Tag Archives: Fruit

Strawberry

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Strawberry

Sweet, juicy, mouth-watering strawberries.

  • Strawberries are also called ‘garden strawberries’ and are from the family Rosaceae, which is the family of roses, and are not proper berries.
  • There are more than 20 species of Fragaria, or strawberries as they are known, with Fragaria × ananassa being the most commonly grown hybrid.
  • Strawberries are typically sweet, heart shaped red, juicy fruits, and generally grow on a 15 cm (6 inches) high plant that spread out on the ground to about 50–100 cm (20 – 40 inches).
  • Strawberries can be made into jam, juice, milkshakes or made into cakes or desserts, or eaten with or added to ice cream, yoghurt, chocolate, pancakes and so on.
  • Strawberries have approximately 200 small yellow achenes, that look like seeds and are actually the ‘fruit’ of the strawberry, on the outside of the flesh, which contain a seed inside each.

Strawberry, punnet, group, bunch, red, many, bowl, whole, picked, supermarket, Aldi, Ten Random Facts

  • Cultivated strawberries are generally sweeter than the wild species, with the garden type becoming very popular due to its sweetness, and they should be eaten within two or three days from purchasing or picking, as they can easily become bruised, mouldy or decayed.
  • Strawberries only ripen on the plant, and are green or white if not ripe, although some varieties of strawberries are white when ripe.
  • In 2011, USA, was by far the world’s top producer of strawberries, producing over one quarter of the total world production of 4,200,000 tonnes (4,600,000 tons) with Spain ranking second.
  • Some people are allergic to strawberries with reactions similar to hay fever, hives and possibly breathing problems and can cause anaphylaxis, although some of the white strawberry cultivars may not cause a reaction.
  • Strawberries are a good source of antioxidants and are very high in vitamin C, with one serve providing close to your daily recommended intake.
Bibliography: Strawberry, 2011, Fresh for Kids, <http://www.freshforkids.com.au/fruit_pages/strawberry/strawberry.html>
Strawberry, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawberry>

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Mandarin Orange

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Mandarin Orange

Orange, juicy mandarins.

  • Mandarins are small, orange coloured, citrus fruits that usually grow on a small to medium sized trees and are similar to an orange, but are often sweeter.
  • Mandarins, also known as ‘mandarines’, are said to be named after the Chinese officials of the same name who wore orange robes, and are often used in celebrating Christmas in United States and Canada and are a symbol of Chinese New Year.
  • Mandarins are native to south east Asia, and the scientific name is Citrus reticulata, belonging to the Rutaceae family, the family of citrus fruit.
  • Mandarins are peeled easily by hand and the segments inside can be pulled apart easily without making a mess.
  • China is by far the major producer of mandarins, producing just over half of the world total’s mandarin production of 24.6 million tonnes (27.1 million tons) in 2011.

Mandarins, Mandarines, Orange, Open, Skin, Whole, Four, Orange, citrus, Australia, Woolworths, Ten Random Facts

  • Mandarins are a good source of dietary fibre and vitamin A, and are an excellent source of Vitamin C, with one mandarin providing up to 80% of your daily needs, as well as being high in antioxidants, and helping to prevent heart disease and cancer.
  • Mandarins are most commonly eaten raw but can be eaten in salads, main dishes and desserts and can even be canned.
  • Mandarin peel has valuable essential oil that is used as a commercial flavouring ingredient in liqueurs, soft drinks, confectionery, ice cream and baked goods.
  • Some mandarin varieties have many seeds, while others only have a few, and there are some cultivars that are seedless.
  • Mandarins have a fairly short shelf life, and start to deteriorate after  2 to 4 weeks in storage.
Bibliography:
Mandarin Orange, 2013, Purdue Agriculture, <http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/mandarin_orange.html>
Mandarin Orange, 2013, Wikipedia, < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_orange>

 
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Granny Smiths

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Granny Smiths

Apples for Grannies!

  • One of the many apple cultivars is the Granny Smith apple, which is crisp and crunchy, and ripens to a bright green colour.
  • Granny Smiths were first grown in a Sydney suburb, Eastwood, in Australia in 1868 and were named after the first grower of the apples, Maria Ann ‘Granny’ Smith, who had migrated from Sussex, England to New South Wales, Australia.
  • Maria Smith discovered Granny Smith apples growing near a creek on her farm, after she threw out some French crab apples, that originated in Tasmania, in the spot.
  • Granny Smiths are believed to be a hybrid of the French crab apple from the Malus family of crab apples, but like other hybrid mutation plants, the seeds of Granny Smiths will produce a different type of apple, thus all Granny Smiths grown today are cuttings from the original Granny Smith apple tree.
  • The New South Wales Government started growing Granny Smith apples in 1895, and began promoting them as a good export apple due to their ability to be stored for long periods.

Granny Smith Apple Normal, One, Shiny, Plain, stalk, good, Ten Random Facts, Australia, Three

  • Granny Smith apples have a juicy tart and sweet taste, and are often eaten raw or in desserts, cider or salads.
  • Granny Smith apples are particularly high in antioxidants, compared with some other apples, while containing many other beneficial vitamins and minerals.
  • Granny Smiths are said to be the best apples to use in cooking, as they do not change their natural shape once cooked due to the high acid content.
  • Once cut, Granny Smiths are slow to turn brown, so the apples are often used in salads.
  • Granny Smiths were a major Australian export after World War 1, eventually becoming one of the most popular apples grown in Australia, and are now grown in countries around the world including New Zealand, Europe, South America and the United States.
Bibliography:
Granny Smith, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granny_Smith

 

Granny Smith Apples, 2013, Specialty Produce, < http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Granny_Smith_Apples_2021.php>

 

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Dates

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Sugary juicy dates.

