|
Tropical Fruits
|
Bananas
|
|
Bananas are the most popular fruit in North America. They are sweet, nutritious, easy to carry in lunch bags, backpacks, briefcases and purses and, in many cases, are baby’s first food.
Choose bananas according to the peel color and ripeness desired. Select full-yellow bananas for salads or immediate eating. Use fully ripe bananas, with speckles on the peel for baking, smoothies or recipes that specify mashed bananas. Remove bananas from plastic produce bag and store at room temperature. The warmer it is, the faster the bananas will ripen. To slow ripening, refrigerate (peel will turn black but the fruit inside will be fresh and ripe). Bananas can be frozen once the banana is peeled and stored in a freezer bag until ready to use (use a bit of lemon juice to reduce browning).
If bananas are too green, place them in a brown paper bag, in a warm dry area (but not in direct sunlight) for a day or two to encourage ripening. If there is still not enough yellow appearing on the peel, place a ripe apple in the bag with the bananas.
Bananas are available year-round.
Bananas are naturally fat-free and cholesterol free. Bananas are an excellent source of natural fiber, potassium and vitamin C and they are low in carbohydrates. One medium banana has about 90 calories.
• Banana trees are not trees. The plant is a giant herb.
• The average banana contains .6 grams of fat.
• Unripe bananas have about 25 percent starch and only 1 percent sugar. Natural enzyme action converts this high starch content to sugar, so ripe bananas have a 20 percent sugar content.
• Until the early 1800s in Hawaii, most bananas were ‘kapu’ – forbidden for women of Hawaii under penalty of death.
• 60 percent of the bananas produced in the world are consumed in the United States.
Pineapple
|
|
The exquisite flavor and aroma of pineapple make it a welcome addition to any cook’s table. The British thought the fruit’s bumpy, diamond-shaped pattern resembled a pine cone and so called it a pineapple.
Pineapples must be picked ripe because, once off the tree, the starch will not turn to sugar. Choose pineapple that is plump and slightly soft to the touch. The stem end should have a sweet aroma. Fresh, deep-green leaves are a good sign. Store whole ripe pineapples, tightly sealed, in the refrigerator for three days. Once cut, tightly sealed pineapple can remain in the refrigerator three more days.
To prepare pineapple, cut a thick slice from the top and the bottom. Pare skin from top downward. Next, remove eyes by cutting diagonal grooves. Finally, cut into eighths and remove the core section from each.
Pineapple is available year-round.
Pineapple is naturally fat-free and naturally cholesterol free. They provide dietary fiber, pineapples offer a source of vitamin C, some iron and calcium. Just under four ounces of fresh pineapple contains about 60 calories. Pineapple is rich in vitamin C. Low fat diets rich in fruits and vegetables may help control weight.
• Pineapples can weigh up to 20 pounds.
• More than one-third of the world’s commercial supply of pineapples comes from Hawaii.
|
Mangoes
|
|
The fragrant, juicy sweetness of a ripe mango is one of life’s true pleasures. Many claim the only way to eat a mango is over a sink – they’re that juicy. When ripe, a mango yields to gentle pressure like a ripe avocado, and the stem end has a gentle aroma. Choose plump mangos, avoiding those with shriveled or bruised skin.
Ripen at room temperature, uncovered, out of direct sunlight. Refrigerate ripe mangoes in a plastic bag for up to three days.
To peel and pit a mango, place it stem-side up. With a long knife, make a vertical slice starting at ¼ inch to the right of the stem. Repeat on the other side. Lightly score the flesh of the mango into diamonds. When scoring, go down to, but not through, the skin. Buckle the skin, pushing the flesh outward so that it resembles a porcupine. Slice off in cubes.
Mangoes are available January through October.
Mangoes are naturally fat-free and naturally cholesterol free. Mangoes are rich in vitamin A, and a good source of vitamin C.
• More fresh mangoes are eaten every day than any other fruit in the world.
|
Papaya
|
|
Papayas range from 1 to 20 pounds. The variety most often found in the United States is the Solo. Six inches long and about a pound-and-a-half in weight, the Solo is pear-shaped with a vivid golden skin. The flesh, also golden, is juicy and smooth, with an exotic sweet-tart flavor. The center cavity is packed with gelatin-covered seeds.
A blotchy, deeply colored papaya often packs more flavor. Test for ripeness by touch; it should yield to gentle pressure.
