More About Tropical Fruits

Reminder of holidays and sun tropical fruits have a beautiful look and taste delicious.
Nowadays, you can find papayas, mangoes or carambol on our table all year around.

Pomegranates

Family: PUNICACEAE

Description: This fruit is about the size of an orange and has a thin, leathery skin that can range in color from red to pink-blushed yellow. Inside are hundreds of seeds packed in compartments that are separated by bitter, cream-colored membranes. Each tiny, edible seed is surrounded by a translucent, brilliant-red pulp that has a sparkling sweet-tart flavor.

Origin: The fruit's origin is the Middle East, and the Moors brought pomegranate to Spain where it became the national emblem.
Pomegranates are grown throughout Asia, the Mediterranean countries and in California. In the United States they're available in October and November.

Tips: To remove the seeds: Cut out the blossom end, remove some of the white pith, but do not break the red pulp around the seeds. Score the skin into quarters. Break the pomegranate into halves and then halve again following score lines. Bend back the rind and pull out the seeds. If you do not like seeds, this fruit is not for you unless you use a juice extractor or food processor to extract the juice from the pulp. The juice can be strained to remove any seed sediment.
Refrigerate for up to 2 months or store in a cool, dark place for up to a month.

Recipe ideas: Pomegranate makes beautiful pink sorbet, icing, salad dressing, soup, and puddings. The juice gives a unique fresh flavor to sauces and marinades for fish, chicken, and beef. Use the seeds to garnish fruit salad, dessert, and appetizers.

Did you know?:
The sweet juice is used to prepare grenadine syrup for alcoholic and fruit drinks.
Granada, named from the fruit, has an avenue of pomegranate trees that were planted by the Moors.
Romans called it the "apple of many seeds".
The most delicious type of pomegranate comes from Iraq.
Choose those that are heavy for their size and have a bright, fresh color and blemish-free skin.
They're rich in potassium and contain a fair amount of vitamin C.

Papaya (or Pawpaw)

Family: CARICACEAE

Description: These pear-shaped fruit generally weigh about 1 pound and have yellow skin when ripe. The flesh is bright orange or pinkish, depending on variety, with small black seeds clustered in the center that have culinary uses, although not very tasty to most people.
There are two types of papayas, Hawaiian and Mexican.
The Hawaiian varieties are the papayas commonly found in supermarkets.
Hawaiian papayas are easier to harvest because the plants seldom grow taller than 8 feet.
Mexican papayas are much larger the the Hawaiian types and may weigh up to 10 pounds and be more than 15 inches long. The flesh may be yellow, orange or pink. The flavor is less intense than that the Hawaiian papaya but still is delicious and extremely enjoyable. They are slightly easier to grow than Hawaiian papayas. A properly ripened papaya is juicy, sweetish and somewhat like a cantaloupe in flavor, although musky in some types.
Refrigerate completely ripe fruit and use as soon as possible. Ripe papaya is best eaten raw, whereas slightly green fruit can be cooked as a vegetable.

Origin: Native to southern Mexico and neighboring Central America, papayas are now cultivated in semitropical zones around the world

Tips:Look for richly colored papayas that give slightly to palm pressure.
Slightly green papayas will ripen quickly at room temperature, especially if placed in a paper bag.

Receipe ideas: The papaya can be cut and prepared ahead of serving time. It doesn't darken or discolor when exposed to air. Papayas can be served fresh, baked, stewed, sautéed, barbecued or used as a garnish. Pureed papaya works well in dressings and marinades. A papaya is also a sweet and flavorful ingredient in a fruit smoothie drink. Papayas combine well with others fruits as pineapple, strawberry, orange, banana, coconut, and lime for salads or fruit desserts.

Did you know?:
The fruit is the only fruit containing papain, a substance identical to digestive compounds produced by the pancreas. Papain is also used to clarify beer, bleach fabrics and tenderize meats.
Some cultures call the papaya tree "the medicinal tree" because it's seeds and leaves have been used to make medicine.
They are often called tree-melons.
Papaya is high in vitamin C and a good source of fiber and folate.
A 150-g portion supplies 55 kcal (230 kJ).

