FRUITS AND NUTS
Stone Fruits
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Stone fruits are named after
the large, hard pit that forms
the middle of the fruit. The
meat of the fruit surrounds the
stone-hard middle. It is this
meat that is used as slices in
desserts, stewed for compote,
jam or puddings, or cut for
garnishing purposes. Plums,
peaches, cherries, apricots and
nectarines are a few common
stone fruits.
Plums
Plums are often eaten fresh or
dried (called prunes), but may
also be utilized by boiling them for
marmalade. Plums contain
dietary fiber and vitamins B and
C. For them to taste good, they
must be harvested fully mature.
Peaches and Cherries
Peach
A ripe peach has hairy, yellow/red
skin and yellow juicy flesh. It has
short sustainability and contains
vitamin-A. It’s eaten fresh or
canned. Peaches are often used in
desserts.
Cherries
There are two types of
cherries: sweet cherries and
sour cherries. Sweet cherries
are tastier to eat as is. Sour
cherries are more sour and
more juicier. They are good for
jam and juice.
Hard Fruits
Pear
Pears are high in fiber and
potassium. They have different
texture and flavor. Pears are
mostly used as fresh fruit but can
also be preserved. They can be
used in pastry dishes as well.
Apple
Apples are high in vitamin C,
potassium and fiber. Many of
the apple nutrients are in the
peel. Apples are often used in
cooking and in desserts. You
can eat them raw, dried and
baked. There are also used to
flavour drinks. There are over
1,000 different apple varieties
in the entire world. Apples are
divided into categories based
on which season they mature
or their graininess, sweetness
or sourness.
Berries
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Berries have many uses such
as to garnish dishes, to make
jams and to be blened in sweet
sauces. Naturally, they are
also used in baking pies and
pastries too. There are
numerous sorts of berries, and
each region has its own
selection that is most often
used locally.
Strawberry
Strawberries contain anti-oxidants
such as vitamins B and C,
minerals, escpecially iron, and
they are very rich in fiber.
Strawberries are a very popuar
berry because of the juicy, sweet
taste. They are often eaten as
they are, but in restaurants they
are mostly used for salads and
desserts. Strawberry jam is a
common topping for toast.
Raspberries
Raspberries are suitable for making
juice and jam. Raspberries are
fragile and stay fresh for a very short
time. The tart taste gives these
berries a unique characterisitic.
Furthermore, their colour and shape
make them very useful for
decorating desserts.
Blueberries
Blueberries have always been a
popular food. They are very rich in
anti-oxidants and vitamin-C. Besides
using blueberries in jams and juices,
these berries are used most often for
desserts, pastries and muffins.
Currant Berries
There are black, red and white
currants. They are mostly used for
decorating desserts, but they are
also used to make jellies that
eaten with meat. Currants are rich
in C vitamin.
Citrus Fruits
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Citrus fruits have a wide range
of uses. Some of them are
used for flavouring starters
and main courses. Because of
their bright colours, they
garnish many dishes and
beverages. The meat of the
fruits are also eaten raw in
fruit salads or by themselves,
especially at breakfast.
Oranges
There are different types of
oranges, some with yellow flesh
and blood oranges with red flesh.
Oranges are sometimes eaten
fresh or made into juice. They are
also used in desserts and for
garnishing different dishes. The
peel can also be grated for
flavouring purposes.
Lemons
A ripe lemon has a bright yellow peel
and is light yellow in color inside. It
has tart taste. It is mainly used for
flavouring food, especially fish. It is
also used in drinks. The peel is
grated and used to add flavour to
different dishes.
Limes
Limes are used in the same way as
lemons in cooking and different
beverages. The juice and the peel
are what you use from it. As with
lemons, limes are not usually eaten
raw like oranges.
Exotic Fruits
Banana
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Exotic fruits are wide range of
fruits that are typically grown
in areas outside of Europe,
especially the tropical fruits.
It’s not uncommon to have a
fruit salad or fruit tray of only
exotic fruits. Some of the
more common exotic fruits are
banans, kiwis, pineapple,
coconuts, carambola, dates,
figs, guava, papaya and
passion fruit.
Banana is often eaten raw, but
can also be eaten boiled, dried or
roasted. It contains very much
starch. Banana can be used in
desserts as well as main courses.
Kiwi
Pineapple
There are green and yellow kiwi
fruits, but the green sort is the
more common variety. They are a
bit sour, but sweet at the same
time. Kiwis are most often eaten
as fresh fruit in salads or on
desserts, but they can be used
together with meat and fish.
Pineapples have a yellow and juicy
meat. They have a sweet taste. It
gets harvested when it is ripe. It
contains vitamins, minerals and is
high in fiber. Pineapples can be
used in many ways, but most
common is for dessert, garnishing
for meat and in salads. It is also
used to make pineapple juice and
decorating certain beverages.
Fruity Nuts
Coconut
The coconut’s meat is white, hard and
sweet. Coconuts are usually dried and
grated into flakes, which are used in many
dishes and desserts. Coconuts also contain
a liquid, called milk, that is used in soups,
stews and desserts. It is very common in
Indian and Asian cooking.
MELONS
Melons are related to cucumbers
and squashes and are sometimes
referred to as vegetable fruits.
Melons are composed of 98
percent water and contain small
amounts of minerals and vitamins.
Melons are eaten fresh as a
dessert or in a salad. There are
different varieties of melons, for
example, watermelon, honeydew
melon and cantaloupes are the
most common.
OTHER FRUITS
Grapes
There are green, black and red
grapes. Grapes have a high
concentration of glucose and thus
a high energy value. It is main
ingredient in the production of
wine. Grapes are used commonly
in desserts and fruit salads, and
occasionally as garnishing.
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In recent times, the variety of
fruit available for consumption
has increased substantially.
Globalisation and the
development of agricultural
technology are the major
reasons for this increase.
Nuts
Almonds
Sweet almonds are a versatile nut and as all
nuts, are a rich source of proteins, healthy
fats and minerals. Almonds are used for
pastries and are an important ingredient in
marzipan. Additionally, almonds can be
flaked or chopped for usage on cakes or
cookies. Roasted and salted almonds are
sometimes used as snacks in bars and
restaurants. Some main courses have
whole almonds as an ingredient.
Hazelnut
Walnut
Hazelnuts are used extensively in
pastries and other desserts. Ground
finely, these nuts are the basis in
praline in confectionary work.
Walnuts are yet another nut often
used in desserts, including
decorating cakes. Walnuts are also
used in salads, either in whole pieces
or chopped in coarse bits. Walnuts
have a high amount of the mineral
selenium, which helps the brain
function effectively.
Cashew
Cashews are bigger than peanuts.
They are always sold shelled, either
unroasted or roasted and sometimes
salted. In the latter form, they are
mostly used as snacks. Unroasted
cashews are used in casseroles and
in stir-fried dishes.
Peanut
Peanuts are rich in fat; they can
contain as much as 50 percent fat.
As cashews, peanuts are often
roasted and salted and used as
snacks in bars especially. Just like
cashews, it’s not uncommon for
peanuts to be used in stir-fried
dishes. Sometimes oil is extracted
from peanuts. Other times peanut
butter is made.
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