This is local to me in central NJ. I've had their chocolate covered strawberries and they are excellent but the shipping rates seem quite high

https://www.dbchocolate.com/

Are you wanting the fancy ones and having them shipped to someone? You know you can do them yourself and they are sooo easy.

There was a company called Shari’s Berries that was pretty good. I only had them once and it’s been a while.

Edible Arrangements does them, but here HEB does also so we don't have to look very hard.

Too easy not to make your own.

I've received a few gifts of Shari's Berries - the last one was about 3 years ago. No complaints about the product but I finally convinced my son that a dozen chocolate-covered strawberries were just too many since DH doesn't eat them.

But I do have a funny story about them. One year I came home from food shopping to find a cat sitting on top of my recycling bucket inside the garage. We had received an alert from our community association that a neighbor was looking for their cat. I contacted her and she was thrilled and wanted to give me a cash reward. I thanked her and suggested she donate it instead to a shelter. Well 2 days later I discovered an insulated styrofoam container on my front porch - inside there were 2 boxes of Shari's Berries with a note thanking me for rescuing the cat.

The delivery person didn't ring the doorbell and I had no idea she was sending them. I could have easily missed them since I usually leave through the garage. Of course I thanked her but there were so many berries that I had to give some to my neighbors and then drove to my friends homes to offer some to them.

I've only ever made my own.

Anyone having trouble sourcing strawberries? I asked the hostess for a T-day brunch I'm going to if I could bring anything. She said if I could find fresh strawberries, she would be thrilled. I thought "no problem." My food coop and TJ's always has fresh...not sure where she shops or if they just were sold out when she was at the store. So, last night I shopped the co-op - no strawberries and no space for them on the shelf. I thought I'd check TJ's this morning (tho I LOATHE shopping this close to a holiday). Just on a whim, about 15 minutes before they closed, I popped into TJ's and looked...no strawberries and no place on the shelf for them that I could see. I asked an employee and she went in the back to ask about them. Told me they were having trouble getting them, but in the morning they were getting 6 cases only of containers of Organic Strawberries. They can't get any more before Thanksgiving.

I texted my friend and since I'm not usually a morning person (tho here I am awake today) to see if she could get there first thing this morning...she said she has a trial at 9 but thought she could stop there on the way to work. I'm waiting to see if she got there or if I have to run over there to try to get some (ugh).

Anyway, a head's up that they might be tough to find this year. Lack of pickers, maybe or crop problems in CA?

eta I decided to google it and found this: Berries (Strawberries) – ALERT! After four days of rain, with some areas receiving up to six inches, California will need several days to dry out and recover. Most shippers expect this process to take 7–10 days. Santa Maria is likely finished for the season following this weather event. Markets are currently in a
demand-exceeds-supply situation. Central Mexico is increasing production, but not quickly enough to offset the present shortage. Florida is just beginning to see very small pallet volumes, with more meaningful quantities expected after the Thanksgiving holiday. Baja is projected to begin production in about two weeks

Link to source

This is an interesting source to view what is going on currently in the fresh food availability scene.

DH has ordered Edible Arrangements for me. Our supermarkets will have them around the holidays (Christmas, Easter, Valentine's, Mother's Day), too. Publix tends to have them on a regular basis, so I buy them there a lot.

As per my post above, my friend went to TJ's this morning, no strawberries. They said they came in but were such poor quality they won't sell them. I hope those of you ordering them can find out if they have decent strawberries right now.

Oly, my DIL had to go to at least 3 different stores and possibly more than one location of a couple to find one container of strawberries. She was going to get one for me too but I told her I would pass. I didn't need them for our plans and could get them later.

@lascatx I often reflect on how spoiled we are to expect so many foods to be available, out of season, out of area, out of country, etc. I don't remember exactly, but it seems to me in winter our choices were pretty limited when I was young (long ago, lol). Maybe apples, oranges? I kind of recall bananas being scarce for long periods of the year, so they were a treat when we could get them.

Agree. I don't remember bananas as seasonal,- maybe I just didn't miss them. By the time I was an adult and pregnant, more fruit was available in our off season, but the prices were a a lot higher. I splurged. No odd cravings, but I splurged on fruit.

My supermarket sent an email yesterday - it's not only strawberries.

Hello ShopRite Customer,

You might have noticed that some favorites in the produce aisle have been a little hard to find. Severe weather in California and Arizona (where a lot of these crops are grown) may have affected the quality and supply of some of your preferred produce.

What’s affected?

• Brussels sprouts

• Cauliflower

• Strawberries

• Select bagged lettuce