# Spring Fruits & How to do´s?



## Margi Cintrano (Apr 10, 2012)

Ladies and Gents,

Good evening ... I love seasonal fruit in addition to tropical varieties too ...

What are your 6 or so faves, and what to do create with them ?

Mine are:

1) Ripe Seasonal Fresh Peaches ... just washed and peeled ... nothing more than their aromas ...

2) Seasonal Strawberries ... just the way they are ... or a Strawberry Short Cake ... 

3) Key Lime Pie ... There is probably nothing I love more in Florida than a Key Lime Pie in The Keys ... 

4) Green Melon ... the aromas ... a Gazpacho of Green Melon or just  a slice or Sorbet ... 

5) Fresh Hawaiian Papaya, for breakfast ... with a drizzle of Lime ... 

6) There is a fruit that is called Cactus Pear ... it is heavenly ... I had it as cream of cactus pear, stuffed in a Cannoli when in Italia ... 

Look forward to hearing from you all.
Have a nice week.
Margi.


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## Gravy Queen (Apr 10, 2012)

I love english strawberries when they are in season. I make strawberry flan or we just have them nice and simple with a splosh of cream. 

I love fruits in fat free greek style yogurt for breakfast, I like a mix of blueberries, strawberries and mango. 

I especially love mango with chillie and chicken in Nigellas jubilee salad. A great summery salad. 

Pears are great with a nice cheese platter, I do love a fruit and cheese combo.


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## 4meandthem (Apr 10, 2012)

Strawberries! We have Immigrants who sell them throughout our neighborhood on streetcorners and door to door sometimes.
We eat them plain or with an angelfood cake and whipped cream.

Cherries, a little later in the year. Plain

My wife and kids eat grapes throughout the year. I prefer to juice them and let it sit for while.

I love figs but I think they are later in the season too.

We eat most of our fruit just plain or in a fruit salad.

I love Hawaiin papaya too. I am not as fond of mexican variety.


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## Steve Kroll (Apr 10, 2012)

There are actually very few fruits that I eat - in season or otherwise. I don't have an aversion to fruit; I just don't care for the added sugar in my diet (and yes, fruit does contain sugar).

Having said that, wild blueberries are a favorite. And I'll eat blood oranges, bananas, and apples on occasion. I also have grapevines, a cherry tree, and aronia bush in the backyard, but I use all the fruit for winemaking.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Apr 10, 2012)

Strawberries, sliced and lightly sugared, chilled.

Bananas, just like they are and slightly green.  I don't like them ripe, if there's brown spots they are too ripe.

Mandarin Oranges, peeled.

Lemons and Limes, anyway I can get them.

Red Seedless Grapes, rinsed and chilled.

Kiwi Fruit, chilled.

I love Grapefruit, but am not able to eat them right now because of my medications.


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## Margi Cintrano (Apr 11, 2012)

*Pithaya*



Margi Cintrano said:


> Ladies and Gents,
> 
> Good evening ... I love seasonal fruit in addition to tropical varieties too ...
> 
> ...


 

Good Morning, 

I am pleased to find all these posts. I wanted to mention:

1) One of the loveliest fruits I have ever had was, Pithaya, which is native to Colombia ... It has a yellow or pale red cactus looking exterior ... Which one must wear gloves to handle !  However, the interior is: a luscious kiwi type textured soft creamy fruit, though it is either white or pale red or yellow ... and as mentioned with the tiny pin head sized edible black seeds of a kiwi ... 

2) Hawaiian Papaya has a watermelon red interior and the South American variety has an orange interior ... The Vet and I had a 2nd honeymoon  in Popu Beach, Hawaii several years ago --- and I have never forgotten the Hawaiian variety ...  It is amazing ... and quite different than the South American ... However, yes, it is breakfast or 11am Spanish mid day brunch before lunch during laboral week ! 

Has anyone ever had a Pitahaya ?  I believe it is pear cactus in English ... and / or Hawaiian Papaya ? Have you found a notable difference in taste to the orange South American type ? 

Thanks for all the posts. 
Margi.


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## Aunt Bea (Apr 11, 2012)

Not really a fruit but in the spring I always look forward to a rhubarb pie or crumble!


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## 4meandthem (Apr 11, 2012)

Huge difference between Mexican and hawaiin papaya. The hawaiin variety is milder and has a slight floral note. Mexican papaya tastes slighty fermented and much stronger flavor. I love Hawaiin and don't care much for the other. That is how different they are to me.

I have never had cactus pears but they are pretty common around here. Are you talking about the round,red,prickly fruit from a flat bladed cactus. The same variety they use for napolitos.


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## 4meandthem (Apr 11, 2012)

Which fig varieties are most popular there Margi. I like Black Mission figs. My Grandfather had a huge tree in his backyard that produced several crops a year. As kids we would swim in the pool for hours and then climb the tree for figs. The sap makes your skin ithchy so we jump back in the pool to wash it off or run from the wasps that pollenated it.


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## Margi Cintrano (Apr 12, 2012)

*@ 4 Meandthem:  Tropical Fruits*

Good Morning,

Yes, I do agree that there are distinct flavor differences between the Hawaiian watermelon red Papaya and the Ecquatorian orange Papaya, or any other Central American or South American variety. In Madrid, there is enormous Ecquatorian Imports of Fruit and Vegetables. Now, papaya is being grown in the Canary Islands as well as Avocado, however, unlike the Mexican Haas black wrinkled variety, they are a large deep green smooth variety with a creamier interior. I prefer the Haas from Mexico ... 

Pithaya: is a cactus pear ... valued for its " kiwi " type interior ... They come in 3 colors, red, yellow and white ... They are favored by Chefs in desserts. As previously mentioned, I had a Cannoli filled with the peachy reddish one ... Lovely ... it was like a sorbet cream ... 

Spanish Figs:  there are 2 types of figs; fresh fruit called Brevas in Spanish, which are a dark dark violet black with a papaya color fruit interior and then the dried variety called Ciruelas ... 

I love the fresh fruit variety ... there season is quite short and shelf life does NOT exist ... Must be eaten right after purchase ... They are available every  August in Spain ... 

I enjoy them very much. 

In Italia, Sicilia and the southern provinces, they are also available and many Italians wrap a slice of Proscuitto di Parma around them ... Lovely idea too ... 

Thanks for your post.
Margi.


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## CharlieD (Apr 12, 2012)

I love fresh, tree ripen fruits, but since it's pretty darn cold here we barely have anything free-tree ripen here, for sure not in the spring. Strawberries will show up some time in June, but they are way too expensive. Apples are at the end of the summer, I have cherry tree, but it is way too young to really give anything really substantial. 
I love visiting Florida and California. Local stuff is not as good and there is not much of anything anyways, ah sad...


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## Margi Cintrano (Apr 12, 2012)

Aunt Bea,

Thanks for your post. Yes, it is quite like a fruit in looks and taste ! 

Kind regards. 
Margi.


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