Tamarind

Dilute the tamarind concentrate to your liking with water and use it to add zip to sauces, chutney, curries, and marinades. It adds a special taste and color to pineapple and mango chutneys. Tamarind is wonderful as a dipping sauce for kebobs as well as drizzled over pastries.

Pomegranate (Delima)

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.

Apple Trees

Apple trees are deciduous, fruit bearing trees that grow primarily in the northern hemisphere. They prefer the dry climate and warm summers of Canada and America, and cannot be grown in the tropics, or above the Arctic Circle. There are some apple trees that are now cultivated in Australia and New Zealand. When grown in the wild, apple trees often have thorns on the branches, in order to protect the fruit.

Apple trees are also flowering trees, and it is the pollination of their flowers that will allow for fruit to grow. When planting apple trees in a garden, it is important to know that many apple trees do not self-pollinate. For this reason, only one apple tree in the garden may not be able to produce much, if any fruit. To solve this, plant several different varieties of apple trees with similar flowering times to allow for cross-pollination.

Apple trees should be planted in November, if possible. They can also be planted up to the end of March. This is when the soil is most friable. The apple trees should be planted firmly, with the soil pressed down hard around the roots. The apple trees should then be tied to a strong enough stake, for support until the roots take hold. Mulch should be applied around the base of the apple trees, to help retain moisture during the first growing period.

The fruit of apple trees come in many different sizes and colors, ranging from almost cherry sized to grapefruit sized, yellow and green to red. The fruit from apple trees should be eaten directly from the tree or within a week of harvest. Fruit that will be stored from apple trees should be kept in a cool, dark, moist and frost-proof location.

Pear Sandwich

2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
8 slices pumpernickel bread
6 ounces gouda cheese, shredded
1 anjou pear, quartered and thinly sliced
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a small frying pan over medium heat.
2. Add the onion, seasoning with salt and pepper and cook until carmelized and set aside.
3. In assembly line fashion, put cheese, onions, and pear slices on 4 slices of bread and top with the remaining 4 slices.
4. Heat a frying pan to medium-low heat and melt 1 tbsp butter.
5. Add the sandwiches and grill until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted.
6. Flip the sandwiches to toast the other side.

Melon Salad

1/2 whole watermelon
1/2 whole cantaloupe
1/2 whole honeydew

1. Use a baller and ball watermelon until you reach the rind.
2. Place balled watermelon into a bowl.
3. Repeat with cantaloupe and honeydew.
4. Use baller to scrape unusable parts of fruit until the rinds are clean of ripe,eatable fruit and discard.
5. Place the balled fruit back into the watermelon rind.
6. Mix fruit until colors are blended.

Fruits for Health

Fruits and vegetables contain essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Compared with people who consume a diet with only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts as part of a healthful diet are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers.

Ambarella

Spondias dulcis
Native to parts of southeast Asia. It is rarely cultivated outside of Asia.
Pleasant tasting acidic fruit about the size of an apple with a pineapple-mango like flavor and crunchy texture. Fruit is little known throughout much of the world but better varieties have an excellent flavor.

Kaffir Lime (Jeruk Purut)

Citrus hystrix
Native to Indonesia.
Bumpy, green, maturing to yellow skinned citrus fruit with a highly acidic flavor. The leaves are an important flavoring in Thai and other southeast Asian dishes.
Small tree, from 6-25ft in height. The Kaffir Lime is easily distinguished by its glossy, two-part leaves. Trees also usually contain some thorns. Trees are mildly frost hardy and grow best in areas that receive only short, mild frosts. Grow in full sun, provide water during growing months and protect from hard drou hts. Fertilize at tthe beginning of growing season.

Papaya

Because 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.

