Tag Archives: Stonefruit

Lychee

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Lychee

Lie low – the lychee are just around the corner!

  • Lychee is a sweet fruit of small size, originating from the tropical areas of Asia’s China.
  • The scientific name of the tree that lychees grow on is Litchi chinensis, and it is from the family Sapindaceae, the family of soapberries.
  • The rough thin skin of a lychee should be peeled before eating, and this reveals the internal edible fruit, and a smooth brown seed.
  • The skin of lychees is generally a red to pink colour when the fruit is ripe and fresh, while the flesh inside is white and translucent.
  • Chinese emperors and other wealthy Chinese prized lychees, so much so, that it caused high demand and a significant consumption rate throughout the centuries.

Lychee, Food, Fruit, Culinary, Ten Random Facts, Trivia, Stonefruit, Unpeeled, Red

Lychees
Image courtesy of silkway/Flickr
  • Lychees are generally eaten raw, although they may be added to, or cooked in other dishes to feature their sweet flavour.
  • There are a number of varieties of lychees; and they grow on trees that are evergreen, that generally grow to heights of 10 to 12 metres (33 to 40 feet).
  • Lychees are roughly spherical in shape and are approximately 4 to 5 centimetres (1.6 to 2 inches) in diameter.
  • The skin of lychees tends to go brown after picking, and while they are best stored in the refrigerator, this can accentuate this tendency, however, the flesh remains unchanged.
  • Lychees are very high in vitamin C, they are a good source of copper, potassium, vitamin B and fibre, and they contain many other vitamins and minerals.
Bibliography:
Lychee, 2011, Fresh for Kids, http://www.freshforkids.com.au/fruit_pages/lychee/lychee.html
Lychee, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lychee

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Peach

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Peach

Everything’s peaches!

  • Peaches are from the genus of cherries and plums, Prunus, and the family of roses, Rosaceae, and they typically have white, yellow or orange coloured flesh, with skin that is generally red or yellow.
  • Peaches are furry and feel like velvet, unlike nectarines that are the same species and are technically fuzz-less peaches, even though they are sold as two different fruits.
  • Peaches grow on deciduous trees with the scientific name Prunis persica, that grow to be 4 to 10 metres (13 to 33 feet) in height.
  • Peaches are stone fruits that have one seed that is 1.3 to 2 centimetres (0.5 to 0.8 inches) long, that is encased in a larger, hard, grooved shell.
  • The word ‘peach’ comes from the French word ‘pêche’, and the scientific name of peaches suggests the fruit comes from Persia, however, it is believed that the fruit is native to China.

Peach

  • Peaches often need to be eaten within two weeks after picking, as they continue to ripen after picking and they can spoil easily.
  • China was the biggest producer of peaches in 2011, producing just over half of the total world’s production of 21.5 million tonnes (24 million tons).
  • Peaches contain significant amounts of fibre, potassium, vitamin A and vitamin C, with many smaller quantities of many other minerals and vitamins.
  • A peach can be either a ‘clingstone’ or a ‘freestone’, meaning that the flesh either ‘clings’ to the stone (seed case), or easily comes free from the stone, respectively.
  • Peaches can be eaten raw, canned, dried, cooked, used in baked goods, and made into sauces, and the juices and oil of a peach can be used as a moisturiser.
Bibliography:
Peach, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach
Peaches, 2011, Fresh for Kids, http://www.freshforkids.com.au/fruit_pages/peach/peach.html

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Cherry

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Cherry

Red as a rose, sweet as love.

  • Cherries are stone fruit since they have one seed in them, and have an outer flesh.
  • Cherries are the fruit of certain species of ‘Prunus’, and most cherries that humans eat come from varieties of the sour cherry (Prunus cerasus), which is mostly used for cooking purposes, or the wild cherry (Prunus avium).
  • The word ‘cherry’ comes from the common Greek word, translated into Latin, ‘Cerasum’.
  • The cherry tree cultivars are mainly native to the Northern Hemisphere.
  • Several caterpillars rely on cherry tree cultivars for food.

 Cherries, Cherry, Sour, Eatable, Many, Lots, Glass, Ten Random Facts

  • The word ‘cherry’ refers to the fruit, tree, similar ornamental trees and strangely enough, sometimes almonds.
  • The cherry tree’s prime season for harvest is Summer.
  • In 2007, cherry trees produced approximately 2 million tonnes of cherries world wide. 40% of this production belonged to Europe and 13% belonged to the United States of America.
  • Turkey was the top producer in 2009, with 417.7 thousand tonnes, followed by  the United States with 390.7 tonnes.
  • Cherries have been proven to decrease pain, swelling and tenderness in rats.
Bibliography:
Cherry 28 December 2012, Wikipedia,
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry>

Mango

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Mango

Sweet, yummy and nice!

  • Mangoes are fleshy, and sometimes furry, stonefruit (See Nectarines to see what a stonefruit is!).
  • The mango is the national fruit of India, Philippines and Pakistan.
  • In several cultures mangoes are used in many formal, public or religious ceremonies, as decoration.
  • Mangoes, depending on the cultivar, are usually yellow; orange; red; or green in colour.
  • Non ripened mangoes can be ripened in brown paper bags.

Mango, Yellow, Orange, Full, Ten Random Facts

  • Mangoes can be used in many different ways, such as chutneys, drinks, rice dishes, jelly, curries, ice cream and can be eaten pickled or raw. Many recipes include unripe sour mango.
  • Mangoes are high in vitamin C.
  • Mango peels and sap contain the chemical ‘urushiol’, which is in poison ivy and poison sumac.
  • India is the biggest producer of mangoes – 16.34 million tons in 2010-2011, and China the second biggest with 4.35 million tons.
  • The most common cultivar of mango is the ‘Alphonso’ which is typically yellow in colour.
Bibliography:
Mango 1 December 2012, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mango>

Nectarine

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Nectarine

Nectarine… sweet and juicy!

  • A nectarine is a stonefruit, which is a fruit with a large seed in the middle.
  • Nectarines are closely related to the peach, and sometimes are grown on peach trees or vice versa.
  • Nectarines have smooth skin, and yellow, red or white flesh colour.
  • The nectarine is a high source of vitamins A and C.
  • Nectarine trees are grown in warm temperature areas.

Red Flesh, Yellow Inside, Nectarine, Stonefruit, Ten Random Facts

  • The nectarine comes from the family ‘Rosaceae’, which is the family of roses.
  • The nectarine tree grows 5-7 meters (16-22 feet) high.
  • Nectarines are normally in season in the warmer months, from early spring to middle autumn.
  • The name ‘nectarine’ comes from the sweet food the gods eat, ‘nectar’.
  • The place of origin of the nectarine is China, but spread quickly to England in the 16th century.
Bibliography
Nectarine 2011, Fresh for Kids, <http://www.freshforkids.com.au/fruit_pages/nectarine/nectarine.html>
Nectarine n.d., Britannica, <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/407794/nectarine>
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