Mango

Family: ANACARDIACEAE

Description: Its form is oval, round, heart-shaped, kidney-shaped, or long and slender. The single large seed is flattened, and the juicy flesh that surrounds it is yellow to orange in color. . The leathery skin is waxy and smooth, and when ripe entirely pale green or yellow marked with red. The flesh ranges from pale-yellow to deep-orange. It is essentially peach-like but much more fibrous, extremely juicy. The flavour is pleasant and rich and high in sugars and acid. There is a single, longitudinally ribbed, pale yellowish-white, somewhat woody stone, flattened, oval or kidney-shaped, sometimes rather elongated. It may have along one side a beard of short or long fibers clinging to the flesh cavity, or it may be nearly fiberless and free. Within the stone is the starchy seed, monoembryonic (usually single-sprouting) or polyembryonic (usually producing more than one seedling).

Origin: Come originally from India where the mango trees is considered sacred and are there still used in all kind of rituals.

Tips: A mango is "ready for lunch" if it smells good. Never store unripe mangoes in the fridge. Refrigerate only ripe (soft) mangoes. Ripe mangos may be refrigerated whole and unpeeled for 4-5 days. Peeled, sliced and covered fruit can be stored for 3 days in refrigeration.
Eat sliced mango with a squeeze of lime.

Recipe ideas: Ripe mangos can be enjoyed raw eaten out of hand or as a fresh fruit, dessert, salad or salsa. They are also used for chutney, preserves, and jams.

Did you know?:
India (70% of its fruit-growing area) produces 65% of the world's mango crop.
One of the oldest fruits known in history.
Fresh mangoes are rich in vitamins A, C and D.

Kiwis

Family: ACTINIDIACEAE

Description: Common Names: Kiwifruit, kiwi, Chinese gooseberry, Yang-tao.
Kiwi fruits are egg-sized, oval, and similar in flavour to gooseberries, though much sweeter, with a fuzzy brown skin. The flesh, which is a distinctive green, with tiny purplish seeds surrounding a white core, may be eaten raw or cooked.

Origin: The kiwifruit is native to the Yangtze Valley of northern China and to the coast of eastern China where it was cultivated on a small scale at least 300 years ago.

Tips: Store unripe kiwis at room temperature until skin indents slightly when touched. Place kiwi in a paper bag with an apple or banana, or in a ripening bowl to speed ripening. Ripe kiwis can be kept in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
Avoid product that is too small, has wrinkled skin or is overly soft.

Did you know?:
A good source of vitamin E, which is extremely hard to find in low-fat food sources.
And it is a good source of fiber.
Highly recommended for for growing children and for women after childbirth.
Kiwifruit cannot be blended with yogurt because an enzyme conflicts with the yogurt process. More than twice as much vitamin C as an orange.
A 60-g portion (one fruit) supplies 25 kcal (105 kJ).

Lychee

Family: PASSIFLORACEAE

Description: Common Names: Lychee, Litchi, Leechee, Lichee, Lichi.
Lychees have rosy red skin and white, semi-translucent flesh which is tangy and juicy.

Origin: The lychee is the most popular Chinese fruit, and is extensively grown in the sub-tropical south east, where it has been cultivated for well over a thousand years. The fruit originated either there, or in the ancient kingdom of Annam which is now central Vietnam.

Tips: It may be eaten fresh, frozen, canned in syrup, or dried to produce "litchi nuts."
Lychee keeps 2 weeks when refrigerated and about 6 months frozen. Freeze lychee unpeeled, with a small part of the stem intact for a seal. Store in freezer bags or freezer containers. Occasionally, the lychee shell cracks during freezing, but the fruit's flavor and texture remain good. Defrost before peeling.

Recipe ideas: They mix well with other fruits in salads and as accompaniments for pork and poultry.

Did you know?:
The first fruit culture book, written in 1056, was about lychee.
Romantic Fruit? Emperor Hsuan Tsung (A.D. 712-756) organized a "pony express" to carry fresh lychees from tropical south China to the northern court for Lady Yang Kuei Fei.
This fruit is rich in sugar. It is an Excellent source of vitamin C as well.
A 100-g portion supplies 70 kcal (290 kJ).

