Wednesday Medley

Terri  always comes up with interesting questions.  This week she focused on National Strawberry Day:

NATIONAL STRAWBERRY DAY

We continue with February’s heart-shaped and red theme by observing National Strawberry Day on February 27. These juicy, sweet berries can brighten up any dish and are delicious all on their own.

There are a few different stories behind the origin of the name. The more widely accepted version is that the berries would drop off the leaves and become “strewn” about the plant. Overtime “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 the 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 neighborhoods.

Not only are they delicious, but they are also fragrant. One of the more aromatic fruits, they belong to the rose family.

Strawberries are grown in nearly every corner of the Earth (if the Earth had corners) except for her most frozen southern and northern reaches. Along with all these possible locations, there are over 600 varieties of strawberries as well.

An excellent source of Vitamin C, strawberries are also a good source of folic acid, potassium and fiber. At 55 calories and zero fat in 1 cup, these sweet things hit the spot when a snack time is calling!

HOW TO OBSERVE

While the best season for strawberries is from late April to August, now might be a good time to scout out strawberry festivals and pick-your-own farms or plan to plant your own strawberry patch. Imagine sitting in your very own patch eating sun-warmed, sweet berries you picked or even grew yourself under clear blue skies.

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 mold 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 into a freezer bag. Use for smoothies, ice cream or cake toppings.

You may want to have a fresh bowl of strawberries now, or maybe give one of the following recipes a try:

Strawberry Pretzel SaladStrawberry Spinach SaladEasy Strawberry Banana SmoothiesEasy Fresh Strawberry PieStrawberries and Cream Bread Pudding

Use #NationalStrawberryDay to post on social media.

HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to identify the creator of National Strawberry Day.  It is listed as an American Food Holiday.

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1.  Given all that information on this 🍓National Strawberry Day🍓, do you have a favorite recipe for strawberries?  Would you share it with us?

I'm not much of a cook, so sorry, no recipe.

But Drew and I went out to IHOP for breakfast the other day.  I ordered the Rooty Tooty Fresh 'N Fruity pancakes with glazed strawberries, and he had the strawberry banana pancakes. 

And I know where to find the best strawberry shortcake on Long Island, I have to buy one every year for my daughter's birthday.

Does that count?

 

2.  Some people think the smaller, northern varieties are sweeter than the larger berries that grow in the south and in California.  What are your thoughts on that?

I never really noticed much of a difference.  If the berries are ripe and sweet, I am happy. Size does not matter.

3.  There is a Strawberry Festival right here in Plant City, Florida (next town over from Lakeland) and it is a huge event that lasts 11 days with headliner acts each day.  Have you ever been to a Strawberry Festival?

Nope, they aren't a big thing here on Long Island. Though I do look forward to locally grown berries in the summertime.

4.  Strawberries are grown in every US state.  Have you ever grown them in your garden?

I'm not much of a gardener either, never tried to grow strawberries.

5.  Strawberry is the only fruit that has seeds on the outside, and technically it is not a berry but rather a fruit, and would you be surprised to learn that strawberries belong to the rose family?  Do you have any strawberry trivia to share with us?

The combination of  strawberries and cream was invented by Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York and Lord Chancellor of England in the court of Henry VIII. I knew Henry's court was big on feasting, but I only just recently discovered the strawberry connection.

6.  Tell us something random about your week!!

Yesterday was the anniversary of the first World Trade Center bombing.  On 2/26/1993, a terrorist set off a bomb in the basement of the North Tower.  He hoped the North Tower would collapse into the South Tower.  Fortunately the plan failed, though 6 people died and over 1,000 were injured, mostly from smoke inhalation. 

After the horrors of 9/11, people tend to forget that there was an earlier attack.  But I don't forget.  In 1993 I was working in Jersey City, New Jersey, directly across the Hudson from the World Trade Center, and our windows had an excellent view of the NYC skyline.  The bomb went off at lunchtime, and we spent most of the afternoon looking out the window and watching the evacuation.

Hard to believe it was 26 years ago.