Antt

That is hot. But I know for 7 or 8 months of the year its VERY COLD so I need to plan.

Any repsonse to the query re.: Coconuts? Are they available? Year round? Tasty?

Former Lancastrian

Anything is available all year round but its a case of how much are you prepared to pay. Some items may have to be brought in by speciality means but it is doable for a price.
Ottawa isnt very cold for 7 to 8 months maybe 5 to 6 which makes a difference or how you define cold. Minus 2 is not cold by Canadian standards whereas minus 30C is a bit chilly

dollface

No need for any coconuts, it would seem you're nuts enough for all
By the way, do trolls like fruit?, now there's something you don't have to ask everday

Antt

Well this all sounds quite positive - a good range of fruit, fairly widely available, subject to being - at certain times in the year - a little pricey. Rhubarb, especially (note to self: grow own and bottle).

The pother emotional issue for me is my cats (gingers, ages 6 an 11). On another thread it was suggestted to me that it would be cheaper/better to have them put down in the UK, then buy new ones ("polar") when in Canada. This plan makes me feel uncomfortbale - nthough the financial advantages are clearcut. Is this something that would be considered good taste by most Canadians?

dollface

Only when consumed

Aviator

Had you thought of cryogenics? (for the cats not the Rhubarb). Oh, and there are plenty of fruit cakes here too!

Jingsamichty

I note your declared reluctance to try new fruit once you come to Canada, but I recommend that you make an exception for the Saskatoon berry. It's a bit like a blueberry, but more Saskatoony.

Recommended, especially in pies.

Oink

You do. I was really worried that they didn't have egg slicers over here and as I eat a lot of hard boiled egg and tomato sandwiches it was a real concern. Thankfully I found you could get them at cooking supply shops. Mighty relieved I can tell you.

Antt

I don't eat eggs - so that's not a problem. Tomatoes are a bit love/hate for me - but NOT a staple.

Thanks for advice on new fruit but I'm pretty stuck in my ways dietarily speaking. Maybe in a couple of years.

Other suggestions welcome, especially re.: rhubarb availability and storage.

Sorry to hark on, these things must sound trivial to some.

leith

Go to the Byward Market (a farmers' market in Ottawa). Buy a large supply of rhubarb. Buy several dozen canning jars, lids, rings and a canning pot. Stew all your rhubarb and sweeten with maple sugar. I assume you know how to can fruit.
You might even be able to get rhubarb free if you look on Kijiji or Craigslist or even put an ad on these sites saying you'd like some. Rhubarb grows like weeds during the summer and a lot of people don't want to be bothered freezing or canning it and are quite happy to give some away. However, I think they are less likely to be so generous with their banana and coconut crops.

dbd33

I have a large bag of frozen rhubarb. Costco sized, though I don't recall seeing rhubarb at Costco. It is, I must say, a poor substitute for fresh. I don't think the molecular structure of rhubarb lends itself to freezing. I concur with the canning idea though would skip using maple sugar unless no other variety was available, that's possibly the case in Ottawa and certainly a concern for the OP.

ultrarunner

WOW.....don't hold back eh

Antt

So things are more positive than I had thought.

Rhubard is important to me, but there are a group of E-N-G-L-I-S-H fruits and foodstuffs that I like.

In general is cultivation of these things in a garden in the Ottawa area easy, or do the 7 - 8 months of extreme cold limit possibilitieis?

This may efect my housing choice.

Former Lancastrian

If you want to grow your own then either build a climate controlled greenhouse or start looking at BC, although I havent heard of many BC residents having success with growing banana or coconut trees.

Dorothy

Have you actually done any research on Ottawa? It's NOT extremely cold for 7-8 months of the year. It's cold from November to March. Cool in October and April and then warm to hot the rest of the year.

Maybe you should forget about rhubarb for now and look into Canada a little further before moving across the world to live there. Honestly, if being able to get "E-N-G-L-I-S-H" fruits and foodstuffs is going to be the deciding factor in your move you're going to be in for a huge culture shock. Rhubarb, or lack thereof, is probably about 187th on the scale of important things when emigrating to another country.

Oh, and exactly what are "E-N-G-L-I-S-H" fruits? From what I've read there are no fruits native to England.