Avocado!! The Most Nutritious Fruit!!

Common name - Alligator pear (English), Palta (Spanish) are some of the common names in which Avocado is known by. Origin - They are known to originate from Mexico. Scientific name - Persea americana. Appearance - Avocadoes have a leather-like appearance with a smooth, creamy, greenish-yellow flesh. Avocados vary in weight from 8 ounces to 3 pounds depending upon the variety.
Avocado Varieties
Many of the varieties listed below are available as certified organic fruit. Click on a link below to take you to the particular avocado variety you wish to review. Bacon Hass Lamb Hass Gwen Fuerte Pinkerton Zutano Reed Bacon - Bacon is a medium sized fruit with a smooth and a yellowish green skin. Bacon has a light tasting flesh. It is a good pollinator for Hass. Bacon Description Size Appearance Ripe Characteristics  1. Oval-shaped fruit  2. Medium to large seed  3. Easy peeling  4. Light taste Medium, ranging from 6 to 12 ounces Smooth thin green skin with a yellowish green flesh. Skin remains green, darkens slightly Fruit undergoes gentle pressure when ripe. Hass - Hass is the common variety of California Avocado. Hass productions are famous in Southern California regions. The color of its skin changes from green to purplish-black when it is ripe. Hass Description Size Appearance Ripe Characteristics  1. Oval-shaped fruit  2. Small to medium seed  3. Easy peeling  4. Great taste Full range from average to large, 4 to 13 ounces. Stony, thick but malleable skin. Pale green flesh with creamy texture. Skin darkens as it ripens Fruit undergoes gentle pressure when ripe. Lamb Hass - Lamb has smooth texture, with buttery flavor. Color of the flesh and seed ratio is similar to Hass except the black colored skin which is slightly darker than Hass. Lamb Hass Description Size Appearance Ripe Characteristics  1. Pebbly skin with pale green flesh  2. Smooth, creamy, nutty taste  3. Large in size  4. Symmetrical in shape Ranges in size from 11.75 oz to 18.75 oz. Looks and ripens similar to a Hass avocado. Oval in shape with a medium-size seed. Skin darkens as it ripens. Undergoes gentle pressure when ripe. Gwen - Gwen haves similar taste, texture and appearance of Hass, but slightly larger in size. Harvesting time is generally from January to September in southern California. Gwen Description Size Appearance Ripe Characteristics  1. Fleshy oval fruit  2. Small to medium seed  3. Easy to peel  4. Great taste Medium to large, ranging from 5 to 14 ounces Stony, thick but malleable green skin. Creamy, gold-green flesh Green skin turns dull. Fruit undergoes gentle pressure when ripe. Fuerte - A hybrid Mexican variety which is the original high quality California Avocado. Harvesting time is generally from November to March. Fuerte Description Size Appearance Ripe Characteristics  1. Pear-shaped  2. Medium seed  3. Peels easily  4. Great taste Medium to large fruit, ranging from 5 to 13 ounces Soft thin green skin. Creamy, pale green flesh. Skin remains green always. Fruit undergoes gentle pressure when ripe. Pinkerton - Relatively longer neck when compared with other avocadoes. Its flesh has a nutty taste. The skin is medium thick which is similar to Hass. Pinkerton Description Size Appearance Ripe Characteristics  1. Long, pear-shaped fruit  2. Small seed  3. Easy peeling  4. Great taste Large fruit, ranging from 9 to 18 ounces Medium thick green skin with slight pebbling Creamy, pale green flesh. Green skin deepens in color as it ripens Fruit undergoes gentle pressure when ripe. Zutano - Zutano has a good flavor with a greenish skin. Harvesting time for Zutano is generally from September and is available through early winter. Zutano Description Size Appearance Ripe Characteristics  1. Pear-shaped fruit  2. Easy to peel  3. Light taste  4. Waxy bumps on the skin Average to large fruit, ranging from 7 to 14 ounces Shiny, thin yellow-green skin. Pale green flesh with light texture Skin holds on to color when it is ripe. Fruit undergoes gentle pressure when ripe. Reed - Large, round fruit which is similar to the shape of a lemon. Reed varieties are available during summer season and early fall. Reed Description Size Appearance Ripe Characteristics  1. Round-shaped fruit  2. Easy to peel  3. Good taste  4. Medium Seed Average to large fruit, ranging from 7 to 18 ounces Thick green skin. Pale green flesh with creamy texture Skin holds on to color when it is ripe. Fruit undergoes gentle pressure when ripe.
West Indian Avocado
West Indian type avocados yield enormous, soft round, glossy green fruits that are low in oil secretion and weighs up to 2 pounds. Guatemalan types produce medium ovoid or pear-shaped, pebbled green fruits that turn blackish-green when ripe. Mexican variety fruits are generally small with thin skin that turns glossy green or black when ripe. The flesh of avocados is deep green near the skin, becoming yellowish nearer the single huge, indigestible ovoid seed. Seeds may germinate inside an avocado when it is over-matured, causing internal molds and breakdown. The oil content of avocados ranks second when compared to olives among fruits.
Nutrients in Avocado
Avocados are rich in potassium and consist of nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium, magnesium and folate. This fruit is an outstanding source of monounsaturated fat.
Vitamins (one avocado medium) Vitamin A 1230 I.U. Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 3.9 mg Vitamin B1 (thiamin) 0.2 mg Folate 124.6 mg Vitamin B6 0.56 mg Vitamin C 15.9 mg	Minerals (one avocado medium) Phosphorus 82.4 mg Calcium 22 mg Potassium 1204 mg Iron 2mg Sodium 20 mg
Note: The content given in the table is fixed according to our calculation; hence it may not be accurate.
Avocado Facts
Avocadoes exist in more than 500 varieties. It is also called as Alligator pear because of its texture and shape. Babies usually need fats and proteins in their diet, which avocado provides in abundance. Besides US and Mexico, Brazil, Dominican Republic and Colombia are the world’s top most avocado producing countries. A single avocado tree bears nearly 200 to 500 fruits per year. Avocados have 60% more potassium when compared to that of bananas. Hass is the common avocado in Unites States. Avocados consist of mono and polyunsaturated fat which acts as a good substitute for food rich in saturated fats.
Avocado arrests Cholesterol
Avocado is considered as a cholesterol controller because it is a rich source of monounsaturated fat which lowers the LDL levels by raising the HDL levels. The fat content in Avocado does not add in to your cholesterol level. Researchers say that mono/polyunsaturated fats are the opposite of saturated fats, because they facilitate lowering the cholesterol level.
Notes on Avocado
Depending upon type and variety, avocados vary greatly in shape, size, and color. Most of them tend to be pear-shaped, but some are almost spherical. Some have rough or leathery textured skin, while others have smooth skin with a shade of green color. The color ranges from green to maroon, brown or purplish-black as they ripen. Avocados become very soft when they are ripened properly. Ripening process normally takes 3 to 5 days at room temperature. Ripening can be slowed down by refrigeration. Avoid : Avocados with dark sunken spots, irregular patches, cracked or broken surfaces which are the signs of decay. Look for : For immediate use, select slightly soft avocados which yield to gentle pressure on the skin. For use in few days, buy firm fruits that do not yield to the squeeze test. An extra tip : To avoid the browning of avocado flesh when exposed to air, immediately place the peeled fruit in lemon juice until ready for use. Irregular light-brown markings are sometimes found on the outside skin. These markings generally have no effect on the flesh of the avocado.

