Title: Common Tropical Fruit
Categories: Fruit Tropical Basic
Yield: 1 Servings

		COMMON TROPICAL FRUIT
		=====================
		Pineapple
		Mango
		Carambola
		Banana
		Papaya
		Avocado

Pineapple On Trees...Never! Not On Bushes Either!

Pineapple is a herbaceous, perennial plant of the bromeliad family with large, pointed leaves. It develops from tiny, lavender flowers on a short stalk that grow from the center of the leaves. The flowers fuse with the bracts to become fleshy and to form the pineapple. Bet you didn't know that pineapple's fibrous, chewy core is the original flower stalk! When you see the hexagonal sections of the pineapple rind, look at each section, a botanically individual fruit, which merged to form the finished product.

Hawaiian pineapple is ready to eat when harvested and it is rushed to market at optimum sweetness. Don't store pineapple expecting it to ripen like other fruit. In the growing process, the starch in the fruit's leaves converts to sugar and goes directly to the fruit. Once picked, the fruit is cut off from its "sweetness" supply.

HOW TO SELECT A PINEAPPLE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Look for fresh, green leaves and be certain they are not wilted or brown. The pineapple should smell sweet and be firm with no soft spots. Color is not always a good indicator of ripeness because some pineapple varieties are naturally green. Of course, you need to be examining a product of Hawaiian sunshine to have the very best.

PINEAPPLE TIPS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The most flavorful use for a fresh pineapple is the simplest. Don't mask its sweet flavor with a rich dressing or bake the freshness from it. Use canned pineapple for richly dressed salads, marinades, and baked goods. Fresh pineapple is good uncooked as a topping for a cheesecake or a tart and in fresh fruit salad. Serve it cubed with a dash of brandy or kirsch for dessert. Fresh pineapple is the perfect ending to a dinner because its enzymes aid digestion.

MAD ABOUT MANGO! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mango, one of the earliest cultivated fruits, has been grown in India for about 5,000 years. At least 500 mango varieties are grown there. In Hawaii, mangos are a common backyard fruit often eaten ripe, but they are also enjoyed green with vinegar, soy sauce, salt, and pepper.

MANGO TIPS ~~~~~~~~~~ Mangos can be round, oval, or oblong and the fruit color can vary from green to yellow-orange. When buying mangos, select unblemished, firm fruit. It will ripen in three to five days at room temperature. If refrigerated, mango keeps well for about a week.

If you are lucky enough to have a mango tree, you may be overwhelmed with your crop. Mango pulp can be successfully frozen for about one year as puree or slices. Peel mangos, remove pulp from the seed, and use a food processor fitted with a steel blade to puree the fruit. Pour the puree into ice cube trays and freeze. Pack cubes into freezer bags, or pour puree directly into freezer bags and freeze as a block. To freeze mango slices, seal them tightly in freezer bags or containers. Do not add sugar or water.

Frozen mango puree slices easily with a sharp knife, almost like cold butter. No need to thaw. Return remainder of unused, frozen mango puree immediately to the freezer. Frozen mango puree can be used in sorbet, salad dressing, and marinade.

GROW MANGO! ~~~~~~~~~~~ Clean the fuzzy mango seed removing as much pulp as possible. Plant it horizontally in a six-inch pot with a good planting medium. Place the seed on the surface of the pot with about a quarter of the seed embedded in the soil. Do not overwater and feed as you would a regular houseplant. Mangos are hearty plants and in about a month you will have a mango plant underway. As the plant matures, shape your tree by pinching off leaves. From: Sam Lefkowitz Date: 05-18-96 (05:25) Online Connections (534) Home Cooki

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