What fruit is highly portable with a leathery skin and sometimes called, "nature's most labor-intensive fruit?"Pugnacious Pomegranate (Punica granatum)
COMMON TROPICAL FRUIT
Pomegranate
Pineapple
Mango
Carambola
Banana
Papaya
Avocado
What fruit is highly portable with a leathery skin and sometimes called, "nature's most labor-intensive fruit?"If you don't like winter, blame Persephone. It was pomegranate seeds she ate that gave Pluto power over her, preventing her return to Earth, thus causing winter. The fruit's origin is the Middle East, and the Moors brought pomegranate to Spain where it became the national emblem. Granada, named from the fruit, has an avenue of pomegranate trees that were planted by the Moors.
Pomegranates grow on a spiny, six-foot shrub, are round, reddish-gold, and about two to five inches in diameter. Their distinctive crown is the fruit's blossom end. Juicy, crunchy kernels inside the pomegranate are held in a cream-colored, bitter membrane that is not edible.
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.
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. Pomegranate juice is the original ingredient in Grenadine although contemporary manufacturers may utilize a synthetic.
Pineapple On Trees...Never! Not On Bushes Either!Pineapple is a herbaceous, perennial plant of the bromeliadfamily with large, pointed leaves. It develops from tiny, lavenderflowers on a short stalk that grow from the center of the leaves.The flowers fuse with the bracts to become fleshy and to formthe pineapple. Bet you didn't know that pineapple's fibrous, chewycore is the original flower stalk! When you see the hexagonalsections of the pineapple rind, look at each section, a botanicallyindividual fruit, which merged to form the finished product.
Hawaiian pineapple is ready to eat when harvested and it isrushed to market at optimum sweetness. Don't store pineapple expectingit to ripen like other fruit. In the growing process, the starchin the fruit's leaves converts to sugar and goes directly to thefruit. Once picked, the fruit is cut off from its "sweetness"supply.
Look for fresh, green leaves and be certain they are not wiltedor brown. The pineapple should smell sweet and be firm with nosoft spots. There is a new pineapple in your future. Del Monte's latest creation, Golden Pineapple, is now in many mainland and European markets. Sweeter, juicier, golden, and loaded with three, yes xxx, times the vitamin C of the older model. This pineapple grows in Costa Rica and the Philippines. Only a limited number are being grown on Oahu by Del Monte, and no word about future Hawaiian production at this time.
Latest production figures from the Del Monte offices in Florida are that 40-50,000 new Golden Pineapples are shipped weekly to both mainland US and Europe. The Golden Pineapple carries a name tag for easy identification. Happy munching!
The most flavorful use for a fresh pineapple is the simplest.Don't mask its sweet flavor with a rich dressing or bake the freshnessfrom it. Use canned pineapple for richly dressed salads, marinades,and baked goods. Fresh pineapple is good uncooked as a toppingfor a cheesecake or a tart and in fresh fruit salad. Serve itcubed with a dash of brandy or kirsch for dessert. Fresh pineappleis the perfect ending to a dinner because its enzymes aid digestion.
MadAbout Mango! Mango, one of the earliest cultivated fruits, has been grownin India for about 5,000 years. At least 500 mango varieties aregrown there. In Hawaii, mangos are a common backyard fruit often eatenripe, but they are also enjoyed green with vinegar, soy sauce, salt, andpepper.
Mangos can be round, oval, or oblong and the fruit color canvary from green to yellow-orange. When buying mangos, select unblemished,firm fruit. It will ripen in three to five days at room temperature.If refrigerated, mango keeps well for about a week.
If you are lucky enough to have a mango tree, you may be overwhelmedwith your crop. Mango pulp can be successfully frozen for aboutone year as puree or slices. Peel mangos, remove pulp from theseed, and use a food processor fitted with a steel blade to pureethe fruit. Pour the puree into ice cube trays and freeze. Packcubes into freezer bags, or pour puree directly into freezer bagsand freeze as a block. To freeze mango slices, seal them tightlyin freezer bags or containers. Do not add sugar or water.
Frozen mango puree slices easily with a sharp knife,almost like cold butter. No need to thaw. Return remainder ofunused, frozen mango puree immediately to the freezer. Frozenmango puree can be used in sorbet, salad dressing, and marinade.
