Strawberries.

Fragrant and luscious, the heart-shaped red fruits of the strawberry plant are popular all over the world. Eaten fresh or after being frozen, canned, or preserved, used for juice and in making ice cream or frozen yogurt, strawberries are rich in vitamin C and provide iron and other minerals.

From the cool tropics to the arctic zone, evergreen strawberry plants grow close to the ground protected by mulch or snow from the coldest winter. Many countries have developed their own varieties, often particularly suited to their climates.

Strawberries are usually hand picked into small baskets for local markets or put into trays for nearby processing. The high perishability of the fresh fruit has led the industry to develop techniques for providing an excellent frozen product.

The United States and Canada lead all countries in the production of strawberries, the largest crop coming from California. Other leading producers are France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, and Poland. Strawberries are also important in Southern and Eastern Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Japan.

Raspberries and blackberries.

The juicy fruits of prickly shrubs known as brambles, raspberries and blackberries consist of numerous little structures called drupelets. When picked, raspberries separate from a firm core that remains on the plant, but blackberries adhere to a juicy core. Eaten as table fruits, both raspberries and blackberries are a fairly good source of vitamin C and iron and also contain some other minerals as well as vitamin A.

The most common species thrive chiefly in the north temperate regions of the Old and New worlds where summer is not very hot and winter not very cold. Since the blackberry withstands more heat and dryness, it is found farther south than the raspberry. Both are cultivated in the United States and in Europe as far north as Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, and some parts of Russia.

In the northwestern United States, raspberries and blackberries are harvested by machine. They are very perishable, so fresh berries are marketed only locally. They are more often canned, processed for jams and preserves, frozen, or used in making ice cream. Blackberry wine and brandy are widely popular.

Mulberries.

The mild, juicy, blackberry-like fruits of the red mulberry tree of North America are dark purple. Those of the black mulberry tree, native to western Asia and introduced into North America, are black. The leaves of the white- to pinkish-fruited white mulberry, native to Asia, are fed to silkworms. Birds are attracted to mulberry trees for the fruit, which is not widely eaten by humans.

Blueberries.

Delicious, mildly tart, and dark blue, blueberries grow on low shrubs, close to the ground. They are also called bilberries, blaeberries, or whortleberries. Used as table fruit and for bakery goods and preserves, they are a source of vitamin C and iron, and contain some other minerals and vitamin A.

Blueberry bushes are found in woods and on heaths, mainly in hilly areas of Great Britain, northern Europe, and Asia. Several species are native to North America, and blueberries were eaten by the American Indians and early European settlers. Blueberries grow in very acid, well-drained, but moist soils.

Some growers pick the first, better crop by hand, and then use large, mechanical harvesters to gather the remaining berries, which are used for processing. Blueberries freeze exceptionally well. Since the early 1900s the production of blueberries has increased rapidly. Skillful breeders have improved the plants for hardiness as well as for the fruits' flavor and size.

Currants and gooseberries.

Currants are small, piquant, juicy red, black, or whitish berries of the gooseberry family. Gooseberries are sour, greenish, and slightly larger than currants. Red and black currants and gooseberries are used chiefly in jams, jellies, and pies. Black currants are also used for flavoring throat lozenges. Black currant juice has special dietary uses. Extremely high in vitamin C, currants also supply calcium, phosphorus, and iron. In Great Britain and Northern Europe, ripe gooseberries are frequently eaten raw, out of the hand, but are also made into jams, jellies, and preserves.

Both currant and gooseberry bushes are native to the cool, moist, temperate climates of the Northern Hemisphere, and currants are also native to western South America. Because of their greater tolerance to heat and drought, gooseberries can be grown farther south than currants.

Black, red, and white currants and gooseberries are grown commercially in Great Britain, Germany, Poland, The Netherlands, France, Belgium, Australia, and New Zealand. Plantings in some other countries are mostly grown in home gardens, with some commercial acreage near large cities. Culture of these berries is prohibited in some states, especially of the northwestern United States, because they can spread white-pine blister rust, a disease of five-leaved timber pines.

Cranberries.

The berries of several small creeping or trailing plants called cranberries may be round, oval, or pear-shaped and may vary from pink to very dark red or mottled red and white. Their sour, acid taste makes them ideal as a relish for meats, and for making sauces, juice, various beverages, and pies. They contain minerals and vitamins A and C.

Cranberries grow wild in marshy land in North America, Asia, and northern and central Europe. Commercially, they are grown on bog areas that have ditches for drainage and for flooding during the winter season to protect the vines against spring cold and frost. “Water harvesting” is a technique devised in the mid-1900s. First the bog is flooded; then the berries are whipped loose by a hand-guided machine with rotating wheels. The berries float to the surface and, driven by the wind, are guided onto a conveyor belt and loaded into trucks. The United States is the largest producer of cranberries and cranberry products, most of which are consumed there and in Canada.

Grapes.

Growing on vines in clusters of round berries, grapes are usually purple or red, but sometimes yellow, green, or bluish. Grapes are by far the most important fruit in the world, eaten fresh or used to make raisins, grape juice, and wine. They are cultivated in the milder parts of the North and South temperate zones of all continents. Two-thirds of the world's production, the largest part of which is used for wine, still comes from the Mediterranean basin and southwestern Europe, where grapes have been cultivated for thousands of years.

Tomatoes.

Often considered vegetables, tomatoes are large, soft, succulent, bright red or yellow berries of a fleshy, somewhat trailing plant. Probably taken to Europe from Mexico, tomatoes are now a major crop in the United States, Italy, and Southern Europe and are grown in hothouses in Northern Europe.

Dates.

Dates are extremely sweet, firm berries that grow in clusters on the date palm tree, found from the Canary Islands through northern Africa and from the southwest of Asia to Pakistan and India. In the 18th century Spanish missionaries brought the tree to the New World. The tree is grown as ornamental foliage along European Mediterranean shores. Iraq leads the world in producing and exporting dates. Algeria and Tunisia also are significant exporters.

Cucumbers.

Popularly considered vegetables and used in salads and as pickles, cucumbers grow on creeping plants cultivated in greenhouses, as a field crop, and in home gardens in the United States, Northern Europe, and elsewhere.

Watermelons.

These are large, heavy, oval fruits with sweet, juicy pulp. Known by the ancient Egyptians, and native to tropical Africa, watermelons are now cultivated on every continent. They are grown widely in the southern United States.

Citrus fruits.

Oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruits grow on trees believed to be native to tropical Asia, especially the Malay Archipelago. They have been cultivated since ancient times. Citrus fruits are commercially grown in most of the warmer climates in all parts of the world. The leading producers are the United States (particularly Florida and California), Spain, Israel, Morocco, and South Africa.