NATIONAL PICK STRAWBERRIES DAY
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NATIONAL PICK STRAWBERRIES DAY
May 20 is National Pick Strawberries Day on the National Day Calendar to encourage us to pick some strawberries. Right about this time of year, they start coming into season.
#PickStrawberriesDay
There is something special about the taste of a sun-warmed strawberry picked straight off of the vine. Strawberries are best fresh, but they also make delicious desserts. Strawberry shortcakes or adding them to homemade yogurt and fresh jams come to mind. However, strawberries also have other good qualities.
Strawberry picking time is usually between late April and throughout the summer, depending on what part of the United States you live. When harvesting strawberries, you want to look for the bright red, firm, and plump ones.
5 Strawberry Facts
Strawberries are members of the rose family.
There are about 200 seeds in a single strawberry.
Strawberry plants have a crown at soil level, but their roots grow below the soil.
Strawberries are unique in that their seeds (which are tiny fruits called achenes) are on the outside. However, some other fruits, like raspberries and blackberries, also have seeds on the outside.
Weather, variety, and ripeness when harvested determine the flavor of a strawberry.
The nutrients found in strawberries make them a good source to add to your diet. A strawberry is only 32 calories and contains about:
91% water
0.7 grams proteins
7.7 grams carbohydrates
4.9 grams natural sugar
2 grams of fiber
0.3 grams of fat
Strawberries are also an excellent source of vitamin C. Like most berries, they are low-fat, low in calories and a good source of fiber, folic acid, and potassium. In addition, strawberries can help fight bad cholesterol and may reduce inflammation.
HOW TO OBSERVE Pick Strawberries Day
Take a day trip to a local strawberry farm to pick strawberries.
Plant your own strawberry plants.
Make strawberry shortcake.
Bake a strawberry pie.
Test out a strawberry vinaigrette recipe.
Share a recipe by posting photos on social media using #PickStrawberriesDay.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE STRAWBERRY
The Latin name for strawberry is Fragaria ananassa, which probably means strewn berry. However, the word strawberry probably comes from the Old English streawberige, which means the plant sends out runners similar to straw pieces.
Historians believe the strawberry plant was first found in ancient Rome around 234 B.C. Ancient Romans would use the berry for medicinal purposes, such as fever and sore through. Interestingly, the strawberry was also white, and not the bright red color we see today.
You can trace the domesticated strawberry to France some time during the late-18th century. Domesticated strawberries were created as a hybrid of two wild strawberry species from North America and Chile. However, some historians say Native Americans were eating strawberries long before our European friends.
Until we find the origins of this day, National Day Calendar will continue to pick through information to find the source of National Pick Strawberries Day.