List of Different Kinds of Fruits

Along with vegetables, fruits are the major dietary source of vitamins A and C as well as some minerals and an excellent source of dietary fibre.

A variety of fruits is more likely to yield a wider intake of nutrients. Bananas are excellent source of pyridoxine (Vitamin B₆). Kiwi fruits are better source of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) than citrus fruits.

Fresh fruits are fairly low in calories because they contain much water and little fat. However addition of sugar to the canned and frozen fruits increases the calories considerably. The less sugar, the fewer calories.

The improved transport and storage system have resulted in an increasing range of varieties of fruits being readily available throughout the year.

I always buy fresh fruits, I think it is a wise choice to buy and eat fresh fruits and get all the nutritional value it has for a healthier you and your family.

The following is a brief outline of the many fruits available to enjoy,some will have a link to a more detailed explanation that will guide you choose the right fruit for your need.

• Apples - the most popular of all fruits and generally available all year round. Perfect for eating raw as a snack and an ideal for making puddings and desserts.

• Apricots - delicious when ripe, provide beta carotene and a rich source of minerals and vitamin A.
• Avocado- the only fruit that contains fat (monounsaturated fat). Avocados are best eaten raw, slice or add to salad.

• Bananas - the best-known tropical fruit and one of the extremely nutritious and versatile fruit. Rich in potassium, riboflavin, niacin and dietary fibre, They have high energy value and good for growing children and athletes. Excellent for low-salt, low-fat and cholesterol-free diets. Hundreds of different varieties of banana flourish in the tropics  from sweet yellow pygmy to large fibrous plantains and green bananas which can only be used for cooking.

• Cherries - Sweet cherries can be eaten raw, stewed or in tarts and cakes. remember to buy cherries with their stings on and use any without the stem first as they don't last long. Cherries are very high in vitamin C and potassium and also contain fibre.
• Custard Apples - Custard apple have thick scally skin and a soft, smooth flesh with inedible seeds.  They are picked before they are fully ripe, so allow 4-5 days for firm fruit fruit to ripe. Good source of vitamin C, fibre, magnesium and potassium.

• Dates - are extremely delicious, it supply significant amount of iron making them an excellent food for anaemia or chronic fatigue. They contain more natural sugar than any other fruit.
• Durian - Despite the fruit's disgusting smell, when ripe the flavour of the flesh, is the most delicious of tropical fruits. The fruit is eaten fresh and chilled, scooped out using a spoon and discarding the seeds. The rich custardy flesh can be eaten just as it is or pureed to make ice cream or milk shakes. The flesh is also used for making jam and cakes and is available canned.

• Figs - oval or pear shaped, it can be eaaten fresh or dried. They are well known for their laxative and digestive properties. Their high natural sugar content makes them the sweetest of all fruits. The flavour varies , sepending on where they were grown and how ripe they are.

• Grapefruits -One of the largest citrus fruit, a cross between the pomelo and the shaddock. High in vitamin C, grapefruits are best eaten raw, a traditional breakfast fruit - the best way to eat is to cut them in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon.
• Grapes - have been used in wine making for thousand of years and red wine is known to help prevent heart disease. A great energy source because of their natural fruit sugar content.
• Guavas - delicious eaten raw, the whole fruit is edible an average-sized guava contains about seven times the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. Guava also provides vitamin A and is high in fibre.

• Jackfruit - when unripe both seeds and the flesh are eaten as a vegetables. Ripe fruit maybe eaten on its own or added to fruit salad.

• Kiwifruit - are best eaten uncooked, the easiest way to eat is to cut the fruit in half and scoop the flesh out of the skin with a spoon or you can peel and cut into cubes or slices.
• Kumquat - (cumquat) the name means "golden orange" in Chinese. Kumquats are often preserved in sweet syrup and used for marmalade and garnishes, but fresh ones are delicious in fruit salads or for eating just as they are.

• Lemons -rarely eaten on its own , lemons are an indispensable ingredients in the kitchen. Lemon juice can be used instead of vinegar in sauces, for seasoning in vinaigrette and as instant dressing for fish and shellfish. The best way to store lemon is in the vegetable crisper in the fridge you can put lemons in fruit bowl for a shorter, check them often - if one starts to spoil, the rest will quickly follow.
• Limes - are only green because they are picked unripe but if left to ripen they turn yellow. Limes can be used like lemons but as a juice is more acidic, usually less is needed. To make the juice flow more, you can microwave the limes for 2-3 seconds before squeezing. Mostly used in drinks (lime cordials) and in cooking.
• Lychees- fresh lychees are best eaten raw as a refreshing end to a meal. Simply remove the shells, then nibble or suck the flesh off the stone. Rich in Vitamin C.

• Mandarins - or tangerines named after the city of Tangier in Morocco - a citrus fruit that is actually a variety of orange. Always choose deep orange to orange-red fruits, heavy for their size with birght lustre. Loose skin is normal but avoid fruits with punctures, mould soft spots or very pale skins.
• Mangoes - grows in many tropical climates worldwide, The fruit ranges in colour from green to golden yellow and orange red and its flesh is a juicy, deep orange surrounding a large flat inedible stone. Mangoes also make excellent ice creams, sorbets, sauces and drinks like smoothies.
• Mangosteen - contrary to its name, the mangosteen doesn't resemble or taste like the mango. It resemble like an apple- having a short stem and four thick leaf-like bracts which form a rosette encsing the brownish-purple fruit.

