21 Things You Should Know About Strawberries

Strawberries are a favorite of mine. The following strawberry facts might surprise you:

Strawberries belong to the rose family.

Yes, strawberries grow in very rich soil, soil that is sometimes referred to as mostly dung . . .which has been sterilized in order to make it COMPLETELY safe.

A cup of strawberries contains about 45 calories and is packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

Strawberries are a favorite of butterflies and moths.

The United States produces more strawberries than any other country in the world, and it is a $1.2 billion industry.

It takes two years to get a good strawberry crop started.

When buying strawberries, look for bright red fruits with colorful shoulders and bright green caps.

The size of the strawberry is not important to its flavor; it's ripeness that counts. A strawberry stops ripening when it's picked.

Never wash strawberries before you are ready to use them; it encourages mold.

To guard against mold and premature spoilage, make sure to retain the caps on your strawberries when you pick them.

Strawberries applied directly to the skin will help fade age spots and freckles. This is particularly true of the alpine strawberry, which in many places is considered a weed.

Spring or June Strawberry varieties produce the biggest crops.

Strawberries do best when the soil is cool. Mulching keeps their soil moist, cool, and also keeps the fruit off the ground.

One serving of strawberries (about eight) provides 100% of your daily requirement for vitamin C.

If you reduce the number of flowers on your strawberry plants, the remaining flowers will produce larger fruit.

Strawberries have hairy, saw-toothed leaves.

Originally cultivated in Europe in the 1700s, many countries have since adapted this sweet fruit to suit their unique environmental requirements.

"We may say of angling as Dr. Boteler (William Butler) said of strawberries: Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did." The Complete Angler Izaak Walton (1593–1683).

The strawberry has often been associated with love. It was believed to be a symbol of the goddess of love, Venus. With its bright red color and distinctive heart shape, it’s a natural for Valentine's Day gifts and meals, anniversaries, and other romantic occasions.

It has also been associated with the ideas of perfection, morality, and virtue. Stylized strawberries are a common symbol in stone carvings throughout Europe.

Strawberries are unique in that they are the only fruit in which the seeds appear on the outer skin.