Strawberries are members of the rose family and are unique in that they have seeds on the outside rather than contained inside.

Nutritionally they contain more Vitamin C than any other berry, ½ cup provides 70% of the RDA, which is more by weight than an orange. Plus the same ½ cup also supplies more fiber than a slice of whole wheat bread.

When buying and storing strawberries select ones with a fresh shiny look and bright red color. Don't overlook those stems to make sure they also look fresh and not wilted.

Refrigerate them when you get them home. They are very perishable and can turn soft, mushy and moldy within twenty-four hours so when you get them home, open up the container and check over each fruit. Remove any overripe ones and you can eat those right away. Discard any moldy ones.

The best way to store them is to return them to their plastic box or spread them on a shallow plate or pan and cover them with plastic wrap. Most will last from 2-4 days.

Wash them only when you are ready to serve them and them pat them dry before removing their stems to avoid excess water from entering the berry.

And finally, only wash and cut up what you will use because if you store any leftovers, you will notice that they have lost their fresh appearance and much of the water content has oozed out causing a loss of taste.