We just spent a week in California and on my list of things to do was to visit my favorite strawberry stand and get a flat of the best berries this side of the Rockies (I’m sure that may be arguable). If you have never had a strawberry freshly picked, you’ve never had a strawberry at it’s best. They are juicy, so sweet and a deep red the entire way through. I have written about strawberry season before, but here are a few facts you mightn’t have known about the lovely deep red fruit that just about everyone adores.
The strawberry is the most popular berry fruit in the world.
It is actually an accessory fruit, which means it is not the true fruit of the plant. The true fruits are actually the little specks often mistaken for seeds around the fleshy red part we love.
There are over 600 varieties of strawberry plants that differ in flavor size and texture.
The strawberry was considered poisonous in Argentina until the mid-1800′s.
One cup of strawberries (144 grams) contains approximately 45 calories and each berry is an excellent source of vitamin c, flavanoids, folate and potassium.
Strawberries’ unique phenol content makes them a heart-protective fruit, an anti-cancer fruit, and an anti-inflammatory fruit, all in one.
Strawberries have grown wild for millennia in temperate regions throughout the world and were a prized fruit by the Romans.
The United States, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Australia and New Zealand are among the largest commercial producers of strawberries.
When they are picked, strawberries do not ripen further, so look for those with a bright red color, not dull, and no green or white spots.
Store strawberries in their original container or spread them out on a plate covered with a paper towel, then cover with plastic wrap.
You can easily freeze strawberries by layering them on a sheet, freezing, and then combining into a heavy plastic bag where they will be good for up to a year. That is, if they last that long.
The typical modern strawberry is a hybrid from both North and South America. Here’s a little about its history:
“In 1714, a French engineer sent to Chile and Peru to monitor Spanish activities in these countries “discovered” a strawberry native to this region that was much larger than those grown in Europe. He brought many samples back to France, which were subsequently planted. These plants did not originally flourish well until a natural crossbreeding occurred between this species and a neighboring North American strawberry variety that was planted nearby in the field. The result was a hybrid strawberry that was large, juicy and sweet, and one that quickly grew in popularity in Europe.”
some good info on growing, picking, purchasing, preserving and eating strawberries.
And of course, more recipes that highlight this lovely little fruit:
rhubarb and strawberry lemonade
grilled strawberries with Pimm’s and vanilla ice cream
A friend from Calif brought me some strawberries she bought directly from the growers and they were fantastic! No sweetening required.