Six things about strawberries you didn’t know yet
Delicious! Strawberries! Every year, as much as 60 million kilos of our beloved summer fruit are grown. Strawberries are sweet, fresh and packed with vitamin C. But did you already know these six things about strawberries?
1. A strawberry is not a fruit
Really! What is it, then? An accessory fruit. The little seeds that a strawberry carries on the outside are actually the fruits. The strawberry itself is a swollen flower receptacle. Although there are several accessory fruits, the strawberry is the only one that carries its seeds on the outside—an average strawberry often has as many as 200!
2. Strawberries and roses are related
Both strawberries and roses have a romantic touch. Unless you’re allergic to strawberries; the annoying rash you get from them is at least as unpleasant as a thorn prick… (We’ll tell you more about that allergy below.) So it actually isn’t all that strange that strawberries and roses really are related. Truly: they are botanically related—the strawberry plant belongs to the rose family and was used as an ornamental plant in the 14th century.
3. Strawberries make your teeth whiter
Throughout history, strawberries have been used cosmetically as nourishing face masks and as a natural stain remover for your teeth. Strawberries contain both citric acid and malic acid. These acids remove plaque. Does this mean you should now whiten your teeth with strawberry purée? Opinions are divided. It is and remains a natural product, and your teeth won’t actually become white. Just eat them and enjoy them!
4. The tip of the strawberry is the sweetest
Have you ever noticed that the first bite of a strawberry is the tastiest? It’s not all in your head! When a strawberry hangs on the plant, gravity pulls the sugars downward. And that makes the tip the tastiest part, too. Want to save the best for last? Eat a strawberry upside down. Want every bite to be equally delicious? Cut a strawberry in half lengthwise, so you get the tastiest part in every bite.
5. Strawberries keep your memory sharp
You’ve known for ages that fruit is good for you, of course, but did you know that strawberries are also great for your brain? Strawberries contain a substance called fisetin, which stimulates signaling pathways in your brain and thereby improves your long-term memory.
6. Strawberry allergy? Make something delicious out of it
The most unpleasant part for last… It goes without saying (hopefully) that you should wash your strawberries first. But try doing it with warm water instead of cold water. This softens the little hairs on the strawberries. And those same hairs are often the reason for an allergic reaction. (Although other people claim that, in the case of a strawberry allergy, the strawberry seeds are the culprit.) Another thing that may help: heat your strawberries.
Drunken strawberries and you won’t have any more trouble
Then you’ll have an excuse to eat breakfast with strawberry madeleines or a sandwich with homemade strawberry jam. Or even more fun: inject them with tequila! Drunken strawberries with tequila are easy to make. I can’t say for 100% certain that this will get rid of your irritation, but they’re definitely delicious.
And handy: with this tip from the farmer, you can keep your strawberries fresh for a super long time!
Read also:
- Insane: people pay almost twenty dollars for 1 strawberry
- Woof! How to make strawberry popsicles for your beloved dog
- With this trick, you can remove the tops from your strawberries super quickly
With thanks to: strawberry producer Good Natured Berries
