16 THE COURIER SUN • HEALTH • DECEMBER 3, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com health FRUIT ALL YEAR LONG BY RONDA ADDY Snow on the ground means fruit isn’t in season, or does it? Thanks to exotic fruit imports, that has changed. While the northern hemisphere is experiencing winter, countries down south are experiencing summer. They can grow all sorts of fruit, which can be imported to the United States. Here is a brief description of some of those exotic winter fruits. The feijoa, or pineapple guava, is native to South America but is now grown commercially in California and New Zealand. Egg shaped, it has thin lime-green skin, cream-colored fl esh and a jelly-like center, and tastes like a combination of pineapple, strawberry and guava. March through June is the prime time for imported feijoas and the fall is when the domestic ones get to market. A ripe feijoa has delicate skin and can bruise easily. The best pieces are fragrant and give slightly to gentle pressure. A feijoa can be ripened by storing it in a paper bag at room temperature; adding an apple will cause to it ripen faster. It isn’t necessary to refrigerate a ripe feijoa. When ripe, a feijoa will last three to fi ve days, and if peeled and made into a puree, it can be frozen. Most of the time, feijoa jelly is eaten raw. When the fruit is ripe, the jelly will be clear. The jelly may be eaten by peeling the fruit or cutting it in half and scooping out the fl esh. The guava, or Bangkok apple or guayaba, is native to South America and is grown commercially in Hawaii, Florida and California. Ranging in size from a small egg to a medium apple, it has thin yellow, red, purple or almost black skin and pale yellow to bright red fl esh, and tastes sweet with a slightly tart aftertaste. The best pieces are unblemished and give to gentle pressure. An unripe, green guava can be stored at room temperature until it ripens and then be stored in the refrigerator for a week. If left out, a ripe guava will spoil within a couple of days. All parts of the guava are edible, even the rind and seeds, as long the fruit is ripe. Canned guava is available year-round all over the country. The kiwano melon, or African horned melon, is native to South and Central Africa and is now imported from New Zealand and is starting to be grown in California. Oval shaped with horns on its peel, it has bright orange and yellow skin and yellow-green pulp that tastes like a combination of lime, cucumber and banana. The best pieces are bright orange in color with the horns intact and no bruises and spots. An unripe melon can be kept at room temperature for up to two weeks; a ripened one can be kept for three to four days. There is no way to remove the skin from the melon. It must be cut to remove the fruit pulp. The pulp can be eaten on its own or used in salads or as a topping. Red bananas are popular in Central America and are imported from Costa Rica. Smaller than common yellow bananas, they have deep red or purple peel and creamy white to pink fl esh, and taste much like regular bananas with a hint of raspberry. The best pieces have peel that is free of cracks and bruises. Red bananas will ripen in a couple of days when left at room temperature and become deep purple in color. They should never be stored in the refrigerator. The tamarillo, or tree tomato, is native to South America and imported from New Zealand. Egg shaped with a green stem and pointed ends, the three-layered fruit has tough, bitter red, purple, golden yellow or amber skin, slightly fi rm, apricot-colored outer fl esh fi lled with dark edible seeds, and tart, tangy fl esh. The best pieces are heavy, unblemished, fi rm and fragrant and yield slightly to gentle pressure. A tamarillo can be ripened at room temperature and stored in the refrigerator, where it can be kept up to 10 days if wrapped in plastic. A tamarillo can be frozen if peeled and wrapped individually. Before eating one, the skin must be removed by blanching it in boiling water for two or three minutes. Thanks to modern technology, fruit and other goods can be transported from country to country, allowing everyone to enjoy them throughout the year. Fruit no longer has to be a summer treat.
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