Strawberry

·         Strawberries come from a plant called ‘fragaria’. ·         Strawberries are edible (and rather tasty) but technically they are receptacles (the thickened part of a stem) rather than berries. ·         Making things even more confusing, the little hard pieces that appear to be seeds on a strawberry are actually a type of dry fruit (called achene)....that contain their own seeds! ·         When ripe, strawberries are bright red, juicy and very sweet. ·         Strawberries have lots of vitamin C. ·         Strawberry plants decline in quality and production after a few years so are typically replanted. ·         Strawberries are picked with part of the stem still attached. ·         Unlike some other fruits, they don’t continue to ripen after being picked. ·         A large number of different pests, such as slugs and fruit flies, like to feed on strawberries. ·         They are also susceptible to a number of diseases, especially those of the fungal variety. ·         Strawberries survive in a range of conditions and will grow happily in most places around the world. ·         Strawberries are eaten in a number of different ways including fresh, dried, as a jam, in a drink or even in a muesli bar. ·         Strawberry is also a popular artificial flavor added to a variety of foods.

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Corn

·         Corn is called maize by most countries, this comes from the Spanish word ‘maiz’. ·         Corn is a cereal crop that is part of the grass family. ·         An ear or cob of corn is actually part of the flower and an individual kernel is a seed. ·         On average an ear of corn has 800 kernels in 16 rows. ·         Corn will always have an even number of rows on each cob. ·         A bushel is a unit of measure for volumes of dry commodities such as shelled corn kernels. 1 Bushel of corn is equal to 8 gallons. ·         With the exception of Antarctica, corn is produced on every continent in the world. ·         There are over 3,500 different uses for corn products. ·         As well as being eaten by the cob, corn is also processed and used as a major component in many food items like cereals, peanut butter, potato chips, soups, marshmallows, ice cream, baby food, cooking oil, margarine, mayonnaise, salad dressing, and chewing gum. ·         Juices and soft drinks like Coca-Cola and Pepsi contain corn sweeteners. A bushel of corn can sweeten 400 cans of soft drink. ·         Corn and its by products are also found in many non-food items such as fireworks, rust preventatives, glue, paint, dyes, laundry detergent, soap, aspirin, antibiotics, paint, shoe polish, ink, cosmetics, the manufacturing of photographic film, and in the production of plastics. ·         Corn is also used as feeding fodder for livestock and poultry and found in domestic pet food. ·         As of 2012, the United States produces 40% of the worlds total harvest making it the biggest maize producer in the world (273,832,130 tonnes produced in 2012). ·         An area termed the "Corn Belt" in the US where growing conditions are ideal includes the states of Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Michigan, Missouri, Kansas and Kentucky. ·         In the days of the early settlers to North America corn was so valuable that it was used as money and traded for other products such as meat and furs. ·         Corn is now a completely domesticated plant so you're unlikely to find it growing in the wild. ·         Corn can be produced in various colors including blackish, bluish-gray, purple, green, red, white and the most common yellow.

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Venus

·         The atmosphere of Venus made up mainly of carbon dioxide. ·         Its size is slightly smaller than Earth. ·         It also features gravity similar to that of Earth. ·         Venus is surrounded by clouds consisting of mercury, ferric chloride hydrocarbons and sulphuric acid. These clouds create the most corrosive acid rain found anywhere in our solar system. ·         The clouds are so thick that little light even reaches the surface. The light that does reach the surface is converted to heat and can not escape the atmosphere making Venus the hottest planet at around 500 Degrees Celsius. ·         The surface of Venus is often described as a "stormy desert" full of many craters and very active volcanoes. ·         The surface is also likened to molten lead. ·         Venus features no liquid water.

