such as strawberrries which, if eaten without having been disenfected can make you so sick you will wish yourself dead and just may achieve that state of being. We see morons selling "fresas" with unpasteurized cream along the carreteras in Guanajuato State and know that any buttbrain who buys that unwholesome product and consumes it is deserving of death. In our home state of Chiapas it is well-known folk wisdom that anyone who eats "fresas" without at least disenfecting them and, prefrerably, freezing them solidly before conuming them has a death wish.

In Chiapas it is accepted wisdom that strawberries can cause trichinosis among other diseases, unless those berries are disenfected and frozen solid and can cause a horrible and untimely death for the unwary. Naivete is the companion of disease.

(This post was edited by Rolly on Mar 29, 2010, 3:12 PM)

Anonimo

Mar 30, 2010, 4:06 AM

Post #2 of 11 (4677 views)

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Re: [Hound Dog] Berries

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In Chiapas it is accepted wisdom that strawberries can cause trichinosis among other diseases, unless those berries are disenfected and frozen solid and can cause a horrible and untimely death for the unwary.

Trichinosis? Any scientific back-up for that idea?

How does freezing kill off bad stuff? I thought they had to be either cooked or disinfected with Microdyn or such.
Just wondering.

Saludos,
Anonimo

joaquinx

Mar 30, 2010, 6:58 AM

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Re: [Anonimo] Berries

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I thought that trichinosis is transmitted via meat, primarily pork. Freezing will kill the worm.

If anyone has eaten untreated or poorly treated strawberries knows the pain of this infection. Microdyn is part of my cabinet and is used of all veggies that are not cooked. Microdyn is also an excellent treatment for fungus growth such as athletes foot.
_______
My desire to be well-informed is currently at odds with my desire to remain sane.

esperanza

Mar 30, 2010, 10:11 AM

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Re: [Hound Dog] Berries

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Trichinosis comes from eating raw or undercooked pork meat. It's not caused by eating non-disinfected strawberries. In this instance, I believe that the 'accepted wisdom' in Chiapas is incorrect.

I never soak any berry--not strawberries, not raspberries, not blackberries. I also do not soak mushrooms. I buy all of these items at my neighborhood tianguis, where they are gorgeous, filled with flavor, and inexpensive. None of these things have caused me or anyone else who eats at my table to have a food-borne illness.

Obviously YMMV; the above is not a recommendation, it's just how I prepare food.

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(This post was edited by esperanza on Mar 30, 2010, 11:19 AM)

Rolly

Mar 30, 2010, 10:57 AM

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Re: [esperanza] Berries

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I agree with Esperanza. Here is what I wrote on another related thread:

I'm not a washer of fruit. I have been eating strawberries for breakfast every day for many years. Unwashed. Never been sick from them. I buy them from Sam's and Soriana in packages and in bulk from street vendors (which I prefer because they are fresher). In my 10 years in México, I have been sick from something I ate only three times -- once from a restaurant and twice from cooked food that sat in my fridge too long.

YMMV so be careful.

Rolly Pirate

yucatandreamer

Mar 30, 2010, 11:08 AM

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Re: [Rolly] Berries

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I washed and disinfected berries in Chiapas and contracted a very painful parasite called cyclosporiasis. Since the spores of this parasite are encapsulated and lodge in the crevices of raspberries, they are not affected by the microdyne. This parasite is carried in animal feces which runs off of the hills into the water used on the plants. I have no idea if freezing would kill off the parasite.

The berries were bought at the main mercado in San Cristobal de las Casas and were wonderful. The consequences were painful but once diagnosed were cleared up with a course of antibiotics.

bournemouth

Mar 30, 2010, 12:01 PM

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Re: [yucatandreamer] Berries

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Berries in the Chapala/Jocotepec area are grown for export and therefore to US standards. Drip irrigation, plastic between the strawberry plants and the ground etc. so I have no great fears about eating them with no more than a purified water rinse. So far, after several years, we have had no problems.

Vichil

Mar 30, 2010, 6:46 PM

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Re: [yucatandreamer] Berries

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Thank you for the information, I always felt safer with raspberries as they are usually grown off the ground but down here everything is possible.

Esperanza for your info two people who lived on a macadenia ranch near Ocosingo got very sick and one of them died from trichinosis infected strawberries. These people did not eat pork so pork was ruled out. The two went back to Chicago to see doctors who were not able to diagnose their problems for two years. They came back to Mexico City to see a specialist and where immediately diagnosed with trichinosis. One of the people died and the other is partially paralysed: tell them you can only get trichinosis from strawberries.
Our doctor down here also warned us against berries and told us to cook them . Trichinosis can be killed by freezing but bacterias have to be killed with iodine. Just repeating what two separate doctors told us. You may know better but I will listen to my doctor.

The berries in San Cristobal come from local farmers´markets and are not grown for export so it is best when down here to be prudent.

yucatandreamer

Mar 30, 2010, 10:03 PM

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Re: [Vichil] Berries

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My daughter and both my husband and myself became ill shortly after we returned home from San Cristobal, she to Toronto and we to Merida. She went to her doctor and was diagnosed in Canada. (My husband and myself kept hoping it would pass and ignored it until we compared notes with my daughter.) She got a phone call from Health Canada as they were very concerned. Cyclosporiasis is very rare in Canada. The first time it showed up was a wedding where the bride wanted raspberries out of season. They were imported from Guatemala and subsequently made all the guests ill. I imagine they were being raised for export in Guatemala.

My point is it is possible to become ill from export raised berries. I really think it is a crap shoot and prefer not to worry too much about what I eat. I did also eat strawberries in Chiapas and probably won't eat them or the raspberries again without cooking or perhaps freezing them first. I can certainly enjoy a good cobbler without feeling deprived.

Nancy Sanders

Mar 31, 2010, 8:46 PM

Post #10 of 11 (4525 views)

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Re: [bournemouth] Berries

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I think the strawberries in Patzcuaro are OK. I soak them in Microdyn and haven't had a problem. I am not a rasp- nor blackberry fan, but I love the strawberries. Con cualquier cosa!

bournemouth

Apr 1, 2010, 8:09 AM

Post #11 of 11 (4497 views)

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Re: [yucatandreamer] Berries

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I obviously wasn't clear on the export part of the berries - they are grown in this area for export to the US, packed straight into Driscoll clamshells in the field, put into the cases and flown out or driven out that night. We get the leftovers and those that are ready to eat right now - yum.

I do remember back a few winters ago that there was a problem in the US with Guatamalan raspberries - so, not all berries grown for export are grown to USDA standards.