It’s the season for fruit from elsewhere and, therefore, the time to stock up on vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Passion Fruit, Maxi-Fibers!
With 7.3 g of soluble fiber (appetite suppressant, good for the intestinal flora) and insoluble fiber (anti-constipation), it is the category champion!
Why Shouldn’t You Eat Exotic Fruits In Winter?
Exotic fruits are, by definition, those that “do not grow here.” We have acclimatized some in our latitudes ( kiwi, lemon, etc.), but others still need sunshine and humidity levels incompatible with our weather. Full of sun and, therefore, of antioxidants (to protect against the rays), they have more than one advantage. Be careful; only fresh (or frozen) fruit is attractive; canned or juiced fruit has lost most of its vitamins and enzymes but has gained in sugar and calories. Eat them peeled, shelled, nicely cut, or in salads or smoothies!
Exotic Fruits: How To Choose Them Well?
An exotic fruit is a fruit that has been transported outside its country of origin. It is also found under the name of “tropical fruit.” Requiring a hot and humid climate to develop in good conditions, it is imported from Latin America, Asia, Africa, or the Caribbean. Long considered luxury products, these fruits have become consumer products.
How To Choose A Pineapple?
Do not be fooled by its color but by its smell! A yellow pineapple is not necessarily ripe, and a green fruit can be perfect. On the other hand, a pineapple that smells nothing will not be sweet. So trust your nose.
How To Choose A Mango?
As with pineapple, do not select a mango by color; some varieties remain green when ripe. Test its suppleness with your finger: the mango should be firm but not hard, knowing it continues to ripen after harvesting. And let yourself also be guided by your nose: nothing like a good sweet smell, not to be mistaken.
How To Choose A Kiwi?
Prefer ripe but not too ripe fruits, firm to the touch, and let them reach maturity at room temperature. To consume immediately, take very flexible fruits. When opening a kiwi, check that the flesh is green and firm. Otherwise, the taste will be impaired. To know: although considered an exotic fruit, the kiwi grows very well here, France being even the second European producer.
How To Cut Exotic Fruits Like A Pro?
How To Cut A Kiwi?
Wash the kiwi. Cut both ends. Be sure to remove the small thorn at one end. Slide the spoon between the skin and the flesh and swirl it around the curve of the kiwi to loosen the skin. Then slide the whole fruit out of its skin: you then obtain a very regular cut.
How To Cut A Mango? The Hedgehog Technique!
There is no need to peel the fruit to cut a mango into cubes or make the funny hedgehogs served in all Chinese restaurants. Rinse and dry it, then locate the ridge line of the stone (it forms a slight bitterness under the skin) because you will have to cut along the stone.
Open the mango from top to bottom, bypassing the pit with the knife’s blade. It is a question of making two long slices, avoiding the kernel with its particular shape. In the end, you will get three pieces: 2 thick slices, which will form the “hedgehogs,” and one central slice containing the core (you can recover a little flesh all around).
Take the two half-gaps. In each, draw a grid of lines with the tip of a knife. Proceed slowly without inserting the blade too much because you must not pierce the fruit’s skin.
Gently take one of the halves in your hands and press underneath with your fingertips, to turn the skin over. And here is your first hedgehog!
How To Cut A Pineapple?
The Canoe Technique!
Trim the pineapple’s stem with scissors so you can keep the leaves without pricking yourself. In the direction of the height, open the fruit in half, then cut each half in half.
Using a very sharp knife, detach the heart from the base towards the leaves without detaching it completely, then make the blade fork and go along the bark to isolate the flesh.
Cut each quarter of pineapple into regular slices. Shift the slices on the right and the left, alternating. The canoe is ready!
The Hedgehog Technique!
Trim the pineapple leaves with scissors to keep them without pricking yourself. Cut the base of the fruit with a sharp knife.
Hold the pineapple firmly and place the blade between the flesh and the rind. The blade should be longer than the pineapple. Begin to separate the rind following the fruit’s outline, ensuring to stay close enough to the rind to limit loss.
Once the cut is complete, you get a large block of flesh to push out of the bark using the leafy part, like with a plunger. Then slice the fruit.
Remove the core from each slice with a knife or a small circular cookie cutter for a perfect presentation.