Pineapples

The pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a tropical plant and fruit (multiple), probably native to Uruguay, Brazil or Paraguay. It is a tall (1–1.5 m) herbaceous perennial plant with 30 or more trough-shaped and pointed leaves 30–100 cm long, surrounding a thick stem. The pineapple is an example of a multiple fruit: multiple, spirally-arranged flowers along the axis each produce a fleshy fruit that becomes pressed against the fruits of adjacent flowers, forming what appears to be a single fleshy fruit. The leaves of the Smooth Cayenne cultivar mostly lack spines except at the leaf tip, but the Spanish and Queen cultivars have large spines along the leaf margins. Pineapples are the only bromeliad fruit in widespread cultivation. It is one of the most commercially important plants which carry out Crassulacean acid metabolism, or CAM photosynthesis.
The fruitlets of a pineapple are arranged in two interlocking spirals, eight spirals in one direction, thirteen in the other; each being a Fibonacci number. This is one of many examples of Fibonacci numbers appearing in nature.
The natural (or most common) pollinator of the pineapple is the hummingbird. Pollination is required for seed formation; the presence of seeds negatively affects the quality of the fruit. In Hawaii, where pineapple is cultivated on an agricultural scale, importation of hummingbirds is prohibited for this reason.
At one time, most canned and fresh pineapples came from the cultivar "Smooth Cayenne". Since about 2000, the most common fresh pineapple fruit found in U.S. and European supermarkets is a low-acid hybrid that was developed in Hawaii in the early 1970s. Pineapple is commonly used in desserts and other types of fruit dishes, or served on its own. Fresh pineapple is often somewhat expensive as the tropical fruit is delicate and difficult to ship. Pineapples can ripen after harvest, but require certain temperatures for this process to occur. The ripening of pineapples can be rather difficult as they will not ripen for some time and in a day or two become over-ripe, therefore, pineapples are most widely available canned.

Jackfruit

The jackfruit is believed indigenous to the rain forests of the Western Ghats of India. It spread early on to other parts of India, southeast Asia, the East Indies and ultimately the Philippines. It is often planted in central and eastern Africa and is fairly popular in Brazil and Surinam.

The jackfruit tree is handsome and stately. In the tropics it grows to an enormous size, like a large eastern oak. In California it is very doubtful that it would ever approach this size. All parts contain a sticky, white latex.

Jackfruit is the largest tree-borne fruit in the world, reaching 80 pounds in weight and up to 36 inches long and 20 inches in diameter. The exterior of the compound fruit is green or yellow when ripe. The interior consists of large edible bulbs of yellow, banana-flavored flesh that encloses a smooth, oval, light-brown seed. The seed is 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches long and 1/2 to 3/4 inches thick and is white and crisp within. There may be 100 or up to 500 seeds in a single fruit, which are viable for no more than three or four days. When fully ripe, the unopened jackfruit emits a strong disagreeable odor, resembling that of decayed onions, while the pulp of the opened fruit smells of pineapple and banana.

There are two main varieties. In one, the fruits have small, fibrous, soft, mushy, but very sweet carpels with a texture somewhat akin to a raw oysters. The other variety is crisp and almost crunchy though not quite as sweet. This form is the more important commercially and is more palatable to western tastes.

Avocado

1)Pear shaped tropical fruit.
2)Are a very nutritious fruit for the body and the skin. Avocados contain a nutritious natural fat that lowers the cholesterol level in the blood and they contain a lot of vitamin A, B, & E and is therefore used in a lot of skincare products.
3)Another name for the avocado is Aligator Pear.
4)Contains iron and vitamin C.
5)Is nice to sprinkle it with lemon- or limejuice.

Fruit Juice and Weight Gain

Experts generally recommend limiting children's fruit juice drinking due to potential excess calorie intake. The higher a child's fruit juice intake, the greater the gain in body fat over time -- generally among children who are initially overweight or on the verge of becoming so. Children who eat whole fruits gain less body fat. Many fruit juices typically contain added sugar, and therefore, calories. The fruit juice boxes so popular with kids typically contain about 100 calories each. So a few of those each day can start to add up. Pediatrics, November 2006.

However, pure fruit juice should not put weigh on kids if drank in moderate amounts. Contrary to popular belief, drinking pure 100 percent fruit juice does not make young children overweight or at risk for becoming overweight. Pure fruit juice provides essential nutrients and, in moderation, may actually help children maintain a healthy weight. The key here is moderation.

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
3 large cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1) Place sliced cucumbers in a medium bowl.
2) Sprinkle with salt and let stand for 1 hour.
3) Drain cucumbers on paper towels, pressing to remove excess liquid.
4) Return cucumbers to bowl, and stir in remaininig ingredients.
5) Chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Cantaloupe Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
2 medium cantaloupes, peeled, cut into chunks
1 pineapple, peeled, cut into chunks
1 cup raisins
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 large apple, cut into chunks
1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon grated orange peel

Stir together the yogurt and orange peel. Chill.
Mix all fruits in a large salad bowl.
Add the nuts and pour chilled yogurt mixture over fruit, toss, and serve.

