By Laurie Snider
Notes From The Nest
A few weeks back I wrote a column revealing the somewhat startling fact that rhubarb is not a fruit. I am sorry to have to drop another bombshell on you so soon after, but it is my journalistic duty to inform you, that the beloved strawberry is technically not a real berry at all but rather an accessory fruit. Real berries contain their seeds on the inside and as anyone who has ever eaten a strawberry knows, strawberries wear their seeds on the outside. Each individual berry has approximately 200 little opportunities, to get stuck in your teeth!
One of the unforeseen benefits of writing a weekly column about a variety of subjects is that I am learning many new and fascinating things. I’m learning on the job. For instance, according to The Ontario Berry Growers Association, strawberries are actually members of the rose family. The name strawberry comes from the English word ‘strewberige’ named for the runners which the plants send out that may have appeared straw-like.
The runners are mostly responsible for the plants reproducing. Strawberry plants can grow from the tiny seeds but most are a result of the string-like runners taking root. They then produce new plants which go on to produce the fruit. Strawberry plants are considered to be perennials but after a couple of years their productivity declines and they need to be replaced.
For many North Americans, strawberry picking is one of our most eagerly awaited yearly rituals. They grow in all 50 states and in every Canadian province. Strawberries are the first fruit of the season to ripen, which is why so many of us descend upon the fields in hungry hordes.
Despite the rather rainy spring and early summer we’ve been experiencing, I’ve already made my way out to one of our local farms. I happened to choose a rare sunny day and there were row upon row of happy harvesters. Each one kneeling down or bent over plucking the plump, sweet, juicy berries from their green, bushy homes amongst the leaves.
The atmosphere was convivial with every age group represented. Babies were attached tightly to parents in snugglies and pudgy toddler hands were popping bright, red morsels into their mouths for the first time. Boisterous youngsters helped their parents fill up baskets. A large gaggle of pleasant, helpful teens dressed in farm t-shirts were directing us all where to go with their newfound authority. Young moms and new dads were enjoying this too, as were middle-agers like me and of course plenty of seniors. We all worked with a purpose and in no time at all filled our containers to overflowing with the succulent, heart shaped treats. This is Mother Nature’s works at her finest!
The strawberries we all love to nibble on today are actually hybrids, first developed in France in the mid-18th century. These were a cross of berries brought over from North America with a larger berry from Chile, which resulted in the modern day strawberries that we know and love today.
Strawberries are commonly used to make pies, crisps, shortcakes and are even used in salads, but many people such as myself enjoy processing the berries into jam. Mashing down freshly-picked berries with their sweet, smelling aroma, adding the other ingredients and bringing it all to a rolling boil on the stove, for me is a very pleasurable pastime. Pouring the bright, red, liquid magic into sterilized jars, feels like bottling up sunshine itself! Of course, my favourite part comes the next day when I spread a dollop or two of the tantalizing treat onto a hot, buttered english muffin. Mmm! Irresistible!
An article about strawberries would hardly be complete though, if I failed to mention pairing them with cream. Especially if it is Devon clotted cream, perhaps with a little scone on the side. This combination was developed in King Henry the VIII’s court by a gentleman named Thomas Wolsey. The King’s cooks, sometimes responsible for cooking for upwards of 600 people, were in search of simple recipes and thus this delectable combination came about. Today this iconic duo is still famously served at Wimbledon every year. An astonishing 20 tons of strawberries and 7000 litres of cream are devoured at each tournament. Strawberry season is also celebrated all over Canada with a wide variety of festivals and socials dedicated to this glorious, little fruit. Canadians have also been known to enjoy a little strawberries and cream themselves.
As for me, out of respect for my waistline I must limit these to occasional indulgences. The good news however is, enjoying freshly picked strawberries, sans anything at all, is still one of the most wonderful things that life has to offer.