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In Season: Persimmons

YumSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:00:05 -0800

Despite the fact that it's Winter, don't limit your fruit intake to oranges, bananas, and apples. Next time you're at the market, pick up a few persimmons. The sweet, mild-flavored fruits, which originate from Asia, are in season between November and February.

Persimmons are bountiful in Asia, and are popular yard fruit trees in the United States, but if you've never enjoyed a persimmon before, know that there are two distinctly different kinds: fuyu persimmons and hachiyas. While they're both persimmons, fuyus and hachiyas have striking differences. Learn more about them when you read more.

Orange-red, acorn-shaped hachiya persimmons are very astringent when unripe, which means that if you eat them before their prime, you'll experience a bitter, tannic, chalky taste. When ready to eat, the variety will be soft and squishy to the touch with a jelly-like texture.

In contrast, tomato-shaped, light orange-hued fuyus are ripe when they are firm, yet give slightly to the touch, much like a peach. While the two kinds of persimmons are distinct, they're both aromatic and sweet. Here are some ideas for enjoying both of them:

Freeze soft hachiyas and eat them instead of ice cream.
Slice fuyus either cross-sectionally, like apples; or, for a pretty presentation, slice them laterally to show off their seeds' natural asterisk pattern.
Purée extremely ripe persimmons and mix into nutty batter for an enticing bread.
Use ripe hachiyas to make persimmon pudding.
Slice fuyus into a salad for added crunch, color, and flavor.

Have you been afraid to try persimmons until now? If you're already a fan, tell me how you like to enjoy them below.

Definition: Yuzu

YumSugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:00:20 -0700

Yuzu
A citrus fruit of East Asian origin that is tangerine sized and green or yellow in color, with a tart flavor and distinctive floral aroma. Yuzu is rarely eaten as a raw fruit (and its fresh form is hard to come by in the United States). Rather, its juice is used to flavor dishes and sauces, and its rind is used to make marmalade or garnish foods such as miso soup.
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Exotic Fruit or City?

partysugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 03:00:52 -0700

Since you enjoyed the tomato variety or nail polish quiz so much, I thought it would be fun to do a similar exam. This time, I've researched the names of exotic fruits. Some of them sound strangely like cities. You have to identify which names are exotic fruits and which are cities. Sound fun? Get started!

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Take the quiz

What's In Season: Peaches

YumSugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:00:41 -0700

Peaches are my favorite stone fruit. I love everything about them: their floral aroma, fuzzy skin, and juicy flesh. To take full advantage of the fact that right now is the apex of their season, I stopped by San Jose's J&P Orchards - quite possibly the last fruit orchard in Silicon Valley. After taking a stroll through his orchard, I spoke with owner Phil Cosentino about peach season. Find out what to look for in peaches when you read more.

While peaches are ready as early as May and available until late September, peach season is at its peak in July and August.
When selecting peaches at the fruit stand or grocery store, examine the area around the stem, as it indicates ripeness when picked. The stem cavity should be wide and open rather than narrow and restricted.
To select the sweetest peaches, take a look at the peach's base color. The peach's lightest color, regardless of shade (cream, yellow, orange, etc.), should be a warm hue. The best peaches will have no green undertones.
Whenever possible, visit a local peach orchard or fruit stand, as many large commercial grocery giants select peaches before they are meant to be plucked from the vine.
Don't squeeze peaches when selecting them; you'll simply bruise them. That said, it is perfectly fine to pick a bruised peach, as many of them are extremely sweet, and the bruises are harmless.

Do you have peach stands near your house? If you have other peach tips to offer, share them with me below!

Costa Rican Fruit Cocktail

YumSugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 14:00:25 -0700

Recently I visited Costa Rica. One of my first stops was a local farmers market set up in a small plaza in the town of Quepos. It was a bustling place with a variety of stands: fruit, flowers, vegetables and makeshift restaurants serving local fare. Amongst many known fruits and vegetables were plenty foreign and exotic variations - all a must try. My two new favorites were the mammones and guaba. To meet all the fruits of Costa Rica, just hit the "Start" button.

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All About Lychees

partysugar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 10:01:31 -0800

Yesterday I suggested you serve a cool lychee cocktail for a Chinese New Year dinner party. If you found yourself scratching your head and wondering what on earth is a lychee, I'm here to help:

Lychees - or litchis - are one of China's most cherished fruits. They are small, walnut-sized fruits with a perfumed, creamy, jelly-like flesh.
The lychee is native to Southeast Asia and is cultivated in subtropical regions like California, Hawaii, and Florida.
Peak season for fresh lychees is June and July while canned and dried ones are available year round.
To eat, look for bright red-skinned fruits. Peel with your fingers and pop in your mouth as you would a nut or candy. Just don't swallow the seed!

