| Matt Facts: Matthew dislikes drinking cold drinks from coffee mugs. He also hates plastic forks. | | Did you Know? Toothpicks are overrated. | | Words of Inspiration: "You can tell a lot about a fellow by the way he eats Jelly Beans" – R.Regan | | Did you know? There are no Pez Facts. Pez is, in fact, not factual. | | Matt Facts: Matthew's fortune cookies always predict success. | | Words of Inspiration: When I'm sad I stop being sad and be awesome instead - Barney Stinson | | Did you know? "Buf­falo buf­falo Buf­falo buf­falo buf­falo buf­falo Buf­falo buf­falo” is a gram­mat­i­cally valid sentence. | | Matt Facts: Matthew is best served on the rocks with a slice of lemon. | | Words of Inspiration: "Life is futile." | | Did you Know? Dinosaurs and Dandelions is the name of a popular blog that has been around since the 15 April 2010 | | Matt Facts: Unlike some people, Matthew only celebrates his birthday once a year. | | Words of Inspiration: "I'll be back" - The Terminator. | | Did you Know? The two modern breeds of Cocker Spaniel, American and English, are thought to have been descended from only two dogs? | | Matt Facts: On the second to last full moon of the year, Matthew develops an itch on his right shoulder. | | Words of Inspiration: “You can do it!” - Rob Schneider, in every Adam Sandler movie ever | | Did you know? Lettuce is often eaten raw. | | Words of Inspiration: "Science is always at work and never sleeps – just like Rust" | | Did you Know? When you dream, every­thing you see in that dream, you’ve seen before in real life. | | Matt Facts: Matthew officially endorses the Cadbury's Moro bar as being delicious | | Did You Know? A tadpole is also called a 'pollywog'. | | Matt Facts: Matthew has his own Facebook fan page. Creepy. | | Did You Know? Cats sleep for 70% of their lives. | | Words of Inspiration: "End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it." - Gandalf. | | Did you Know? This is the end. The journey ends here. Then it starts all over again. |

Tuesday 12 February 2013

Berries: Revealed!

In an exclusive exposé, Your ANNUAL weekly News uncovers the shocking truth behind something that we all thought we knew and loved, Berries.

 

Question One: What do Avocados, Bananas, Tomatoes and Capsicums all have in common? Answer: They are all, technically, berries.

Woah, you say! I know, right? But how about this;

Question Two: What do Strawberries, Blackberries and Raspberries have in common?
Answer: Yes, that’s right – none of them are actually berries.

Is your mind blown yet?
Common berries.

Ok, where to begin. The botanical definition of a berry is a “fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary”. Apparently, the seeds of a berry are usually surrounded in flesh, but not always! Berries are usually edible, but not always!
The range of what actually is a berry is quite staggering. There are the ones listed above, plus ones that you would actually think are berries; cranberries, gooseberries, grapes, currants and even coffee berries. Then there are some real surprises; the poisonous nightshade, potato plants and watermelons! Nightshade is actually closely related to the potato plant, and the fruit from potatoes is actually also poisonous.

Those citrus fruit that we know and love; oranges, lemons, grapefruits and the like, are also actually berries. Their characteristics of a super thick rind and a deliciously juicy interior means they are given the special name of “hesperidium” – catchy!

Now, what of those fruits that you always thought were berries – but actually aren’t?

Raspberries and Blackberries are quite similar, they are both classed as aggregate fruits. An aggregate fruit, or an “etaerio” differs from a berry because it is formed from the merger of several ovaries within a single flower.

Similarly, a Strawberry, which is an accessory fruit, also has formed from multiple ovaries. However, it differs again because some of the flesh of the strawberry has developed from other parts of the flower than the ovaries. Other accessory fruit includes pomes like apples and piers.

A Drupe, commonly known as a stone fruit, differs again. While a drupe has a fleshy exterior, its seeds are encased by a shell to protect them. Think of a typical apricot, peach or plum. Things like olives, pistachios and almonds are also drupes. Also, drupe is a funny word.

So, now you know. What you thought were berries actually aren’t and what you thought were melons, vegetables and just fruit are all actually berries. The end.