  • Dates are a small fruit of the date palm tree, Phoenix dactylifera and are said to be native to Northern Africa and the Middle East.
  • Dates range from red, yellow and brown in colour and grow to 2.5 – 7 cm (1 – 2.7 inches) in length and have a large seed inside which is often removed, and this is called a pitted date.
  • Dates have been eaten for thousands of years, and are referred to in the Christian Bible.
  • Dates contain up to 85% sugar, and contain many vitamins and minerals, including significant amounts of potassium, Vitamin B, magnesium and manganese.
  • One date palm can produce 80 to 120kg (176 to 264 pounds) of dates each year, although younger plants do not produce as many.

Dates, Brown, Dried,Bowl, Lots, Yummy, Sweet, White, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Dates have four different stages of ripening, known as kimri (unripe), khalal or khalaal (crunchy), rutab (soft), tamr or tamar (chewy) and are eaten at the khalal, rutab and tamr stages.
  • In 2009, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iran produced about 3.5 million tonnes (3.9 million tons) of dates out of the worldwide production of over 7.4 million tonnes (8 million tons).
  • Dates can be eaten raw, dried, softened, stuffed with nuts or other items, made into a paste, used in desserts or savoury meals, stored in the freezer for use at a later date, and when dried they can be kept almost indefinitely because of their high sugar content.
  • There are three main varieties of dates grown:  ‘soft’, when the date skin is soft, the date is moist and has lower sugar content; ‘semi-dry’, when the date skin is firm, not very moist and high sugar content; and lastly ‘dry’ when the date skin is leathery and the date has barely any moisture and has high sugar content.
  • Dates are said to assist the growth of good intestinal bacteria and are a great food to eat when hungry or commonly used when breaking a fast due to the sugar content which quickly re-energises the body.
Bibliography:
Date Features and Facts, n.d., Gurra Downs, <http://www.gurradowns.com.au/Datefacts.php>
Johnson, P 2013, Date Fruit Benefits, Buzzle, <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/date-fruit-benefits.html>

Watermelon

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Watermelon

Refreshing, on a hot day.

  • The scientific name for watermelons is citrullas lanatus, and they grow on a vine-like flowering plant from the family Cucurbitaceae, which is the family of squashes, melons and gourds.
  • Watermelons are believed to be native to southern and tropical Africa, where it grows in the wild.
  • Watermelons have a smooth outer casing that can be green, yellow, black or white in colour, often with dark stripes, and they normally have a juicy red interior, although they can also be white or yellow inside.
  • Watermelons were eaten in Ancient Egypt, and watermelon seeds have been found in Pharaoh tombs.
  • One beehive is normally placed for every 4000 square metres (1 acre) of watermelon plants, so that they can be effectively pollinated.

Watermelon, Cut, Halves, Seedless, Pattern, Green, Red, Ten Random Facts

  • Watermelons take from 80-95 days to mature, and be ready for harvest, depending on the variety.
  • China produced almost 70 million tonnes (77 million tons) of watermelons in 2011, which was over 66% of the world’s production.
  • Watermelons contain significant amounts of Vitamin A and C, and water makes up approximately 91% of a watermelon’s weight, and 6% is sugar.
  • Some Japanese watermelon farmers have been known to grow watermelons in glass cubes, which produces cubic watermelons, that enables the watermelons to be stacked more easily.
  • The seeds and rind of the watermelon are nutritious and edible, and even though it is common for people to discard the rinds and just eat the flesh, they can be made into pickles, jams, candy, stir-fried, or cooked in curries or other dishes, or eaten raw, and the juice of the watermelon can be made into wine.
Bibliography:
Watermelon, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watermelon>

Pear

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Pear

Pears in a pear tree. Sweet n juicy.

  • There are approximately 3000 varieties of pears grown around the world, and they are from the species of Pyrus and the family of roses, Rosaceae.
  • In Ancient Greece, pears were used in medicine as a treatment for nausea.
  • Pears are native to the coastal and mild temperature areas in Europe, Africa and Asia.
  • Pears grow on pear trees that reach 10-17 metres (31.8 – 55.8 feet) tall and are normally harvested when they are green, before they ripen.
  • China is by far the greatest producer of pears in the world, producing nearly 16 million tonnes in 2011, followed by Italy and the United States of America with less than 1 million tonnes each.

Pear, yellow fleshed, orange, five, yummy, sweet, Ten Random Facts

  • Pears are eaten fresh, canned or dried and the pear juice can be made into jelly, jam and cider.
  • Pears ripen faster when placed in a bowl with bananas.
  • Before the introduction of tobacco in Europe, pear leaves were originally smoked.
  • Pears are good sources of vitamin C and dietary fibre, most of which can be found in the skin.
  • Pear tree wood is a valued timber for carving and the construction of instruments, as it is very stable and does not warp.
Bibliography:
Pear 10 February 2013, Wikipedia,  <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pear>
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