By Peggy Paul Casella for Fair Food

10 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About Strawberries

1. Fraga, the Latin word for strawberry, was derived from the word fragrans, which means "sweet smelling." (source)

2. Strawberries are the only fruits that bear their seeds on the outside.

3. Strawberries aren’t berries at all. They are actually "accessory fruits." According to The Oxford Companion to Food, "The seeds ... are the true fruits of the plant. The fleshy 'berry' to which they are attached is an enlarged, softened receptacle, corresponding to the small, white cone which remains on the stem of a raspberry when the fruit is picked."

4. Strawberries are members of the rose family of plants.

5. There are three different types of strawberry plants: day neutral, which produces flowers and fruits continuously while temperatures range from 35 to 85°F; everbearer or overbearer, which bear fruit in autumn and spring; and Junebearer, which bud in autumn, then produce fruit the following spring. (source)

6. Strawberries were first cultivated in Europe during (or maybe even before) the 1300s. (source)

7. The modern cultivated strawberry, Fragaria ananassa, was a result of the natural hybridization of the hardy Virginian strawberry and the large Chilean strawberry varieties. (source)

8. The first American cultivated strawberry variety was developed by Charles Hovey in Cambridge, MA, in 1834. (source)

9. Strawberries have been used medicinally throughout history as a remedy for digestive problems, skin irritations, and dental hygiene. (source)

10. The bright red color of strawberries comes from anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that help reduce the risk of certain cancers and aid in heart and cognitive health. (source)

Savory Strawberry Recipes
Grilled Ham and Cheese with Strawberry–Red Wine Jam, via Food & Wine

Ree Drummond’s Grilled Chicken Tacos with Strawberry Salsa, via Food Network

Spaghetti with Strawberry-Tomato Sauce, via Bon Appétit

Balsamic Strawberry Goat Cheese Dip, via Serious Eats

Strawberry-Tomato Pizza with Fennel, Mozzarella, and Mint, via Thursday Night Pizza
 

Sweet Strawberry Recipes
French Toast with Strawberries and Hazelnuts, via The Daily Meal

Strawberry-Sour Cream Scones with Brown Sugar Crumble, via TheKitchn

Nigella Lawson’s Strawberry Pavlova, via the New York Times

Strawberry Lattice Pie, via Joy the Baker

Strawberry Mojitos, via Fine Cooking