Be Successful With FRUIT
when we think of fruit, we tend to think of fresh foods that are sweet and fleshy. However the dictionary definition of a fruit is "the seed bearing part of a plant used as fruit". This includes many foods that we traditionally think of as vegetables or even nuts or grain for example cucurbits, tomatoes, peas, beans, corn, eggplant, sweet pepper and spices, such as allspice and chillies. There are even some foods we call fruit, like rhubarb, which is not a fruit.
Types of Fruit
Fruits can be grouped into different types:
- Tropical and Exotic (Bananas, Mango, Pineapple, Carambola)
- Fruit-Vegetables (Cucumber, Tomato, Green and Hot Pepper, Avocado)
- Citrus (Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit, Orange, Tangerine, Pumello)
- Berries and Small Fruit (Strawberry, Raspberry, Huckleberry, Currants, Grapes)
- Tree fruit (Apple, Apricot, Cherry, Peach, Nectarine, Fig, Pear)
- Melons (Watermelon , Sweet Melon, Papaya, Galia, Casaba)
- Nuts (Peanuts, Almonds, Hazelnuts, Chestnuts, Macadamianuts, Groundnuts)
Buy or not Buy?
For most fruits there is a simple test of freshness that you can use before you buy. The best thing you can do is smell them. This doesn't apply for watermelons. The only way to pick a ripe watermelon at your store is to do the flat hand test: Tap the melon with your flat hand. If the sound is deep and thick you probably have found a ripe and sweet fruit.
There is a lot of information about the nutritional facts of fruit and everyone agrees that it is an important part of your daily diet. You need around 5 portions of fruit and vegetables together every day. My top reasons are:
- They're packed with vitamins and minerals.
- They can help you to maintain a healthy weight.
- They're an excellent source of fibre and antioxidants.
- They help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and some cancers.
Cooking with Fruit
There are so many different ways to use fruit in cooking. From baked apples, pies to cooking chicken with different fruits. One very tasty way to eat fruit is a Smoothie. Smoothies are made up of the fruit, freshly squeezed juice and yogurt all blended fresh to ensure your smoothie is as fresh as possible providing the maximum nutrients and vitamins. Fruits can also be squeezed and blended in any combination.
Tip for chopping dry fruits: Freeze them first for one hour and then dip the knife into hot water before cutting them.