Carambola

Family:

Description: Common Names: star fruit
The fruit is an egg-like strawberry up to 10 cm long. It is pointed with 5 protruding longitudinal edges. When cut crosswise, this showy fruit has a striking star shape, which is why it's also called star fruit. The skin is a glossy golden yellow when ripe, its matching flesh beautifully translucent and dotted occasionally with a dark seed. When ripe, the carambola is exceedingly juicy and fragrant. Its flavor, depending on the variety, can range from exotically sweet to refreshingly tart. In general, the broader set the ribs, the sweeter the fruit. The fruits are fragrant, rich in vitamins and too sour (some of the sorts are sweet).

Origin The carambola was introduced to Florida more than 100 years ago and varieties have since been developed especially for Florida.

Tips: Ripened carambolas have superior flavor. Use ripe carambolas within a few days or store, wrapped tightly in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Avoid product that is soft, blemished or has excessive browning along the edges

Recipe ideas: Carambolas are best used fresh. They are also good when crosscut and dried. They may be frozen, pickled, dehydrated or preserved. The skin of the fruit is tender and eaten - no need to peel, although sometime the outer edge of the ribs may be removed if they have become bruised. When preparing the fruit for fresh use it is usually crosscut and the small seeds removed. It can also be cut vertically with the ribs, removing the seeds and inter membrane, then cut into chunks for adding to salads and other fruit mixes. The crosscut slices look great floating in a punch bowl.

Did you know?:
They are a good source of potassium, moderate source of vitamin C, and contribute small amounts of other minerals and vitamins needed daily.

Guava

Family: Myrtaceae

Description: Common Names: Guava, guyava, kuawa.
The guava is a sweet or low-acid fruit suited to eating out of hand. Guavas may have thick or thin skins, depending upon the variety. Skin color is light green to yellow and the flesh may be white, yellow, pink or red. The fruit is usually oval in shape with small edible seeds inside. Some varieties are seedless. There is also a small red guava, known as the Cattley or strawberry guava.
Guavas emit a strong, sweet, pungent fragrance. The flesh is white, red or salmon-colored and flavor ranges from strawberry to lemon to tropical.

Origin: Native to the American tropics, believed to have originated from the region between Peru and Mexico, the guava (Psidium guajava) is one of the more widely utilized tropical fruits throughout the tropical and sub-tropical world.

Tips: The fruit should be ripened at room temperature. A ripe guava softens to the touch.

Recipe ideas:Popular as a fresh table fruit, guava is often consumed as fresh juice. It is processed into juice, nectar, puree, jam and as preserves. Guavas may be frozen, canned, preserved, spiced or made into jam, butter, marmalade, relish, catsup and chutney. Served fresh, it makes a great breakfast fruit sliced with a little sugar and cream. It also mixes well with other tropical fruits for a salad.
Guava paste is a Latin American product. It is pasted and, because of the seeds, it may even be possible to slice it. It works well with cheeses.

Did you know?:
Thais prefer to eat this while still hard, dipped in sugar and dried pepper.
Guava is higher in vitamin C than citrus and it contains appreciable amounts of vitamin A as well. Guava fruits are also a good source of pectin, an enzyme used in making jam as well as promoting digestion. Guava fruit is still enjoyed as a sweet treat by Indigenous peoples throughout the rainforest.

Pineapple

Family: Bromeliaceae p> Description: Common Names: Pineapple, Ananas, Nanas, Pina.

Origin: This tropical beauty received its appellation from the English because of its resemblance to the pine cone. Most other Europeans call it ananas derived from the Paraguayan nana meaning "excellent (or exquisite) fruit." The pineapple is native to Central and South America, where symbolic representations of its form were found in pre-Incan ruins. Hawaii, now this fruit's leading producer, didn't see its first pineapple until the late 1700s. For centuries the pineapple (in the form of carved wood, stone sculptures and the like) has been used to symbolize hospitality.

Tips: When buying a fresh pineapple, select one that feels heavy, has deep green leaves and no bruises, mold or soft areas. Smell the pineapple to ensure it has a good fruity aroma. Pull off one of the pineapple leaves. If the leaf comes off easily, the pineapple should be sufficiently ripe. Store the fresh pineapple in the refrigerator when you get home to prevent further ripeness and to preserve freshness.