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Pineapple

·         The pineapple plant is a tropical fruit that is indigenous to South America. Originally coming from the area between southern Brazil and Paraguay. ·         The pineapple spread throughout South America, the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico, where it was cultivated by the Mayas and the Aztecs. Columbus came across the pineapple in 1493 and took it back to Europe. ·         The word 'pineapple' was recorded in 1398 to describe 'pine cones'. It was not until 1694 that pine cones were first called pine cones. On arrival to the Americas, European explorers called the tropical fruit pineapples around 1664 because they resembled the pine cone. ·         An individual pineapple can take over two years to grow, although they are usually picked slightly earlier than this. ·         The most famous pineapple entrepreneur was James Dole who moved to Hawaii and started a pineapple plantation in 1900, just after John Kidwell first introduced a pineapple industry to Hawaii. 'Dole' is still a major company in the pineapple industry today. ·         The top of a pineapple, after cleaning and drying, can be planted in soil and a new plant will grow. ·         When growing its fruit the pineapple plant produces over 200 flowers varying in  color from lavender, through to light purple and red. The individual scale like fruits of these flowers then join together to create the pineapple. ·         The individual fruit segments of a pineapple interlock in two helices, 8 in one direction, 13 in the other, each of which is a Fibonacci number. ·         Pineapple flesh and juice is used in many cuisines throughout the world, it is often cooked, eaten raw or canned in its juices as chunks or cored slices. It is a commonly used fruit for fruit salads and eaten with dairy desserts such as ice cream and yogurt. It is also used in Asian stir fry's such as sweet and sour pork or as a topping on pizzas such as the Hawaiian pizza. ·         Most tropical countries sell pineapple on roadsides as a snack either whole or halved. Pineapple juice is also a popular tropical drink and it is the main ingredient in the Piña colada cocktail. ·         The skins, core and ends of a pineapple are not discarded in pineapple canneries but instead used to make a number of products such as vinegar, alcohol and animal food. ·         Raw pineapple can be a great source of manganese and vitamin C. Also bromelain is an enzyme that breaks down protein and is present in raw pineapple making the fruit useful as a digestive aid and an effective anti-inflammatory. ·         High bromelain content also makes raw pineapple juice helpful as a meat marinade and tenderizer. ·         As of 2009, the Southeast Asian countries of the Philippines and Thailand were the top two producers of pineapple in the world followed by Costa Rica.

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Mushroom

·         Mushrooms are also called toadstools. ·         Mushrooms are a fungus, and unlike plants, mushrooms do not require sunlight to make energy for themselves. ·         The mushroom is a very nutritious food. Differing species can be a good source of vitamin B along with essential minerals such as copper and potassium. While fat,carbohydrates and salt content is very low. ·         Traditional Chinese medicine has utilised the medicinal properties of mushrooms for centuries. ·         Modern studies suggest mushrooms can be useful for antibacterial, anti-inflammatories and antioxidants. While also helping to reduce blood pressure, moderate blood sugar, reduce cholesterol, enhance the immune system, reduce stress and help in fighting many types of cancer. ·         A single Portabella mushroom can contain more potassium than a banana. ·         Mushrooms are made up of around 90% water. ·         The mushroom is used in many cuisines throughout the world and it is known as the "meat" of the vegetable world. ·         Most mushrooms grown for human consumption today are done so in controlled, sterilized environments. The most popular type representing 90% of mushrooms consumed in the US is the White button mushroom. The brown version of Agaricus bisporus called the Crimini, and its mature version, Portobello, are both popular eatable mushrooms too. ·         The worlds largest producer of edible mushrooms is China which produces about half of all cultivated mushrooms. ·         Mycophagist is the term used for people who collect mushrooms to eat from the wild. The act of collecting these mushrooms is known as 'mushroom hunting', or 'mushrooming'. ·         There are a few mushroom varieties found in the wild that are highly poisonous. A number of these look like common edible species, therefore it can be risky collecting wild mushrooms without good knowledge for identifying mushrooms. ·         There are over 30 species of mushroom that actually glow in the dark. The chemical reaction called bioluminescence produces a glowing light known as foxfire. People have been known to use these fungi to light their way through the woods. ·         In the Blue Mountains of Oregon is a colony of Armillaria solidipes that is believed to be the world’s largest known organism. The fungus is over 2,400 years old and covers an estimated 2,200 acres (8.9 km2). Above ground the honey mushrooms are short-lived but the underlying mycelium (branch like vegetation) lives on. ·         Before the invention of synthetic dyes, mushrooms were widely used for dyeing wool and other natural fibers. Mushroom dyes are organic compounds and produce strong, vivid colors.

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