Sensational Strawberries

By Sara Thompson

Image credit Rich Caulton, Wikimedia Commons

Special to the Enterprise

Strawberries are a popular fruit due to their versatile use. They can be eaten raw, dried, candied, made into jams and jellies, put into baked goods, ice cream, and more! Cultivation of strawberries first started in Europe during the 14th century, with people transplanting wild strawberries into their gardens. Popularity of growing the plant and hybridization would not become popular until the late 1700s.

Red strawberries are the most recognizable, but they can also come in other colors including golden, pink, yellow, and white. Although it has the word ‘berry’ in its name, a strawberry is not actually a true berry. Berries are single fruits grown from a single flower. Strawberries are small groups of fruits growing from a single flower. The “seeds” on the outside of a strawberry are all tiny, individual fruits called achenes and are nestled in a fleshy receptacle. A strawberry can have up to 200 achenes on their outside.

Strawberries contain several vitamins and minerals. They have some unsaturated fats from their achenes, some protein, fiber, and manganese. What strawberries are best at providing is vitamin C. Between six to eight strawberries can have the same amount of vitamin C as an orange depending on their size. In ancient Rome, strawberries were thought to help alleviate several ailments including inflammation and fevers, likely due to their vitamin C contents, which also help with similar ailments.

They are one of the first fruits to ripen in the spring, some as early as March in Europe. Their harvest season is also fairly short as well, some lasting only a few weeks. They are one of the few fruits that do not continue to ripen once picked. Even though their ripening stops, they still do not last very long after picking so many choose to freeze this fruit or use it right away. Now go out and enjoy this wonderful fruit!

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