Foodie Friday - Strawberries

The time has come, Strawberry season!  I have a ton in my garden at least a colander a night.  So what good are strawberries?

Michigan’s strawberry season - early June and can extend into mid July.
Michigan strawberries in-store or  where they’re largely produced, in Berrien, Leelanau and Van Buren counties but many local places around Lapeer county have them too. (the county I live in)  as well as my own back yard.  Grow your own it could be fun!

• Michigan grows strawberries for both fresh and processed uses
• In 2009, Michigan produced 43,000 tons of fresh strawberries and 3,000 tons of processed strawberries, generating $6.6 million
• Most of the fresh Michigan strawberries were picked by consumers at “u-pick” operations around the state 
• They do say that California is the largest producer of strawberries in the United States, approximately 9/10 of all the strawberries.
• Florida is the 2nd at 8 to 9% of the strawberries.
• The United States is the worlds largest exporter of fresh strawberries and Poland is the worlds largest exporter of frozen strawberries.

Kudos to the strawberry farms!  They are yummy!

Nutrition:

• Strawberries contain 80 percent of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C
• They are an excellent source of potassium, which can help control blood pressure and fight strokes
• They are an excellent source of fiber, which help reduce total cholesterol levels

Yeah, strawberries!  Here are a few more interesting tips for us strawberry fans!

 Strawberry – perennials and they have running vines to spread their tastiness.

Climate - that they grow well in – woodland plant they tolerate shade although they fruit better in the sun.  They exhaust the ground nutrients quickly so change their area within 1 to 2 years or keep fertilized well with humus, compost & potash, with a well-drained place.  

Growing them: If you want to try to grow them check out your local garden store that may produce strawberries for picking.  They will have the best strawberry plants to have in your garden.  I tried a local chain home improvement place and the strawberries are small and the plants do not spread. 

Taste – Sweet & tasty

Uses: Many, snack, dessert, breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Strawberries go with every meal and for every quick snack.  You could even pick a lot and use a food saver to freeze until later.

Color of the fruit:  red – This color usually means vitality, energy, passion and love.  Color is a way to reflect on what is going on in your life and feel the strawberries abundance while you are eating it.  The strawberries with many seeds could be a sign of abundance as well.  Very ripe fruit could be an association of lush and rewarding experiences, rich with promises for your future.  

Fun stuff to try with strawberries: 

How about trying some chocolate and strawberries!  Most of us love a little chocolate now and then but with strawberries in season many place right now try this because it is good for you.  I know it does sound funny but chocolate helps as an antioxidant, awesome for heart health and is a natural anti-inflammatory.  The compounds in chocolate are called polyphenols and the darker the chocolate the more of the polyphenols.  These compounds are also found in green tea, red wine and many fruits and vegetables.  Chocolate can help stop the development of plaques in coronary arteries by lowering the oxidation of the low-density lipoproteins or LDL’s the bad cholesterol.    The polyphenols in turn raise the high-density lipoprotein or HDL the good cholesterol levels.  So try a little chocolate with your strawberries like this.  Melt some dark chocolate or chips either double boiler or in the microwave.  Anyway to melt the chocolate then dip the strawberries in them and set all the berries on wax paper and put it in the refrigerator.  Wait for a bit and check them in about an hour or two (maybe less) to see if the chocolate set.   

Then eat away to better health!

Disclaimer:
I am not a doctor so please consult your practioner if you have any questions regarding this information. I just conduct research from books and websites.  The references are below.

References:

Michigan Ag Council
http://www.michiganagriculture.com/foods/michigan-strawberries/

Where Are
Strawberries Grown?

Where are strawberries grown?
http://www.strawberries-for-strawberry-lovers.com/where-are-strawberries-grown.html#sthash.9RrXNVrN.dpbs

Books:

Cunningham, Scott. Magical Aromatherapy: The Power of Scent. St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn Publications, 1989. Print.

Davis, Patricia. Aromatherapy: An A-Z. London: Barnes & Noble, 1995. Print. by arrangement with the C.W. Daniels Company Limited

Johnson, Rebecca L., and Steven Foster. National Geographic Guide to Medicinal Herbs: The World's Most Effective Healing Plants. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2010. Print.   

Seymour, John. The Self-sufficient Gardener: A Complete Guide to Growing and Preserving All Your Own Food. Reprint from 1978 ed. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 2008. Print.

Telesco, Patricia. Bubble, Bubble, Toil, & Trouble: Mystical Munchies, Enchanted Edibles, and Other Culinary Wizardry. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2002. Print.