Tart cherries, also known as sour or bitter cherries, are a fruit with a long name that is worth knowing about. These fruits have been increasing in popularity in recent years, and for good reason.
Tart cherries are an orange fruit that grows on a tree. Just like any other tree-grown fruit, sour cherries can be harvested when they are ripe. Once harvested, tart cherry fruits can be eaten raw or cooked into dishes.
Tart cherry juice has many health benefits including pain relief, blood pressure reduction, and improved sleep. These benefits make tart cherry juice a helpful wellness beverage addition.
Unfortunately, harvesting sour cherries is difficult due to their short shelf life. This can make it difficult to produce enough tart cherry juice and fruit to distribute throughout the market.
Avocado
Avocado is a fruit that many people love, but not everyone loves avocado. Avocados are considered a superfood due to their high nutritional value and health benefits.
Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fat, vitamin K, vitamin E, folate, magnesium, potassium, and carotenoids. What makes them even better is they have almost no sugar or starch content.
They also can be used in a variety of ways depending on your taste buds and what you are making. Some of the most popular ways to eat avocado is in salads, toast topping, as guacamole with chips or veggies, or blended into smoothies.
The downside to eating avocados is the price. They are not the cheapest fruit out there, but they are definitely worth it! If you are looking to go green but do not have enough money to buy all green fruits, avocado is a great substitute.
Bitter orange
Citrus aurantifolia, also known as bitter orange, is a plant that produces small orange fruit. These fruits are not very sweet, which is why they are called bitter oranges.
They are used in culinary recipes to add a bit of sweetness and flavor to other recipes. They are also used to make fragrances and essential oils.
In the beauty industry, citrus aurantifolia is used to make products such as cleansers, toners, and moisturizers more gentle on the skin while still maintaining effectiveness. It is also used in fragrances to help balance out other smells.
This tree species is not endangered but it is at risk due to overharvesting of the fruits. Because it is a profitable crop, people harvest too many of the trees’ fruits and sell them for money, which leads to no trees being left. To prevent this, governments need to enforce laws against overharvesting and illegal deforestation.
Citrus x limon
The lemon is a common citrus fruit, and can be found in almost every grocery store across the country. Like most fruits, there are different varieties of lemons, which result in slight variations in size, shape, and color.
The lemon can be yellow or green depending on the skin color of the inner flesh. The size can also vary depending on whether it is a standard sized lemon or a colossal one.
Some notable varieties of lemons include Eureka, Bearss, and Sicilian. These names come from where they are grown popularly- Eureka native trees, Bearss from America, and Sicily in Italy.
Despite being very common fruits, lemons have some interesting scientific properties. All citrus x limon belongs to the Rutaceae family which encompasses over hundred species of plants. All members of this family have a compound called limonene that gives off a distinct odor and flavor.
Fig
Fig trees have been around for quite some time. Fig trees are native to the Middle East and Asia, but they have been cultivated in other parts of the world for their fruits as well.
Fig trees take a while to mature, about five years. Once they are mature, they bear fruit frequently until winter, when they enter a dormancy period.
When it is winter, it is not the best time to harvest figs. To harvest then would be wasting investment into the tree! Instead, wait for spring when the tree has awakened and fresh green leaves appear.
Once this happens, you can begin harvesting figs and they will continue to ripen throughout the summer season. Fig season is short so make sure you get in on the action!
You can either pick them off the tree or pick them off the ground- it does not matter! Just make sure they are not bruised or rotten otherwise you will not get much out of them.
Green apple
Green apples have a distinct, sweet flavor that most people enjoy. They are also very nutritious, providing antioxidant and vitamin C content.
Green apples are part of the apple family, so they count as a serving of fruit. You can also eat half of a green apple as a snack. For weight loss diets, include an egg in your breakfast sandwich to make it more filling.
Just like with all fruits, you want to watch your sugar intake when eating green apples. The added sugar will detract from the natural sweetness and nutrition of the green apple.
How to Eat It: Green apples can be eaten raw or cooked. If you prefer cooked green apples, try making a sauce or stew with them by cutting them into pieces first.
Kiwi fruit
Kiwi fruit is a subsection of the citrus family. They are typically golden-orange in color, and can be either ripe or unripe.
Like oranges, kiwis contain vitamin C and beta carotene. Kiwis also contain magnesium and zinc, making them an excellent nutritional source.
Kiwi folklore says that if you eat a kiwi for every day of the year, you will survive the apocalypse due to its incredible nutrition! While that may not be true, kiwis are an easy way to add more nutrition into your diet.
The main issue with eating kiwi is its texture. Since they are rigid and have a thick skin, they can be difficult to eat and digest. Kiwi can also leave a strong taste in your mouth, which some people do not like.
Lemon
Lemon is a citrus fruit most commonly known for its juice. Lemons are also used in culinary applications like cooking and baking.
Like oranges, lemons are an acidic fruit. They are characterized by their sharp, zesty flavor. Citrus fruits like lemons are also diuretic, meaning they encourage water retention in the body to waste through the urine.
In herbal medicine, lemon is used to treat internal parasites and candida overgrowth. Due to its antimicrobial properties, lemon is also used to treat infections like sinus or digestive tract infections.
Surprisingly, lemons can be quite expensive depending on the variety. They tend to cost less in winter when citrus fruits are less ripe and plentiful, however.
Lime
Lime is a citrus fruit with a slightly different taste than an orange. Lime is more tart, with a lighter color. Like oranges, limes can be used in a variety of ways.
They can be sliced up and put in drinks like water or cocktails for extra flavor. They can be sliced up and put on food like seafood or salads for a zesty kick. Or, you can mix them with sugar to make a lime slice dessert.
Lime is not as widely produced as oranges, which makes them slightly more expensive. Luckily, you can use almost twice the amount of lime juice than you can orange juice, so it works out!
If you are looking to buy lime but want sustainable produce, look for limes that are not waxed or coated.
