Strawberries

1. Strawberries Strawberries are the angels of the earth, innocent and sweet with green leafy wings reaching heavenward.

2. The Beginning The strawberry is a member of the rose family and is unique in that it is the only fruit with seeds on the outside instead of the inside. Being a very healthy fruit, it’s rich in vitamin C and has a good source of folic acid as well as being high in fibre. Strawberries were cultivated by the Romans as early as 200 BC. They are a native plant of North America. The name 'strawberry', comes from a farmers' practice of protecting the plant with straw. There is one more theory about the origin of the word strawberry. It derives from the two words, 'strewn' and 'berries‘. In England, children used to go out in the wild and pick strawberries that were scattered among fallen leaves or as they called it (‘strewn’) and sell them in local markets. In order to handle them properly, the strawberries were tied to pieces of straws. There are varieties of strawberries also found in Europe. The history of strawberry in Italy can be traced back to 234 BC. -The History of the Strawberry

3. The History In ancient Europe, in Rome, strawberries were cultivated for the creation of different types of medicines. In France too, the berries were used for medicinal purpose. Strawberries are grown in many parts of the world. It is mostly grown in the northern parts of the world but has now adapted to various tropical climates. In India, strawberries are mostly cultivated in Nainital and Mahabaleshwar. It has also been successfully grown in the plain regions along the hilly areas. The Europeans first discovered strawberries in the year 1588, in America. Since they were easily available and very common in the wild, the local Americans didn’t grow them commercially until the command of the European settlers.

4. Recipes and Uses • Strawberry muffins are an example of what people use strawberries for. They can be made with fresh or frozen strawberries. If using frozen berries, thaw slightly, then chop with a knife Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe - Delicious Desert with Fresh Strawberries - YouTube Chocolate strawberries. • Strawberry shortcakes are another example of what people can make or bake with strawberries. The shortcakes are very common and all around the world and truly makes a delicious five star dessert. • Ingredients to make a mouth-watering strawberry shortcake: • 3 pints fresh strawberries • 1/2 cup white sugar • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour • 4 teaspoons baking powder • 2 tablespoons white sugar • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 1/3 cup shortening • 1 egg • 2/3 cup milk • 2 cups whipped heavy cream There are dozens of other ways to make food using strawberries. There mostly used for desserts but you can make them with food too. Salads and chilled strawberry soup are a couple examples. Cheesecakes, tarts and bread or some other desserts, and Jam, wine and smoothies are a few drinks or sauce you can make. The hyperlink above to the right brings you to a video that shows how to make a cheesecake. Chocolate covered strawberries are the easiest and one of the most common desserts in the world. Three steps and you already have your tasty strawberries. Insert toothpicks into the tops of the strawberries. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth. Holding them by the toothpicks, dip the strawberries into the chocolate mixture. Turn the strawberries upside down and insert the toothpick into styrofoam for the chocolate to cool, or just on a sheet of wax paper.