Malay Apple

Syzygium malaccense

A very beautiful fruit, usually deep red in color, pear shaped, with a waxy skin, about the size of an apple. Flesh is crunchy, often juicy, with a mild sweet flavor. Some varieties have white or pink skin.

Almost always eaten fresh and chilled. Malay apple's make great thirst quenching snacks. The fruit can also be used to make wines.

A medium to large sized tree growing to over 60 ft in some areas. Malay apple's thrive in tropical conditions and are too tender to grow outdoors in California and most of Florida. In Hawaii, Malay apples (mountain apples) commonly grow in mid-elevation rain forest areas, often as large understory trees. They do not succeed as well at sea level. Trees usually require little care other than year-round water. Flowering usually occurs in early summer followed by fruit ripening 3 months later.

Java Plum (Jamblang)

Syzygium cumini

Small, dark red-purple, ovaloid fruit, sometimes up to 2" long. The pulp ranges from purple to white and is very juicy, with a sweet to astringent flavor in poorer varieties.

Better fruits are often eaten fresh. Lesser fruits are usually soaked in salt water or sprinkled with salt to improve flavor. Fruits are also juiced, as well as used to make ice creams and preserves.

Fast-growing tree up to 40-50ft or over 100ft in ideal climate conditions. Java plum's grow from sea level to 6000ft in the tropics but in cooler climates they will not produce fruit. Grow in areas of large rainfall or supplement water frequently throughout the year. Trees will sometimes grow on riverbanks where roots are exposed to standing water all year. It will stand periods of flooding. In areas of hard freezes, keep plants protected although they are fairly hardy and will withstand temperatures in the high 20's without damage.

Betel Nut

Areca catechu
Native to Indonesia.
Medium sized palm fruit containing a number of seeds, the betel nuts, which are chewed for their stimulatory effects.

The nuts are chewed, usually in wrapped in betel leaves, along with some lime and spices for flavoring. The nuts contain arecoline, a strong stimulant. Chewing of the nuts releases brightly yellow colored keratin. Medicinally, the betel nut is used to treat intestinal worms.

A large palm, up to 90ft tall. The betel palm prefers moist soil with excellent drainage and a moist tropical climate. It is too tender to grow outside of the tropics and does not tolerate drought.

Papaya tips

Green papaya ripens at room temperature in about 3-5 days. Ripe papaya can be refrigerated for a week. Green papaya can be usedin salsa and added to stews or soups like a vegetable. Papaya seeds are peppery and can be pulverized for salad dressing andmarinade. Add a slice of lemon or lime to a papaya half at breakfast or lunch to enhance the papaya flavor. For dessert, add a dip of sorbet to a papaya half.

Summer Fruit

Summer seems to be the best bearer of fruits which means it can be the best time to pack in those essential vitamins and nutrients that come from a healthy dose of fruit consumption. Besides being delicious, most summer fruits are also jam-packed with vitamin C, as you might already know. But what you might not know is that peaches and cherries are great sources of fiber and watermelon offers the perfect supply of vitamin A. For some more info on nutrition facts, click here .

While typically incorporated into desserts, these fruits don’t have to be served that way! Berries are delicious as salad toppers. You can mix some strawberries with some greens and throw a few candied nuts and you’ve got a great start to any meal. You can even make your favorite vinaigrette (mine is raspberry vinaigrette) out of summer berries to top it off. Mangoes make a great salsa (Mango Salsa ), as do pineapples (Pineapple Salsa ), and melons make a refreshing and tantalizing soup (Cold Melon Soup ). And just about any variety of summer fruits can be blended with ice to make a refreshing smoothie. Try this Kiwi Mango Smoothie on for size. Fruit smoothies can be great snacks, or even a delicious and nutritious breakfast.

Mangoes – This bright yellow fleshed tropical fruit is native to Southern Asia. Centuries ago, these tree fruits popped up all over India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. A very sweet fruit, the mango is made up of 15% sugar and hosts significant amounts of vitamins A, B, and C.

Strawberries – From rumors of being poisonous as well as nourishing the skin, strawberries are not just chockfull of vitamin C but also history! That’s right, the Lady of Thermidor was said to take baths in strawberries to bring out the full radiance of her skin, while the nineteenth century Argentineans would not go near the red prong-shaped berries fearing their poisonous potential. Regardless of which you believe, the fruit is surely sweet and now incorporated into many a daily menu.

