National Strawberry Day
Eat some sweet, red, juicy berries on #NationalStrawberryDay
Continuing with February’s heart-shaped and red theme, National Strawberry Day is observed annually on 27 February. These juicy, sweet berries can brighten up any dish and are delicious all on their own too.
There are a few different stories behind the origin of the fruit’s name. The more widely accepted version is that the berries would drop off the leaves and become strewn around the plant. Over time, the 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 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 neighbourhoods.
Strawberries are a little unusual as far as fruit goes as they wear their seeds on the outside. They are not only delicious, but fragrant as well – they belong to the rose family.
Strawberries are grown in nearly every corner of the Earth (if the Earth had corners!) except for the most frozen southern and northern reaches. Along with all these possible locations, there are over 600 varieties of strawberries as well.
Strawberries are a great source of vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and fibre. And, at only 55 calories and zero fat per cup, these sweet things really hit the spot when a snack is called for.
Some berry-picking tips:
– Pick fully ripe berries. Strawberries don’t continue to ripen if picked too early, like bananas or pears.
– Don’t overfill your container. Berries are tender and can bruise easily.
– Don’t wash the fruit until you are ready to eat. Strawberries are susceptible to mould and washing will speed up spoilage.
– The best time to pick strawberries is on cool, cloudy days, but if they will be eaten right away, any time is perfect!
– If you pick more than you can eat before they spoil, strawberries freeze very well. Pluck off the green caps and toss the berries into a freezer bag. Use for smoothies, ice cream or cake toppings.
To celebrate today, start scouting out strawberry festivals and pick-your-own-farms or plan to plant your own strawberry patch. Imagine sitting in your very own patch enjoy sun-warmed, sweet berries you picked – or even grew – yourself. You can also enjoy a bowl of fresh strawberries, or try making a strawberry pretzel salad, strawberry spinach salad, strawberry banana smoothie or a fresh strawberry pie.
Use #NationalStrawberryDay to post on social media.
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