Capron Strawberry - Fragaria moschata

Fragaria moschata, or musk strawberry, is a small wild plant found naturally in the undergrowth of cold regions. This perennial was cultivated between 1400 and 1850 for the musky aroma of its small strawberries. It gave birth to the 'Le Chapiron' cultivar in 1576. It is appreciated for its great resistance to cold, diseases, and lack of sunlight. This non-perpetual strawberry has passed on its genes to several varieties commonly grown in gardens. The plant has large evergreen trifoliate leaves in winter, produces few runners, and thrives in partially shaded, moist locations. It bears small white flowers, which are popular with pollinating insects. The flowers develop into ovoid to rounded small fruits, which are larger than those of wild strawberries. They become dark pink-red when ripe, but often retain a green or white face. Their white flesh has a uniquely musky flavour, different from that of wild strawberries and garden strawberries. Harvesting takes place from May-June to late July.

The plants are not self-fertile so need to be pollinated by a plant of the opposite sex or another strawberry plant. Consider planting wild strawberries or any other variety that blooms at the same time in the garden.

Strawberries can be consumed in multiple ways: they can be eaten fresh with sugar and cream, or thinly sliced and dried before being incorporated into muesli or yogurt. If you have a bountiful harvest, consider making jams, coulis, pies, ice creams, or sorbets. You can also freeze strawberries.

There are three categories of varieties:

- Wild strawberries that bear small fruits from June to October

- Non-perpetual varieties (like the musk strawberry) with large fruits. They bloom once a year in spring, producing large fruits around June

- Perpetual varieties with large fruits. They bloom twice a year or continuously, producing large fruits from June to October

The wild strawberry or woodland strawberry, present in Roman times and the Middle Ages, was crossed in the 18th century with a species brought back from Chile. Through successive selections, this gave rise to different varieties with large fruits.

It is a hardy perennial belonging to the Rosaceae family. This variety has a stout habit, with evergreen trifoliate, ovate, and dentate leaves. It bears small white flowers with a golden heart that will transform into large red fruits. Botanically speaking, we refer to strawberries as pseudocarps, with the achenes (seeds) appearing on the surface of the epidermis.

For harvesting, pick the fruits as they ripen, every 2 or 3 days, ideally in the morning. Strawberries are delicate, so pick them with their calyx by pinching the stem 1 to 2cm (1in) above it. The texture of the fruit is a good indicator of its ripeness: it should be firm and yielding to the touch. Strawberries are rich in vitamins and minerals. They can cause urticating reactions in some people as they stimulate the release of histamine in the body.