Pineapple - These odd-shaped fruits get their name from their resemblance to pine cones. Their bright and juicy yellow flesh is probably much tastier than the inside of a pine cone though, plus it is great for the digestion. This fruit comes from Southern and Central America.
(by: Hillary Marshak)

The Art of Watermelon Carving

Fruit carving is one of the oldest traditions followed in the Oriental countries, China, Japan, Thailand and some Asian countries in particular. This artistic tradition generally centers on some festivities where the beautiful sculptures draw the attention of the people. In fact carving of fruits is an exquisite work of art. In China, watermelon carving is the most popular. Fruit carving can also be done on such fruits as carrots, papaya, pumpkins and other smaller fruits for carving individual items. But watermelon carvings appear to be highly attractive on account of its varied colors and size. The contrasting colors of melons lend a striking effect to the finished product, making them all the more appealing.

Prior to the execution of your carving skill, it is essential to make all the proper arrangements. A good carving knife with a single sharp pointed blade is a must- have in this case. Carving on a watermelon is done in a relief format; it can be just a simple cut out or carry an intricate engraving. This Chinese artistic sculpture is of ancient origin that has been passed down through the generations. In modern days, this wonderful tradition has found great recognition and popularity throughout the world. The varying tones and colors of watermelons (pink, white, green) work wonders to give a contrasting effect to the sculptures.

Watermelon sculptures can turn out to be the cynosure for any occasion or international event. This artwork can be exhibited at any cultural platform to showcase some wonderful talents. The carvings done on the watermelons are endless, ranging from teapots to flower vases, to little animals or even trophies. These amazing designs are carved out using carving tools and melon ballers. The carving tool is used to cut out intricate patterns while the melon baller scoops out larger sections. The melon baller is particularly helpful in carving out large unique shapes such as a fish, basket or fruit holder. The watermelon rind is very easy to cut into and amateurs can begin with cutting the rind to create large designs.

Watermelon carving can be a great fun with the kids too. In fact, being an excellent source of vitamins and a tasty fruit, kids can have a great time learning this art and absorbing the benefits of this fruit. This unique art sculpture should be encouraged among the children not only to propagate and keep alive the ancient tradition but also to give way to the creation of masterpieces of the future.
by: Suzanne Macguire

Fruit Salad

Fruit Salad

Guava

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Psidium L.

The guava is native to the Caribbean. Its skin is thin and light yellow. A ripe guava softens to the touch. Guavas emit a strong, sweet, pungent fragrance. The flesh is white or red.

Guava are one of the best fruits available. Guava's are cholesterol, saturated and sodium free, plus low in fat and calories. Guava are high in fiber. The edibile kind of a guava contains 5 times more vitamin C than an orange. Guava is a great fruit because it contains key nutrients like: vitamin C, carotenoids (vitamin A), folate, potassium, fiber, calcium and iron.

Guavas like other tropical fruits should not be refrigerated unless over ripe. The seeds of a guava can be eaten.

Guava Salad

Ingredients:
1 Guava
1 Banana
1 Orange
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey

1. Dice guava.
2. Slice banana into bite-size chunks.
3. Peel orange and cut into bite-size pieces.
4. Put these three fruits in a bowl together.
5. Pour lemon juice over them.

Pear

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Subfamily: Maloideae
Genus: Pyrus
Species: P. communis

Pears are picked when they are almost ripe. The fruit has to come off if you lift the fruit vertically. The late races can be kept for months at a dark place.
Pears ripen best at room temperature. If you want too keep them a few days you have to keep them in a dark and cold place.

Pears are original from Europe and Asia. The first cultivated races were selected from the wild varieties in the prehistoric ages. The Romans knew in the beginning 6 cultivated sorts and later mention 56 races. A late medieval Italian list mentions 232 varieties.
Around 1640 in England only 60 varieties were known. In 1842 more than 700.
In 1860 the American author T.W. Fields mentions 850 races.
This fast increase of pear cultivars during the late 18th century can be ascribed to a few French and Belgian cultivators.

Durian

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae (Bombacaceae)
Genus: Durio L.

The durian is the fruit of trees of the genus Durio belonging to the Malvaceae, a large family which includes hibiscus, okra, cotton, mallows and linden trees. Widely known and revered in Southeast Asia as the "King of Fruits," the fruit is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and a formidable thorn-covered husk. The unusual smell of the ripe fruit is very strong and penetrating, even when the husk of the fruit is still intact.

