A brief history on one of our favorites: the strawberry!

We love strawberries! Whether they are dipped in chocolate and rolled in coconut, or plain straight from the field we love them! Our mascot is even a strawberry! Here is a brief and interesting history about the strawberry!

Strawberries(information was found here)

A member of the Rosaceae (Rose) family, the botanical name of strawberries is Frugaria, which in Latin means 'fragrance.' Origins of the common name include the reference to 'straw' used in mulching the plants. Children in London collected the berries, strung them on pieces of straw and sold them in the markets as "Straws of Berries." The French, Italian, and Spanish word for the fruit is "Fraise" or fragrant berry. Narragansett Indians in North America called the fruit "wuttahimneash" or "heart berry." Growers from all over the world claim their strawberries to be the best. In Wepion, Belgium, "The World Capital of Strawberries," they even have a museum dedicated solely to this sumptuous red berry. Folks in Plant City, Florida claim their town to be "The Winter Strawberry Capital of the World." Towns such as Strawberry, Arizona and Strawberry, California chose their namesake for some berry compelling reason. Strawberry Mountain is found in Oregon and Mansikkala, Finland, literally translated means "The Place of the Strawberry." Some of the earliest accounts of strawberries came from ancient Rome circa 200 BC. The first sketch of a strawberry plant was printed in 1484. Early publications spoke of medicinal uses for strawberries, not as edible fruit. In the 12th Century Saint Hildegard von Binger pronounced strawberries unfit to eat because they may have been contaminated by snakes and toads due to the fact that they were grown so close to the ground. In the mid 18th century, Charles Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist, put this superstition to rest by switiching to a diet consisting only of strawberries to prove them edible. It was the French who led the way in strawberry cultivation. Cartier, the French explorer, brought strawberries back to France from Quebec in 1534.In 1697 Jean de la Quintinie, the royal gardener at the Palace of Versailles under King Louis XIV, kept the first detailed account of how to develop larger berries, how to prepare the soil and deal with insects. The French King chose strawberries as his favorite fruit and even initiated a poetry contest on the merits of the strawberry. In the 18th Century one of the first breeding crosses were made to improve the strawberry. A Virginia variety with good flavor and fruitfulness was crossed with a Chilean variety and became known as the Pineapple or Pine strawberry due to its distinctive flavor. "Hudson" was the first strawberry hybrid developed in the USA in 1780. And in 1843 Cinncinatti Ohio growers were the first to ship strawberries using refrigeration, in the form of ice placed on top of the boxes. This development led to increase marketing areas and yet more increase in popularity. Strawberries are native to both the northern and southern hemispheres. They are grown in every state in the US, every province in Canada, all over Europe, Australia and even in Iran. They can grow by the sea, in the woods, and on mountain tops. Ideally strawberries are planted outdoors, but in the colder regions of the world, heated glass houses provide a safe growing environment. Commercially grown strawberries, shipped from far locations, although visually stunning, originate from varieties bred for shipping and a longer shelf-life. These varieties tend to have half the sugar content of a traditional June bearer which makes a compelling reason to grow your own. For more on growing strawberries visit our Strawberry Planting and Culturing Guide. How Strawberries Got Their Name(information found here) There are many explanations, some believe that the name came from the practice of placing straw around the growing plants for protection, others believe the name originated over 1000 years ago because of the runners which spread outward from the plant. The name may have been derived from the Anglo-Saxon verb to strew (spread) and the fruit came to be known as streabergen, straberry, streberie, straibery, straubery, and finally, "STRAWBERRY’ to the English. Here is an easy no bake Strawberry Shortcake recipe that is quick and always a hit! In this recipe you can substitute frozen pound cake for a fresh one that you get from the bakery section at the grocery store, or those little sponge cakes they sell where you buy the strawberries! You could also bake off some biscuit dough sprinkled with some sugar and top it with the strawberries and it would be just as yummy! Enjoy!   Easy Strawberry Shortcake Linda Larsen My mother always made this recipe for the Fourth of July. It followed a wonderful meal of grilled hamburgers or steak and her fabulous potato salad1. But it's a great dessert any time of the year. Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Yield: 6 servings Ingredients: 1 loaf frozen pound cake, thawed 3 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced 1 cup heavy cream 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar 1 tsp. vanilla Preparation: Using a potato masher, mash half of the strawberries. Stir in the sliced strawberries and chill. Beat cream with powdered sugar and vanilla. Slice pound cake, place each piece on serving plate, top with strawberry mixture and a dollop of cream. Serve immediately. You can make your own pound cake2 instead of using the frozen version if you'd like, but the frozen one (I love Sara Lee) is so good, why bother? (photo and information found here)