Strawberries

Everyone loves the taste of a fresh, juicy strawberry – especially at the peak of the season. What’s even better is that strawberries are easy to grow at home and are even healthy for you! Read on for some great gardening and nutrition tips, plus some delicious berry-centric recipes!

Homegrown Goodness

Strawberries always taste best when freshly picked, which makes them great plants to try growing at home! Most varieties begin growing in the spring and are ripe for picking in late spring or early summer. To see which type and variety are best for your area, head to: www.almanac.com/plant/strawberries.

Strawberries also grown nicely in jars or in hanging baskets. These are great space-saving alternatives if you live in a condo or apartment. Or—if you are unable to grow them at home due to space or time restraints, look for them at your local farmer’s market!

For more homegrown gardening tips, check out our Homegrown Resource Page.

A Healthy Treat

Not only are strawberries delicious; they also have numerous health benefits! Strawberries contain essential vitamins like vitamin C (one serving of strawberries contains more than an orange!), manganese, and potassium. They are also a source of fiber and contain high amounts of antioxidants (polyphenols), which are good for heart health.

As if you need any more reasons to love this fruit, strawberries are also very versatile and go well with a variety of foods. Try adding slices to a fresh spring salad or appetizer. Excess strawberries can also be frozen, dried, or made into fruit preserves or jam.

Recipes

Get some fresh inspiration with these delicious berry-filled recipes!

Summer Fruit Bruschetta On Martin’s Potato Bread

This sweet treat with the flavors like strawberry, peach, raspberry, cranberry, and basil tastes just the way it looks—bright, fresh, and perfect for summer!

Strawberry Tiramisu Toast On Martin’s Potato Bread

Summer Berry Plum Pudding – From realsimple.com

(Try adding or substituting strawberries into the mix)

Strawberry Basil Tea Sandwiches – From keyingredient.com

Sources:

• http://www.almanac.com/plant/strawberries
• http://www.bhg.com/gardening/vegetable/fruit/growing-strawberries-in-a-jar/
• http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/strawberry/hanging-strawberry-plants.htm
• http://www.californiastrawberries.com/health_and_nutrition/whats_in_a_strawberry
• http://www.webmd.com/diet/nutritional-benefits-of-the-strawberry
• http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/summer-berry-plum-pudding
• http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/266636664/strawberry-basil-tea-sandwiches-with-devonshire-cream

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