Interesting Facts about Strawberries

In actuality strawberry is not a fruit but only an enlarged receptacle of the flower of the plant in which strawberries grow. The land in almost all parts of the USA, are adaptable for cultivating strawberries. Strawberry is common in almost all provinces of Canada as well.

 

When it comes to the production of strawberries, California takes the first place by satisfying almost eighty percent of the strawberry requirements of the nation. California provides year round supply of strawberries by way of developing new methods of cultivation and by introducing new breeds of strawberries.

 

More than 20,000 acres of land in California is utilized for the purpose of cultivating strawberries. As per the statistics, near to 700 farmers in California are engaged in cultivating strawberries in their lands on a large scale basis. Export of strawberry from California normally begins in the southern parts of the state in the month of January and moves to the northern parts of the state when spring time begins with warming of the sun. April and May are known as the peak months of supply in a year. During these months weekly volume of strawberries exported from the state reaches to five million trays or more than nine million pounds a day.

 

In the 13th century, strawberry was known more for its medicinal value than as a delicious fruit to be consumed. Strawberries were widely cultivated in ancient Rome to be used in various medicines prepared by them to treat diseases like skin discoloration and digestive disorders. Belgium even maintains an exclusive strawberry museum to enlighten people more about the use and medicinal value of this fruit that belongs to the rose family.

 

Attempts to produce new hybrid varieties of strawberry were started in the world as early as in 1700. The experiments made by the French scientists to create a new breed of strawberry by crossing the strawberries brought from North America with the varieties from Chile became a success in 1700s. It is a scientifically proven fact that strawberry has more nutritional value than many other fruits that we consume. It contains 20% RDA of folic acid in a single serving. This water-dissolvable vitamin that is found in large amounts in strawberries is known for its ability to reduce birth defects involving various nerves and brain disorders.

 

Strawberries are considered as one of the most delicious and nutritional fruit now available in the market. FDA regulations declare it as sodium-free, fat-free fruit that can be used by any one without worrying about the increase of calories or cholesterol. They are both low in calories and free from cholesterol. The scientific studies show that one serving of eight medium sized strawberries is capable of providing the body 140% of the U.S recommended daily allowance of vitamin C required for human body. This amount of vitamin C contained in one serving of eight strawberries is more than the vitamin C in an orange, a fruit known for its high level of vitamin C contents.

 

Since strawberry contains no fat grams in it, it can be used by any one without fearing about the complications of consuming fat rich food items. It provides 20% of the daily value for folic acid a human body requires.