Ann wrote about some little strawberries growing in her yard. She tried one but it didn’t taste good. I was curious because I knew they couldn’t be wild strawberries. Those grew up on our land before the 2011 fire, and Kaitlin and I looked forward to eating them every year. It turns out Ann’s are called mock strawberries, or Indian strawberries, false strawberries, or wood strawberries. They aren’t poisonous but they don’t have the sweet flavor of wild strawberries.
…there is a misconception about wild strawberries. People will tell you that they are not only inedible, but that they are poisonous to consume.
That last little bit? It couldn’t be further from the truth and likely has caused quite a few people to miss out on tasting a wild strawberry or two.
As a matter of fact, wild strawberries are not only completely edible, they are actually highly nutritious, too. But it is easy to be deceived by a look-alike, a fake: the mock strawberry.
—Can You Eat Wild Strawberries? (And How to Identify Them)
You can tell the difference because wild strawberries have white blossoms, mock strawberries have yellow blossoms. Also mock strawberries point skyward while wild strawberries dangle down on the vine.
And if there’s still any doubt, crush one. Wild strawberries have a sweet smell, mock strawberries have no smell at all.
Thanks, Ann! And again, bless the internet for its wealth of information.
October 7, 2024