Clean the fuzzy mango seed removing as much pulp as possible.Plant it horizontally in a six-inch pot with a good planting medium.Place the seed on the surface of the pot with about a quarterof the seed embedded in the soil. Do not overwater and feed asyou would a regular houseplant. Mangos are hearty plants and inabout a month you will have a mango plant underway. As the plantmatures, shape your "tree" by pinching off leaves.
Star fruit, or "five corners", are other names forthis juicy, refreshing fruit. It is green-yellow, about threeto six inches long, and has five distinct, lengthwise ridges.The thin, waxy skin is edible, and sliced thinly, carambola isa good addition to a fruit or green salad.
If you have a carambola tree, freeze the juice for use in smoothies,ice tea, tropical drinks, salad dressing, sorbet, and marinade.When purchasing star fruit, select those without brown spots.If the carambola ribs show a brown line, remove them before slicingto eliminate the fruit's oxalic acid and to give it a sweetertaste. Carambola Tips: Make stars by slicing the fruit crosswiseinto 1/4-inch pieces; add two cups of star fruit slices to salsa;use star fruit for chutney; grill star fruit slices on skewerswith shrimp or chicken; make star fruit pickles.
Bananas are picked mature, but green, and should be thoroughlyripened before eating for easy digestion and absorption of nutrients.If left on the stalk to ripen, bananas split, become insect infested,and get eaten by birds and rodents. In Hawaii, backyard growerspick bananas when the sharp corners of the fruit are rounded andplump. The stalk is hung in a cool place to ripen. Unfortunately,most bananas on a stalk ripen at the same time, and I've had 126bananas at one time!
The banana plant is a large herb, and the fruit is a berry whichhad many seeds in its early form. Early man propagated and developedthe banana removing most of the seeds and improving the textureand taste. There are about 300 varieties of bananas. A favoritevariety in Hawaii is the "finger" banana because itis about the length of a finger. It is a dense, sweet banana.
If you encounter an oversize banana, it is probably a plantain.This is a cooking banana, not eaten raw, and a staple food inmany countries. Plantains can be cooked, still in the skin, in the microwavefor about five minutes, or until tender. It should feel soft whenready to eat. Plantains can be grilled, also unpeeled, and area good accompaniment to fish. Their consistency is similar tosquash, but the flavor is much sweeter.
Bananas are terrific in smoothies and, if frozen, make the smoothiesthicker. Refrigerating a banana does not damage the flesh, onlythe peel turns black. When a banana reaches the desired ripeness,it can be refrigerated at least three days.
Overripe bananas can be peeled, mashed, and frozen for smoothies,cakes, breads, and ice cream. Just ripe bananas can be peeled,skewered on half a wooden chopstick, wrapped tightly, and frozen.Coat the frozen banana with chocolate topping which hardens ona cold surface before eating.
Pluck-A-PapayaBecause papaya dates from prehistoric times, there are dozensof varieties. Some are tiny while others are the size of a watermelon.In addition to being popular as a breakfast fruit and in salads,papaya's coolness and bland flavor in salsas complement spicyfood. Papaya pulp is a good addition to a marinade because itsbeneficial enzyme, papain, is a meat tenderizer. This fact accountsfor its unsuitability with commercial gelatin which have a protein(animal) base. Papaya, pineapple, and kiwi will not congeal.
Green papaya ripens at room temperature in about 3-5 days. Ripepapaya can be refrigerated for a week. Green papaya can be usedin salsa and added to stews or soups like a vegetable. Papayaseeds are peppery and can be pulverized for salad dressing andmarinade. Add a slice of lemon or lime to a papaya half at breakfastor lunch to enhance the papaya flavor. For dessert, add a dipof sorbet to a papaya half. Cubes of papaya, fresh pineapple,and mango can be slightly warmed as a wonderful accompanimentfor fish or poultry.
EatYour Green Pear When It Turns Black! AvocadoAvocado, a native to tropical America, is a common backyardtree in Hawaii. It has been considered an aphrodisiac in somecultures. Avocado contains seventeen vitamins and minerals andhas more potassium than many other fruits and vegetables.
Avocado ripens only after it is picked and may need 10 days toripen. When ripe, an avocado will yield to pressure. Use mashedavocado as a topping for baked potatoes or include it in a saladdressing for a rich, creamy texture. Mashed avocado is also goodto stuff mushroom caps and omelets and to top hamburgers and othersandwiches.
Go on to Uncommon Tropical Fruits
©1996-2003 Marilyn Rittenhouse Harris (home.hawaii.rr.com/tropicalfruit)
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