
We continue with February’s heart-shaped and red theme by observing National Strawberry Day on February 27th. These juicy, sweet berries can brighten up any dish and are delicious all on their own.
- There are a few different stories behind the origin of the name. The more widely accepted version is that the berries would drop off the leaves and become “strewn” about the plant. Overtime “strewn-berries” became “strawberries”.
- There was a time (and some gardeners still do this today) when strawberry beds were mulched with straw, insulating the plants over the winter, keeping weeds at bay during the growing season and making them easier to harvest.
- Another sweet story tells of English children stringing the berries on grass straws and selling the “straw berries” in their neighborhoods.
- One of the more aromatic fruits, they belong to the rose family.
- There are approximately 103 different species and subspecies of strawberries.
- Belgium has a museum dedicated to the strawberry.
- The ancient Romans thought strawberries had medicinal powers to cure depression, kidney stones, and a sore throat.
- Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen in the spring.
- According to the USDA, Americans eat 3.4 lbs. of fresh strawberries a year.
- Americans also eat another 1.8 lbs. of frozen strawberries a year.
- One acre of land can grow about 50,000 pounds of strawberries.
- California produces nearly 80% of America’s strawberries.
- About 1 billion pounds of the berry is produced each year in California alone.
- 10 million baskets of strawberries are shipped daily during harvest time in California.
- If all the strawberries produced in California in one year were laid berry to berry, they would go around the world 15 times.
- 94% of households in the US consume strawberries.
- Florida is second in production with about 5,000 commercial acres.
- North Carolina is ranked third with about 1,600 acres.
- Every plant is hand-picked about every three days.
- Native Americans were eating strawberries way before Europeans landed in North America.
- The flavor is influenced by weather, variety, and ripeness when harvested.
- The fear of strawberries is called fragariaphobia.
- There are about 200 seeds on the outside of an average strawberry
- In Sweden, strawberries are a traditional dessert served on St John’s Day, also known as Midsummer’s Eve.
- In Greece, strawberries are usually sprinkled with sugar and then dipped in Metaxa, a famous brandy, and served as a dessert.
- Strawberries and cream is a popular dessert during the British summer, famously consumed at the Wimbledon tennis tournament.
- In Italy, strawberries have been used for various desserts and as a popular flavoring for gelato (gelato alla fragola)
- It is believed that Strawberry Shortcake was developed by the colonists by modifying an Indian recipe that created “strawberry bread” by mixing and then baking crushed strawberries with cornmeal.
- May 21-27 is Strawberry Week in Delaware and it is celebrated annually.
- London, Ohio, holds a strawberry festival every June.
- Lebanon, Oregon’s annual strawberry festival is home to the world’s largest strawberry shortcake.
- The first Polish fruit to be given protection under EU law is the Kashubian strawberry.
- Strawberries make the brain work better.
- Strawberries may aid in weight loss for the following reasons:
- They are anti-inflammatory, helping the body effectively produce the hormones that keep you lean and regulate body weight
- They increase the body’s production of adiponectin (hormone), which can stimulate your metabolism and suppresses your appetite
- They contain substances that control the rise of blood sugar that occurs as a result of eating a starchy meal
Sources
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