Recipe ideas:

Did you know?:
In 1493 Columbus found the fruit on the island of Guadaloupe and carried it back to Spain.
Into the 1600s, the pineapple remained so uncommon and coveted a commodity that King Charles II of England posed for an official portrait in an act then symbolic of royal privilege -- receiving a pineapple as a gift. In 1892, Captain John Kidwell, an English horticulturist, was the first to can pineapple.
Hawaii is the only state in the United States that produces canned pineapple.
Pineapples are a great source of fiber and vitamin C.

Passion Fruits (purple and yellow)

Family: PASSIFLORACEAE

Description: Common Names: granadilla (Brazil), lilikoi (Hawaii)
The passion fruit is nearly round or egg-shaped, about the size of a lime. Its leathery, purple-brown skin becomes brittle and wrinkled when ripe. Inside, the yellowish, jelly-like pulp has a lemony, tart flavor and contains an abundance of small, black edible seeds.

Origin:The name of "passion fruit" resulted from the diaries of early Spanish missionaries who recorded accounts of seeing the flowers during church holiday seasons, especially during the Lent and Easter holidays, reminding them of the passion of Christ.
The purple variety of Passion Fruit is native to southern Brazil through Paraguay to northern Argentina. The yellow type has unknown origins, but it is thought that perhaps it is from the Amazon region or Australia. Though native to Brazil, passion fruit is now also grown in Australia, California, Florida, Hawaii and New Zealand. Starting from nothing in 1976, Puerto Rico now produces more than 3,000 tons of passionfruit a year.

Tips: Choose large, heavy, firm fruit with a deep-purple color free from brown soft spots. Store ripe passion fruit in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Avoid product that is soft. Mold is okay - it can be wiped off.

Recipe ideas: The flesh is delicious eaten as it is, or to flavor fruit salads and juices. Flavor is tense but pulp can be eaten out of hand once you have cut through the leathery skim. The juice is sometimes described as a blend of citrus, pineapple and guava. Passion fruit seeds are edible so you can swallow them with the pulp.
It can be served plain as a dessert or used to flavor a variety of foods like sauces, ice creams and beverages.

Did you know?:
It has a tranquilizing effect on your body. Eat them before you go to sleep and you will dream sweet dreams. Passion fruit contains a fair amount of vitamins A and C.
A 100-g portion (four fruits, 60 g of edible flesh and pips) supplies 20 kcal (85 kJ).

Physalis

Family: SOLANACEAE

Description: Common Names: Golden berry, cape gooseberry, Peruvian cherry, ground tomatoe, husk cherry, Poha, Poha Berry.
The Cape gooseberry has a unique feature - it is enclosed in a pale brown parchment-like case, called the Cape or Calyx. Inside is a berry with smooth, waxy, orange-yellow skin and juicy pulp containing numerous very small yellowish seeds. As the fruits ripen, they begin to drop to the ground, but will continue to mature and change from green to the golden-yellow of the mature fruit. Its taste is sweet and sour.

Origin: Andes from Chile to Colombia, between 2,000 and 3,500 m. The name was adopted by Australians, who received their first plants from the Cape of Good Hope. It's generally cultivated in tropical zones such as Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India and China.

Tips: To use the berries, peel back the parchmentlike husk and rinse. Look for those with a bright golden color; green berries are not ripe.

Recipe ideas:The ripe fruit can be eaten fresh or due to its high pectin content makes an excellent jam. In fact, in India, they are commonly known as "jam fruit". It is also a great ingredient in salads, cooked dishes and dessert pies. The fruit dries into tasty "raisins".
I would personally recommend to dip it in chocolate: a delice.

Did you know?:
The unripe fruit is said to be poisonous to some people.
In Colombia, it is as considered beneficial for diabetic people.
Cape Gooseberry is a blood purifier which helps eliminate albumin from kidneys.
Due to it's high content of vitamin A, they are considered a strengthener for the optic nerve.
A 100-g portion is a rich source of vitamin C and a source of vitamin A (as carotene); supplies 70 kcal (295 kJ).

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