There are 30 recognised Durio species, all native to Southeast Asia and at least nine of which produce edible fruit. Durio zibethinus is the only species available in the international market; other species are sold in their local region.

The fruit can grow up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long and 15 centimetres (6 in) in diameter,[5][6] and typically weighs one to three kilograms (2 to 7 lb). Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown and its flesh pale-yellow to red, depending on species. The hard outer husk is covered with sharp, prickly thorns, while the edible custard-like flesh within emits the strong, distinctive odour, which is regarded as either fragrant or overpowering and offensive. The taste of the flesh has been described as nutty and sweet.

Neesbery (Sapodilas/Sawo)

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Ericales
Family: Sapotaceae

Sapotaceae is a family of flowering plants, belonging to order Ericales. The family includes approximately 800 species of evergreen trees and shrubs in approximately 65 genera (35-75, depending on generic definition). Distribution is pantropical.

Many species produce edible fruits, and/or have other economic uses. Species noted for their edible fruits include Manilkara zapota (Sapodilla, Sapota), Manilkara chicle (Chicle), Chrysophyllum cainito (Star-apple or Golden Leaf Tree), Pouteria (Abiu, Canistel, Mamey sapote), Vitellaria paradoxa (Shea) and Sideroxylon australe (Australian native plum). Shea (shi in several Manding languages of West Africa; karité in French) is also the source of an oil-rich nut, the source of edible "shea butter," which is the major lipid source for many African ethnic groups and is also used in traditional and Western cosmetics and medications.

Trees of the genus Palaquium (Gutta-percha) produce an important latex with a wide variety of uses.

The seeds of the tree Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels produce an edible oil, traditionally harvested in Morocco.

The family name is derived from Zapotl, a Mexican vernacular name latinised by Linnaeus to Sapota, a name now treated as a synonym of Manilkara (also formerly known by the invalid name Achras).

Pomegranate

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Rosidae
Order: Myrtales
Family: Lythraceae
Genus: Punica
Species: P. granatum

The pomegranate tree is native from Iran to the Himalayas in northern India and has been cultivated since ancient times throughout the Mediterranean region of Asia, Africa and Europe. The fruit was used in many ways as it is today and was featured in Egyptian mythology and art, praised in the Old Testament of the Bible and in the Babylonian Talmud, and it was carried by desert caravans for the sake of its thirst-quenching juice. It traveled to central and southern India from Iran about the first century A.D. and was reported growing in Indonesia in 1416. It has been widely cultivated throughout India and drier parts of southeast Asia, Malaya, the East Indies and tropical Africa. The most important growing regions are Egypt, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, India, Burma and Saudi Arabia. There are some commercial orchards in Israel on the coastal plain and in the Jordan Valley.

It is rather commonly planted and has become naturalized in Bermuda where it was first recorded in 1621, but only occasionally seen in the Bahamas, West Indies and warm areas of South and Central America. Many people grow it at cool altitudes in the interior of Honduras. In Mexico it is frequently planted, and it is sometimes found in gardens in Hawaii. The tree was introduced in California by Spanish settlers in 1769. It is grown for its fruit mostly in the dry zones of that state and Arizona. In California, commercial pomegranate cultivation is concentrated in Tulare, Fresno and Kern counties, with small plantings in Imperial and Riverside counties. There were 2,000 acres (810 ha) of hearing trees in these areas in the 1920's. Production declined from lack of demand in the 1930's but new plantings were made when demand increased in the 1960's.

Tamarillo

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Tracheobionta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Solanum
Species: S. betaceum

The tamarillo is generally believed to be native to the Andes of Peru and probably also, Chile, Ecuador and Bolivia. It is cultivated and naturalized in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela. It is widely grown in New Zealand as a commercial crop. Seed from Argentina were imported by the U.S.Dept. of Agriculture in 1913 and a plant was fruiting at the Plant Introduction Station at Chico, Calif. in 1915.

The tamarillo is a subtropical rather than tropical and flourishes between 5,000 and 10,000 ft. in its Andean homeland. In cooler climates it succeeds at lower elevations, but does best where the temperature remains above 50° F. The plant is grown casually in California and occasionally in Florida. Tamarillos have been successfully grown in such northern California locations as San Rafael and Santa Rosa. Frost at 28° F kills small branches and foliage of mature trees but not the largest branches and main stem. The tree will recover if such frosts are not prolonged or frequent. However, seedlings and cuttings are readily killed by frost during their first year.

