Strawberries

                                                                    All photos courtesy of Getty Images

They are colorful, juicy, sweet and one of the most iconic fruits of summer…strawberries.  Over the next couple of weeks we will share with you some info and recipes for this delicious gift of summer.  Today we will start with some fun facts about the strawberry 🙂  Here is a list from Country Living of 10 things about strawberries you may have never heard:

1. Strawberries are the first fruit to ripen each spring.

2. There are 200 seeds on an average strawberry.

3. Despite their name, strawberries aren’t technically berries—they’re accessory fruits.

4. The seeds can grow into new strawberry plants, but most instead reproduce through runners.

5. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans eat an average of 3.4 pounds of fresh strawberries every year.

6. California produces 75 percent of strawberry crops in the U.S.

7. Stop and smell the strawberries! Considered members of the rose family, they give off a sweet fragrance as they grow on bushes.

8. Considered a perennial, strawberry plants will grow back year after year.

9. The lesser-known tabletop method of cultivation, where strawberries hang from the ceiling in containers, is gaining in popularity for its practicality. Keeping strawberries off the ground keeps them away from pests and soil-borne diseases.

10. Ancient Romans believed strawberries had medicinal powers.  They were used to treat everything from depression to fever and sore throats.

Tomorrow will share a recipe for Summer Salad With Roasted Strawberries.  You won’t want to miss this one!  Life…and right now the strawberry…is abundant for sure!