FRAGARIA.

Fragaria is a genus with several species of creeping plants. Its name comes from the fragrance it possesses (fraga, in Latin). They are grown for their edible fruit called strawberry.
Commercially grown varieties are usually hybrids, especially Fragaria x ananassa, which has almost universally replaced the wild species, Fragaria vesca, because of the superior size of its fruits.

MAIN CHARACTERISTICS AND FRUIT.

Perennial plant that produces new shoots every year.
It has a basal rosette from which leaves and flower stems appear, both of the same length. The floral stems do not have leaves. At its apex appear the flowers, with five white petals, five sepals and numerous stamens. The petioles of the leaves are sharp. Each one supports a composite sheet with three oval, serrated leaflets. These are bright green in the beam and more pale on the underside, with a very prominent rib and pilosidad abundant. From the basal rosette also emerge another type of creeping stems that produce adventitious roots from which other plants are born. It is not a citrus.

What is consumed of this plant is a red, sweet and aromatic eterio, a thickening of the floral receptacle whose function is to contain within itself the true fruits of the plant, small achenes of dark color that number between 150 and 200 they stay in each eterio.

NUTRITIONAL CONTRIBUTION.
One cup (100 g) of strawberries contains approximately 34.5 calories and is an excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin P or bioflavonoids.

Composition for each 100 g eatable:
• Calories 34.5
• Water 85%
• Carbohydrates (g) 7
• Fiber (g) 2,2
• Potassium (mg) 150
• Magnesium (mg) 13
• Calcium (mg) 30
• Vitamin C (mg) 60
• Folates (μg) 62
• Vitamin E (mg) 0.2

WHAT IS ITS CLASSIFICATION?

Kingdom -> Plantae
Division -> Magnoliophyta
Class -> Magnoliopsida
Order -> Rosales
Family -> Rosaceae
Gender -> Fragaria


More than 20 species of Fragaria are known, which vary in the number of chromosomes. Of the most commercialized strawberries and strawberries, there are three types:


- The Strawberry, characterized by its small size, with a diameter of equatorial section around 20mm.

- The strawberry Camarosa, characterized by its large size, firm and red. It stands out for its good quality and its resistance.

- The Fresco douglas, characterized by its larger size and balloon-shaped, deformed in its crest. It has an intense and bright red color, often with the pink tip.

GASTRONOMICALLY TALKING...

Fragaria is grown mainly for its use in gastronomy. The strawberry is a fruit of the forest suitable in dietetic regimes, since it has low concentration of carbohydrates. They are consumed alone or mixed with sugar, sugar and wine, sugar and cream, in ice creams, jams and are also very appreciated in pastries such as sweets, cakes, pies, their bright red color gives a special touch as a food ornament. With the strawberry, an alcoholic beverage is made up of brandy called strawberry liqueur.


Tender leaves can be consumed as a vegetable, although this use is infrequent. The leaves should be collected when the plant is well-flowered; the roots, when it is about to dry; and the fruits are very ripe, with an intense pink color. Always keep in the shade and in a place sheltered from heat and humidity.

Now, you are hungry, are not you??
Well, here I leave a recipe for revenge!


Ingredients for gelatin and strawberry cake:
- 2 envelopes of strawberry jelly
- 1 tub of fresh cheese to spread 250 gr.
- 200 gr. of butter
- a packet of cookies
- 500 ml. of cream to mount.


Preparation:
Melt the butter in the microwave, crush the cookies and mix them with the butter until making a smooth paste. Distribute the paste on the bottom of a removable mold, there should not be a very thick bottom because then it would be more difficult to split, ideally half a centimeter.

Dissolve the gelatin in half a liter of hot water, add another half liter of cold water, fresh cheese and cream. Beat it well with the blender and pour it little by little into the mold with the cookies. Let it set in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Garnish with strawberry jam or whipped cream.

This dessert is ideal for summer and if you like to change taste taste with lemon jelly, pineapple, orange...

BUT ... WHAT ABOUT MEDICINE?

It is also used as a medicinal plant, with the following properties:


• Dieuretic and antirheumatic: three to four daily cups of the infusion of the leaves and roots help us against uric acid, gout and arthritis.

• Anticolesterol: the large amount of ascorbic acid, as well as lecithin and pectin contained in its fruits, make it ideal for lowering the blood cholesterol level.

• Anti-inflammatory: an infusion of the leaves is beneficial for inflammations of the intestine. Firing the roots helps reduce arthritic inflammation.

• Astringers: drinking three to four cups a day of cooking leaves is useful against diarrhea. The infusions of dried leaves are very astringent and can be used to heal the sores of the mouth.

• Mineralizing: its fruits, very rich in vitamin C, have antianemic and restorative virtues. They are well suited for the growing season.

• Lifting: crushed and applied leaves on the skin are a good remedy to prevent wrinkles.



REFERENCES
• Darrow, George M. (1966). The Strawberry: History, Breeding and Physiology. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.


BON APPÉTIT !!