• Nectarine - the flesh is rich, sweet and juicy and is well suited for eating fresh and for using in ice cream, pies and fruit salads. Colour ranges from silvery white or yellowy orange to pinkish red. The white-fleshed varieties are considered the best and usually the most expensive. Nectarines are often described as a cross between a peach and a plum but nectarines are actually a variety of smooth-skinned peach.

• Oranges- are best eaten in their natural state but can be used in variety of desserts, pastries, fruit salads, mousses, souffles, ice creams and sorbets.  They can be squeezed for juice or used to marinade poultry or fish.  Oranges fall into two groups, sweet oranges which can be eaten raw and bitter oranges which cannot but are used for making marmalade, jams and jellies.  

• Passionfruit- The most popular variety is the purple passionfruit about the size of a chicken egg. it has a highly fragrant, sweet, but slightly tart, tasting fruit, can be spooned out and eaten fresh or added to fruit salad, pavlova, it makes a very popular drink, ice cream and sorbets and a flavouring for all kinds of desserts.
• Papaya- or pawpaw, a large tropical fruit whose ripe flesh can be juicy, creamy, orange red or yellow. In the centre is a mass of large peppery black seeds which are edible and sometimes crushed and used as a spice. Ripe papaya is eaten as a breakfast fruit or as a dessert. it can be pureed for ice cream, sorbets and iced drinks.

• Peaches- the most familiar peaches are round or "beaked" with a pointed and they are seldom sold by variety but by color of their flesh- yellow or white. Which you choose is a matter of preference, some people believe that white peaches have the finer flavour. Peaches are delicious eaten on its own or in fruit salad.
• Pears - contain a small amount of vitamin A & C and some potassium and riboflavin. pears should should always be bought when they are in perfect condition as they deteriorate quickly.

• Persimmons - the fruit of a tree originally from Japan, persimmons are now widely grown in all parts of the world. Resembling a tomato in appearance, the fruit is round and smooth-skinned, changing from yellow to red when it ripens. Eat as a dessert in fruit salads, in baking or in preserves.
• Pineapple - Derived from the Spanish word 'pina' meaning pine cone. Pineapples have a juicy, sweet-but sometimes slightly tart-fragrant flavour. They are best eaten fresh, serve pineapple flesh in slices, wedges or chunks. It is also available in cans, dried and glace. A good source of vitamin C.

• Plums - contains more antioxidant than any other fruit. Plums are delicate so make sure that the one you buy are unblemished and they should be plump and firm. The small sugar plum is dried to make prunes. Delicious stewed, plums are also ideal for making chutneys.
• Pomegranates- an exotic looking fruit about the size of a large apple, with a thin tough skin- usually golden to deep red, filled with edible seeds in crimson pulp. To use, cut the fruit in half with a very sharp knife and scoop out the tangy sweet seeds, separate them from the white pith and eat them fresh. Can be added to salads, use as a garnish on sweet and savoury dishes or press to extract juice.
• Pomelo - a small citrus tree native to tropical Asia and the tropical world. Similar to grapefruit but larger and with a very thick rind. The rind comes off readily making segmenting the fruit easy. The flesh varies from yellow to pink and it is generally sweeter and not as tart as grapefruit.

• Rambutans- the fruit grows in cluster, with a deep crimson outer skin. The flesh is translucent and the pale seed is edible when young. Related to lychees and are sometimes known as "hairy lychees".(about 5cm / 2inches in diameter) and look quite different but have a similar texture. They can be added to salads, can be made into jams or jellies but are best eaten on their own.

• Sapodillas - a tropical fruit with rough, brown skin but are sweet and luscious like vanilla flavoured banana custard. Make sure the fruit is soft and thoroughly ripe as unripe flesh can be quite bitter.
• Star apple- The fruits are green to purple with a smooth skin. When sliced horizontally the flesh is translucent white with the seeds forming a star shape. it is best eaten ripe, scooped straight from the skin. It is ripe when soft and should be eaten immediately, but it is still alright to refrigerate for a few days.
• Strawberries- A unique fruit, the seeds grow around the outside of the fruit rather than inside it. Comes in many different sizes, colours and shapes, ranging from conical to oval or heart-shaped. Best to eat on their own or with natural yoghurt. Use in desserts, fruit salads, preserves or in milk shakes.

• Tamarillos - related to tomatoes and sometimes called "tree tomatoes", they are the size of an egg tomato with dark red skin and the fruit has a strong sweet flavour suitable for both sweet or savoury dishes.  It can be used in jams, chutneys and sorbets.  

• Watermelon - the high water content of watermelons means that they are low in calories. They contain some viatamins B and C. Watermelon is excellent juiced, chopped in fruit salad or just eaten in chunky slices.