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Strawberry Fruit (With Pictures)- Benefits of Strawberries Tree

Botanical Name: Fragaria chiloensis

Family Name : Rosaceae

The strawberry is a member of the rose family and is unique in that it is the only fruit with seeds on the outside rather than the inside.  A stout stoloniferous herb with long arching runners, leaves thick, blunt toothed, bluish green more or less glossy above and pale below, flowers white, borne in small clusters; fruit varying in shape, fairly large, scarlet, covered with achenes which do not project much outside the surface.

There are two major varieties of Strawberries. The first and most popular is June Bearing. It gets it's names as these big and luscious fruit are harvested in June in most areas. They are the largest variety and to many, the sweetest. Producing a big and bountiful harvest, they are popular with people who want to make jams, jellies and for freezing. Strawberry festivals are centered around the harvest of the June bearing crop.

Everbearing Strawberries are the second major variety. These usually smaller berries will produce all season long. But, the harvest is usually smaller. If you want to have them all season ling fresh from the garden, grow a small row of this variety.

Origin and Distribution Prehistoric man had little value for the wild strawberry because of its inconvenience, though he certainly did consume his share. The plants were found in the woods, often covered by lush overgrowth. The season was brief, only a few weeks, and the berries were smaller than our wild strawberries today. Hardly worth the trouble, since early man did not know how to preserve and store foods. Yet, a few tiny strawberry seeds were discovered by archeologists in Mesolithic sites in Denmark, Neolithic sites in Switzerland, and Iron Age sites in England.

A small genus of low perennial creeping herbs, strawberry is distributed in the wild state in the temperate and sub-tropical regions of the world. Four species are recorded in India, viz. F. daltoniana, F. nilgerrensis, F. vesca and F. chiloensis.

The majority of the cultivated forms have been derivatives of . F. chiloensis, a native of the Pacific coast of North and South America.Strawberry is essentially a crop of the higher elevations in India and its cultivation is confined to certain parts of Kashmir, Punjab, U.P., Mumbai, Chennai and Mysore.

Properties of strawberry

Refreshing, nutritive, tonic, astringent, diuretic.

Forms of Use :- Fruit, juice.

Food Value of strawberry

Ripe strawberries are bright red in colour with a soft melting flesh of sweetish flavour. They are esteemed as dessert and consumed not so much for their food value, as for their flavour. Strawberries are ranked high among "small fruits."

Analysis of fresh Indian strawberry gave the following composition (100 gms):

Strawberry is richer in vitamin C (50-90 mg/100 g) than orange and lemon. The vitamin C content is particularly high in fresh fruits of rich flavour. Other vitamins reported to be present are: thiamine (Vitamin B1) (0.5 mg/100 g) and riboflavin (Vitamin B2) (0.08 mg/100 g). Sugars (mostly reducing sugars, Le. glucose & fructose) make up 70-80% of the total soluble solids and 50% of the total solids.

Strawberries contain pectin (as calcium pectate), 0.154% and organic acids (citric and malic), 0.7-1.6%.

The mineral constituents of the fruits are: Copper (0.02 mg/ 100 g of fruit) and iodine (0.01-0.03 mg/100 g of fresh fruit). The flavour of the fruit is attributed to the presence of volatile esters. Salicylic acid has been frequently identified in distilled. juices, most often as methyl salicylate (as claimed). The pigment responsible for the deep red colour is anthocyanins.

Medicinal Uses & benefits

1. The leaves are mildly astringent and diuretic.
2. As strawberry contains vitamin C more than lemon and orange, it can be used against scurvy.
3. Protection against Rheumatoid Arthritis
4. It is a refreshing tonic.
5. Protection against Macular Degeneration

Other uses

Most famous for its starring role in strawberry shortcake, strawberries are often a delicious accompaniment to Belgian waffles, and a favorite flavor for jam and jelly. Strawberries and rhubarb are a great pie combination. Always delicious eaten out of hand, fresh strawberries are also wonderful when served with plain or whipped cream, macerated in wine or liqueur, and in a variety of desserts. One simple way to enjoy strawberries is to place whole berries on a saucer, with a tablespoon or so of white or brown sugar in the center for dipping. In a sauce, a light grinding of fresh black pepper seems to heighten their flavor.

Products/Preservation

Like all berries, strawberries are very perishable, so great care should be taken in their handling and storage. Before storing in the refrigerator, remove any strawberries that are molded or damaged so that they will not contaminate others. Replace unwashed and unhulled berries in their original container or spread them out on a plate covered with a paper towel, then cover with plastic wrap. Strawberries will keep fresh in the refrigerator for one or two days. Make sure not to leave strawberries at room temperature or exposed to sunlight for too long, as this will cause them to spoil.

Strawberry juice contains: total solids, 7.71 %; acids (as citric), 0.71 %; invert sugar, 4.46%; sucrose, 0.24%; tannin, 0.13%; and ash 0.43%. Large quantities of strawberry are quickly frozen, sliced or whole with sugar. Strawberries may be made into preserves, jams, jellies or syrup; they may also be canned. Fresh strawberries and strawberry syrup are used in soda-fountain beverages and ice creams. Strawberry wine is prepared by adding sugar to crushed fruit or juice, fermenting the mass with or without the addition of yeast, straining the liquid and storing for use as wine.