Did I forget to mention something about lychees? Fill us in below!

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When Do You Wash Your Fruits and Vegetables?

partysugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 06:01:33 -0800

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Enjoy a Kwanzaa Feast

YumSugar — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 06:15:31 -0800

Although Kwanzaa is relatively new as far as holidays go - it was created in 1966 - the foods used to celebrate it are based on old traditions. The final feast of the holiday - the Karamu - showcases fruits and vegetables that symbolize the past and current growth of African culture. Old family meals are often served in order to share them with the next generation. Some of the great dishes that can be found on the Karamu table include Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, African Squash and Yams, and Fruits with Honey-Lime Sauce. To learn the recipes for these traditional family favorites, read more

Fresh Fruit with Honey-Lime Sauce
From Better Homes and Gardens

2 cups cut-up fresh pineapple
3 kiwifruit, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced
1 medium papaya, peeled, seeded, and sliced
1 medium banana, sliced
1/4 of a small watermelon, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 recipe Honey-Lime Sauce (see below)

Arrange pineapple, kiwi fruit, papaya, banana, and watermelon on 6 small plates.
Sprinkle with lime juice.
Spoon Honey-Lime Sauce over each serving.
Serve immediately.
Makes 6 servings.

Honey-Lime Sauce
In a medium mixing bowl stir together one 8-ounce container low-fat vanilla yogurt, 4 teaspoons honey, 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lime peel, and 1 tablespoon lime juice.

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Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
From ChefMom.com

1 cup olive oil
1 cup flour
1/4 cup minced garlic
2 cups minced celery
2 cups minced onion
1 cup minced green bell pepper
1 cup minced red pepper
1 cup minced green onion
2 quarts chicken stock
4-5 cans diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cayenne
2 cloves
1/2 tsp hot sauce
2-3 lbs smoked sausage or andouille if you prefer
3 lbs chicken

In a large stock pot (preferably at least 8 quarts) add your chicken and add just enough water to cover the chicken. Add some salt, pepper, garlic powder to give chicken little extra flavor.

Cook until chicken falls from bone, remove from pot and cut into uniform pieces, add back to pot.

In large heavy skillet (I use cast iron chicken fryer), heat oil and flour over medium high heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Cook approximately 10 min until it has turned a caramel color. (Some people prefer a darker roux, if so just continue cooking until desired color is achieved.)

To the roux, add all the vegetables and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add by large spoonfuls to the stockpot, stirring after each addition.

Once the roux has been added, then add your tomates, if using frozen just put them in frozen - they'll cook down. If you use diced tomates, crush them as you add them. Slice smoked sausage into 1/4 rounds and add to pot.

Allow this mixture to simmer for about an hour, and you'll have a hearty meal. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes it makes a terrific meal.

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African Squash And Yams
From theholidayspot.com

1 sm Onion; chopped, pared & cut into 1" pieces
2 tbs Oil
1 c Coconut Milk
1 lb Hubbard squash; pared and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon
2 medium size Yams or sweet potatoes
1/4 ts Ground cloves
Cook and stir onion in oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes longer.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

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Which Ones Are Fall Fruits?

YumSugar — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 11:41:34 -0700

Fall has arrived and the leaves aren't the only things that are changing. The booths at your farmers' markets are too. The summer crops are winding down and they're making way for new fall ones. To test your knowledge, I've come up with a quick quiz where you decide if it's a fall fruit or not!

If it's a fall fruit mark it true, else mark it false. Good luck!
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Take the quiz

What Do You Think Of SpongeBob Fruit?

YumSugar — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 03:18:31 -0700

In order to get children more interested in fruit, SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer now appear on packs of apples, pears, cherries, nectarines and even edamame (soybeans).

"My goal is to have every fruit a kid would want to eat with a Nickelodeon character," says Sherice Torres, licensing vice president at Nickelodeon. "We're trying to see how many places we can use our characters to encourage kids to eat more fruits and vegetables."

On one hand I think it's a pretty great use of influence, on the other I'm really sad about the need for SpongeBob fruit. What do you guys think?
Source: USA Today
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