A green papaya ripens quickly at room temperature. Refrigerate ripe fruit and use as soon as possible. Ripe papayas are best eaten raw. Green papayas can be cooked as a vegetable. Halve the papaya and remove the seeds. Seeds are edible, but very peppery. The skin is easily removed with a vegetable peeler.
Mangoes are available nearly year-round.
Mangoes are naturally fat-free and cholesterol free. Papayas are rich in vitamin A, and a good source of vitamin C.
• The papaya tree can grow from a seed to a 20 ft. fruit bearing tree in less than 10 months.
• The papaya can range in size from 1 to 20 pounds.
|
Star Fruit
|
|
This is a stunning fruit, both in appearance and in taste. Glossy yellow with prominent ribs, it forms star shapes when sliced horizontally. The taste is a flowery combination of plums, McIntosh apples and Concord grapes, with a touch of citrus. The edible skin is thin and slightly waxy.
When choosing a star fruit, look for wide ribs on evenly colored fruit. Narrow ribbed fruit tend to be tart. Avoid fruit with browned or squished ribs.
If green, store at room temperature until yellow and fruit has a full, floral-fruity fragrance. Ripe star fruit keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Rinse and slice thinly. Star fruit need not be skinned, but if the ribs are dark, peel with a vegetable peeler.
Star Fruit is available year-round.
Star Fruit are naturally fat-free and naturally cholesterol free.
|
Guava
|
![]()
|
Ripe guavas have a tantalizing scent, shifting from musk when unripe to flowery sweet when ripe. The guava is an egg-shaped fruit that tastes of honey, melon and strawberries
Guavas ripen quickly at room temperature, so look for firm fruit. Avoid fruit with bruises or soft spots. Look for good color and a strong scent. Use as soon as fruit ripens. Refrigerate for one day when fully ripened.
Guavas are traditionally used for jellies, preserves and chutney. Guavas deliver a burst of flavor when used with other fruits in salads, sauces or desserts. To prepare, slice off the top, halve lengthwise and cut into chunks. Remove seeds, if any.
Guavas are available from June through March.
Guavas are naturally fat-free and naturally cholesterol free.
• Guavas have 5 times the vitamin C of oranges, are also rich in vitamin B1 and vitamin A.
|
Kiwifruit
|
|
Covered with a fuzzy, brown skin, the egg-shaped kiwifruit has a dramatic interior. A pale center is surrounded by emerald flesh, freckled with tiny black edible seeds. The taste has been likened to a combination of cantaloupe, strawberry and citrus. Kiwifruit, originally an export of New Zealand, was named for their famous kiwi bird.
Choose fruit with unbroken and unbruised skin. A ripe kiwifruit yields to gentle pressure.
Most kiwis are sold hard and must be ripened at home. Ripen at room temperature, out of the sun. Refrigerate ripe kiwifruit for up to one week.
Peel skin with a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler. Slice crosswise. Kiwifruit will not discolor when exposed to air. Heating is not recommended.
Kiwifruit is available year-round.
Kiwifruit are naturally fat-free and naturally cholesterol free.
• There are more than 400 different varieties of kiwi fruit in China where they have been used for over 700 years.
• Kiwifruit can be used as a natural meat tenderizer.
|
Coconut
|
|
Coconuts are hard work, but the sweet flesh is well worth the effort. A coconut is multi-layered. A smooth, thick, hard, tan shell is removed before exporting. The next layer is the hairy, brown husk, then a tough brown membrane and finally the sweet, white coconut.
Choose a coconut that is heavy for its size. Shake the coconut to hear liquid movement. The 3 “eyes” should not be wet.
Store whole coconuts in the refrigerator for several weeks. Store coconut liquid for only one day. Store cut chunks or grated coconut in an airtight container for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
To crack coconut, first puncture the “eyes” and drain out the juice (this is not coconut milk). Heat the coconut in a 350° F oven for 15 minutes. Let stand until warm, wrap in a towel and crack with a hammer. One medium coconut yields three to four cups of grated coconut for sprinkling over salads or in desserts.
Coconuts are available year-round.
Coconuts are low in sodium. Most fresh fruits and vegetables are low sodium foods. Diets low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
• Coconut oil was the world’s leading vegetable oil until soybean oil took over in the 1960s.
• There are more than 20 billion coconuts produced each year.
• One cup of unsweetened shredded coconut has about 25 grams fat and 280 calories.
|
