17 April 2008

Thursday Thirteen - 8th Edition

(fyi - my TT header is made from a picture I took of our 'bounty'!)
Since we spent yesterday afternoon at the Strawberry Patch picking (and eating) strawberries, I thought I should learn a little more about my favorite fruit!


13 Random Facts about Strawberries!
  1. The average Strawberry has about 200 seeds!
  2. Strawberries were once avoided by pregnant women because it was believed that their child would be born with a strawberry birth mark.
  3. A serving of strawberries contains 20% of the daily needed folic acid for pregnant women.
  4. Eight medium-sized strawberries contain 140% of the U.S. RDA for Vitamin C. In addition, strawberries are good sources of folic acid, potassium and fiber. Strawberries are also fat-free and low in calories.
  5. The US is the leading producer of the world's strawberries, producing about 20%. California produces 75% of the strawberries in the US.
  6. Strawberry Point, Iowa is home to the world's largest strawberry that sits atop city hall!
  7. Strawberry juice combined with honey will reduce inflammation or sunburn. Rub the mixture thoroughly into the skin before rinsing off with warm water and lemon juice.
  8. As part of the 5-a-day program suggested by the American Cancer Institute, strawberries can also play a part in helping you to reduce the risk of cancer or heart disease.
  9. The English and French also found strawberries used the beautiful heart-shaped berries to landscape their gardens. In fourteenth-century France, Charles V ordered twelve hundred strawberry plants to be grown in the Royal Gardens of the Louvre.
  10. The strawberry is not classified by botanists as a true berry. True berries, such as blueberries and cranberries have seeds inside. The strawberry, however has its dry, yellow "seeds" on the outside (each of which is actually considered a separate fruit).
  11. It wasn’t until the late 13th century that strawberries were first cultivated. Here in the United States, early settlers found Native Americans growing strawberries as early as 1643.
  12. At least as far back as the Romans, fresh strawberries were reputed to have therapeutic powers for everything from loose teeth to gastritis. Apparently they were even used as toothpaste!
  13. Plant City, Florida, the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World, holds the Guinness record for the world's largest strawberry shortcake. The 827 square-foot, 6,000 pound cake was made on Feb. 19, 1999 in McCall Park.

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3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The only fruit to carry its seeds on the outside!

Stacy said...

Gee thanks for making me hungry for strawberries. They are seriously my favorite fruit.

Kamis Khlopchyk said...

Those were interesting facts, who knew!

Love the new look! Can you teach me? Probably not so much hey... I am html and all coding illiterate

:-)