All About Strawberries!
Make sure to visit Santa Cruz Farm & Greenhouses at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market, before the strawberries are gone!
Strawberries are widely appreciated for their characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture, and sweetness. They are low in calories and high in vitamins C, B6, K, fiber, folic acid, potassium and amino acids. Strawberries contain high levels of nitrate, which has been shown to increase blood and oxygen flow to the muscles.
The strawberry fruit was mentioned in ancient Roman literature in reference to its medicinal use. The French began taking the strawberry from the forest to their gardens for harvest in the 14th century. The garden strawberry was first bred in Brittany, France, in the 1750s. The strawberry is not, from a botanical point of view, a berry. Technically, it is an aggregate accessory fruit, meaning that the fleshy part is derived not from the plant’s ovaries but from the receptacle that holds the ovaries. Each apparent “seed” on the outside of the fruit is actually one of the ovaries of the flower, with a seed inside it. Few studies have directly examined the effects of eating strawberries on human health. However, limited research indicates that strawberry consumption may be associated with a decreased cardiovascular disease risk and that phytochemicals present in strawberries have anti-inflammatory or anticancer properties in laboratory studies. (via Wikipedia)
Storage
Store strawberries in the fridge as soon as possible after purchase. Keep the punnet upright and handle carefully to avoid bruising. It is important that strawberries are brought to room temperature before eating; this brings out the fullest flavors in the fruit. However, if you plan to keep them in the fridge for a few days, wait until before you eat them to clean them. Rinsing them speeds up spoiling.The best way to rinse is to carefully place them into a colander, rinse under cold water, and gently pat dry with kitchen towel.
Random Facts
- Strawberries are the only fruit that wear their “seeds” on the outside. The average berry is adorned with some 200 of them.
- Strawberries are members of the rose family.
- The strawberry plant is a perennial.
- Americans eat an average of three-and-a-half pounds of fresh strawberries each per year. It’s closer to five pounds if you count frozen ones. In a study, more than half of nine-year-olds picked strawberries as their favorite fruit. They’re nature’s candy!
- Belgium has a museum dedicated to strawberries. In the gift shop at Le Musée de la Fraise (The Strawberry Museum), you can buy everything from strawberry jam to strawberry beer.
- Native Americans ate strawberries long before European settlers arrived.
Via FoodRepublic
