Fruit with red
or yellow or green skin and sweet to tart crisp whitish flesh
Apricot
A
small stone fruit with a thin, velvety, pale yellow to deep burnt orange
skin, a meaty golden cream to bright orange flesh and an almond-shaped pit;
it is highly perishable, with a peak season during June and July; the pit's
kernel is used to flavor alcoholic beverages and confection.
Mandarin
The Mandarin
orange is a small citrus tree (Citrus reticulata) with fruit resembling the
orange. The fruit is oblate, rather than spherical, and roughly resembles a
pumpkin in shape. Mandarin oranges are usually eaten plain or in fruit
salads. Varieties of mandarin orange include the tangerine, clementine,
dancy, tangor, satsuma and several new varieties recently released by UCR
such as the Goldnugget.
Peach
The peach is a
tree, Prunus persica, and the juicy fruit that it bears, which has a single
large seed encased in hard wood (called the pit or stone), yellow or whitish
flesh, a delicate aroma, and a velvety skin. Peaches, along with cherries,
plums, and apricots, are stone fruits (drupes). Cultivated peaches are
divided into freestone and clingstone varieties, depending on whether the
flesh sticks to the pit; both kinds can be any color.
Banana
Grown in the
warm, humid tropics, bananas are picked and shipped green; contrary to
nature`s norm, they are one fruit that develops better flavor when ripened
off the bush. Banana bushes mature in about 15 months and produce one
50-pound bunch of bananas apiece. Each bunch includes several "hands" of a
dozen or so bananas (fingers). Choose plump, evenly colored yellow bananas
flecked with tiny brown specks (a sign of ripeness). Avoid those with
blemishes, which usually indicate bruising.
Limon
There are dozens
of varieties of citrus that take the moniker limón. The familiar yellow
oblong, green ones that look just like limes but have a distinct flavor, the
ones the size of large grapes with bright orange flesh are often squeezed
into cerveza and the large warty limón dulce which are best as lemonade.
Orange
Orange refers to
a citrus tree (Citrus × sinensis) and the fruits of this tree. It is a
hybrid of ancient cultivated origin, possibly between pummelo (Citrus
maxima) and tangerine (Citrus reticulata). It is a small tree, growing to
about 10 m tall, with thorny shoots and evergreen leaves 4-10 cm long. The
fruit originated in southeast Asia, in either India, Vietnam or southern
China.
Pineapple
Pineapple may be
a powerful anti-inflammatory when fresh. It contains bromelain, which
promotes good digestion of carbohydrates, and as a powerful
anti-inflammatory, is of great use for various conditions, including muscle
strain from sport injuries and post-dental discomfort. Pineapple may also
contain antibacterial compounds, as pineapple juice was used traditionally
as a gargle to treat sore throats.
Strawberry
Strawberries are
used by some to treat anemia, joint disease, and to strengthen the
circulatory system and help balance hormones. They contain high amounts of
vitamin C, as well as iron, which needs vitamin C to be absorbed
efficiently. Vitamin C is an antioxidant. Strawberries are high in pectin, a
soluble fiber that may lower cholesterol. Strawberries were traditionally
used in European medicine to eliminate kidney stones.
Kiwi
The kiwi fruit is
originally from China, but is now widely grown in all moderate climates. Its
stark green color makes it a popular garnish, but it is a pleasant tasting
fruit on its own.
Pomegranate
The pomegranate
Punica granatum is a species of fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree
growing to 5-8 m tall. Although it was previously given its own family
Punicaceae, recent genetic evidence shows that it is a member of the family
Lythraceae. The pomegranate is believed to have originated in the area from
Iran east to northern India, but has been cultivated around the
Mediterranean for so long (several millennia) that its true native range is
not accurately known.
Pear
About 30 species,
including: Pears are trees of the genus Pyrus and the fruit of that tree,
edible in some species. Pears are native to temperate regions of the Old
World, from western Europe and north Africa east right across Asia. They are
medium sized trees, reaching 10-17 m tall, often with a tall, narrow crown;
a few species are shrubby.
Plural grapes
Grapes may
promote heart health, help prevent cancer, support immunity, and strengthen
bones. Grapes contain ellagic acid, a substance that blocks the production
of enzymes that cancer cells need to grow. Grape skins also contain
polyphenols, which help prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol (strongly
correlated with heart disease), and have antiviral activity as well. Grape
skins also contain quercetin, a flavonoid, with antioxidant activity, which
may protect the heart.
Mango
The mango (Mangifera
spp.; plural mangos or mangoes) is a genus of about 35 species of tropical
fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae, native to India
and Indo-China, of which the Indian Mango M. indica is by far the most
important commercially. Reference to mangos as the "food of the gods" can be
found in the Hindu Vedas. The name of the fruit comes from the Tamil word
man-kay, which was corrupted to manga by the Portuguese when they explored
western India.
Coconut tree
The grated flesh
of the coconut is frequently added to food. It can also be squeezed in water
to make coconut milk. To make fresh coconut milk, put 2 cups of freshly
grated ripe coconut into a bowl and add 2 cups of lukewarm water. Squeexe
and knead the coconut thoroughly for 1 minute, then strain thorugh
cheesecloth into a bowl to obtain thick coconut milk. Repeat the process
with another 1 cup of water to obtain thin coconut milk. Combine both for
the coconut milk.