Protection from wind is necessary as the tree is shallow rooted and easily blown over. It is also brittle and its branches are easily broken by gusts, especially when laden with fruit. Tamarillos have been grown as housesplants for years. They fruit satisfactorily in northern greenhouses.

Salak

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Arecales
Family: Arecaceae
Genus: Salacca
Species: S. zalacca

A scaly, brown skinned fruit which grows in clusters at the base of the plant. The fruit is a creamy yellow colour and has a sweet acid taste rather like a pineapple, but is crisp and crunchy. Generally eaten fresh but can be pickled or hot packed into syrup.

Bilimbi (Belimbing Sayur)

Averrhoa bilimbi
Native to Indonesia

Multi-lobed, oblong fruit with a pale green waxy skin and crunchy but watery flesh, very similar to the star fruit, although the flesh is much more acidic.

The most common use for the fruits is a flavoring for prepared fish and meat dishes. Fruits are also used for beverages and preserves. They are quite acidic and unlike the star fruit, are usually not eaten fresh out of hand.

A pretty, ususally small or medium sized tree growing to 15-30ft. The leaves are borne on leaflets often containing several dozen smaller leaf-pairs, which close together at night. Flowers bloom from the trunk, often in great number toward the bottom of the tree. Fruits follow, and a single tree often produces hundreds and hundreds of fruits.

Guava

Don't peel guava because the edible rind has a large concentration of vitamin C. For smoothies and other uses, puree the rind along with the pulp, but discard the hard, white seeds. Guava has about five times more vitamin C than orange (raw guava, 242 mg. vitamin C per 100 g./ orange 50 mg. vitamin C per 100 g.) Purchase mature, green-stage guava which can be refrigerated for a week. When ready to use, ripen the guava at room temperature for 1-5 days. When ripe, guava keeps only a day or two, but the pulp freezes well. Use guava puree for marinade and for entree and dessert sauces. Guava also makes excellent sorbet, frozen yogurt, and combines well with other fruits and vegetables for salads.

Watermelon: Health Benefits

Watermelon is packed with important antioxidants in nature. It reduces the risk of fatal diseases like asthma, atherosclerosis, diabetes, colon cancer, and arthritis. Watermelon is a very good source of vitamin B6 and a good source of vitamin B1, magnesium, and potassium. Rich in the B vitamins, watermelon is necessary for energy production.

Watermelon has a high nutrient density due to the higher water content and lower calorie content than many other fruits. A rich source of vitamins A and C, watermelon also contains lycopene. Lycopene is a red pigment that occurs naturally in certain plant and algal tissues. In addition to giving watermelon and tomatoes their color it is an excellent anti-oxidant that can help prevent heart disease and some forms of cancer.

Strawberry Milkshake

Ingredients:
- 2 scoops Strawberry ice cream
- 1 cup Milk
- 15 fresh strawberry

1. Place strawberry ice cream, milk and strawberry in a blender container.
2. Blend till mixture is smooth.
3. Poor into glasses. Serve immediately. Makes about 2 cups.

Strawberry

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Subfamily: Rosoideae
Genus: Fragaria L.

The strawberry is an accessory fruit; that is, the fleshy part is derived not from the ovaries which are the "seeds" (actually achenes) but from the peg at the bottom of the hypanthium that held the ovaries. So from a technical standpoint, the seeds are the actual fruits of the plant, and the flesh of the strawberry is modified receptacle tissue. It is whitish-green as it develops and in most species turns red when ripe.
The typical modern strawberry, of the genus Fragaria, comes from the Americas, and is a hybrid of both North and South American varieties. Interestingly, the crossbreeding was done in Europe to correct a mistake; the European horticulturists had only brought female South American plants, and were forced to cross them with the North American variety in order to get fruit and seeds. Fragaria comes from "fragans", meaning odorous, referring to the perfumed flesh of the fruit. Madam Tallien, a great figure of the French Revolution, who was nicknamed Our Lady of Thermidor, used to take baths full of strawberries to keep the full radiance of her skin. Fontenelle, centenarian writer and gourmet of the 18th century, considered his long life was due to the strawberries he used to eat. Strawberries were considered poisonous in Argentina until the mid-nineteenth century.