Strawberries have a history that goes back over 2,200 years. Strawberries grew wild in Italy as long ago as 234 B.C. and were discovered in Virginia by the first Europeans when their ships landed there in 1588.

Early settlers in Massachusetts enjoyed eating strawberries grown by local American Indians who cultivated strawberries as early as 1643. After 1860 strawberries were widely grown in many parts of the country.

Strawberries have been grown in California since the early 1900’s. Today, over 25,000 acres of strawberries are planted each year in California and the state produces over 80% of the strawberries grown in the United States. On average, each acre produces about 21 tons of strawberries and the state produces one billion pounds of strawberries a year!

How Strawberries Got Their Name

When looking for strawberry nutrition facts, you'll find that nothing packs a bigger nutritional punch than this little berry.

Prized in ancient Rome for their medicinal uses, strawberries are recognized as having more vitamin C than some citrus fruits. They are also high in fiber, folate, potassium and antioxidants, making them a natural means of reducing the chances of heart disease, high blood pressure and certain cancers.

With only 55 calories per one cup serving, and containing 140% of the recommended daily dose of vitamin C for children, it makes sense to add this fruit to your daily menus.

The fact that strawberries are available year round, offers you the perfect opportunity to add great taste and nutrition to your everyday meals. Research shows that 94% of Americans currently consume strawberries and it is strongly suggested that eating them more often will add to a person's overall long term health.

The most common American variety is the result of crossbreeding the wild Virginia strawberry and a Chilean variety. This has produced a hardy berry that is able to withstand both shipping and storage. More flavorful, is the European Alpine strawberry -- tiny exquisitely sweet wild strawberries of France known as fraises des bois. They are considered to be the "queen of strawberries." Strawberries vary in size, shape and color (some are off-white or yellowish). In general, the flavor of the smaller berries is better than the larger varieties since the latter are often watery. The strawberry probably got its name originally from the Anglo-Saxon word streawberige, which means “spreading berry.”

How to select: Choose brightly colored, plump berries that still have their green caps attached and which are uniform in size. Avoid soft, shriveled or moldy berries.

How to store: Do not wash strawberries until ready to use. Store (prefereably in a single layer on a paper towel) in a moistureproof contained in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Matches well with: almonds, apricots, balsamic vinegar, bananas, basil, brown sugar, caramel, Cassis, Champagne, connamon, coconut, Cognac, Cointreau, cream, cream cheese, creme fraiche, currant, figs, Grand Marnier, grapefruit, guavas, Kirsch, kiwi, lemon, lime, maple syrup, mascarpone, nuts, oranges, passion fruit, peaches, pepper, pineapple, port, raspberries, rhubarb, sambuca, sherry, sour cream, sugar, vanilla, violets, wine, yogurt.

There are over 20 named species of strawberry plants.

The Garden strawberry is the most common type of strawberry grown commercially.

The US strawberry industry is over $1.2 billion dollars annually, and strawberry festivals are very popular.

The United States is the top strawberry producing country in the world, followed by Spain.

Strawberries are "accessory" fruits.

The typical modern strawberry is a hybrid from both North and South America.

The strawberry was considered poisonous in Argentina until the mid-1800's.

Many Lepidopterans (butterflies, moths, and skinners) are known to feed on strawberry plants.

The word strawberry is derived from the Old English word "streawberige".

One cup of strawberries (144 grams) contains approximately 45 calories.

People often want to know the best way to keep strawberries fresh. From our studies, we have found the best method to be removing all of the moldy or damaged ones and placing the good strawberries in the refrigerator in layers separated by paper towels inside a plastic container or sealed bag. This works great for short term storage- up to 3 days. 

For anything longer than that, the strawberries will need to be frozen in a sealed plastic bag. Freezing fresh strawberries can keep them delicious for months.

Whatever storage method you use, do not wash the strawberries before storing them. Wait until you plan to eat them to rinse them off to ensure freshness.