All about Mangosteen!!

Mangosteen Fruit

Fruit description - Mangosteen is a dark purple fruit with white on the inside of the fruit from Southeast-Asia, Thailand being one of its largest producers in the world. Even though mangosteen sounds like a mango type, it is really very different mango. Now it is always available at Asian markets across North America. Mangosteen is delectably sweet and juicy fruit that offers numerous health benefits of both the fruit itself and its skin which are incredibly potent disease fighters. Delicious as it is useful, the mangosteen fruit is always rich in xanthones, which may promote healthy physical function. In addition, mangosteen severing contains up to 5 grams of fiber. Its purplish pigment is also used as a dye. Taste - Mangosteen is very sweet. The mangosteen has flavors that taste like a combination of strawberry, peach, vanilla ice cream; it is definitely sweet with a very slight sourness. The flavor is divine with durian fruit and wonderfully delicate. The flavor does not even seem to resemble that of the fresh fruit. It has been described as tasting strawberry, peach, and vanilla ice cream. A mangosteen should be eaten as soon as it is opened. Mangosteen tree and appearance of fruit - Mangosteen fruit grows on a tree with black color, but not just an ordinary tree. Mangosteen trees grow in deep rich soils only, and grow 20 to 80 feet in height. The tree has thick evergreen leaves, and blooms reaching upwards of a foot in width. The bark of the tree is nearly black in color. Fruits are harvested using a ladder or a cutting pole, but are in no way allowed to touch the ground normally. It would damage the fruit. The shell of the Mangosteen fruit looks tough and hard, but is easy to open with hands. Care must be taken when opening the fruit, as the reddish-black husk outside produces a purplish, inky juice that stains fabric and can be almost impossible to remove. To open a Mangosteen, the shell is usually broken apart, not cut. Holding the fruit in both hands, press it until the shell cracks.

Mangosteen Tree

The mangosteen should not be puzzled with the popular mango fruit. The mangosteen tree that bears is as unique as its fruit. Here, then, are some fast facts to back that up: Grows 20 to 80 feet tall. Its bark is dark brown (nearly black) color. Have short, thick and leathery evergreen leaves and 12" wide flowers that grow in clusters of 3-9 at its branch tips. Takes two or more years for the tree to reach 12" in height. Widely believed that they originated in the islands of Sunda and Molucca (in the East Indies). The first fruit harvest may take place 7-9 years after planting, but most take place in the first 10-20. The average yield of full-grown trees is 500, but some trees yield as many as 5,000 ripe mangosteens. Some trees provide fruit for up to 100 years. The mangosteen tree is "ultra-tropical" and can't tolerate temperatures below 40°F or above 100°F. All attempts to grow the trees in locations north of 20° latitude have failed.

Mangosteen Plant

The mangosteen plant is a part of group known as the Guttiferae, which is a family of mainly tropical trees and shrubs that secrete a form of acrid yellow resinous fruit drink. There is a relative lack of information on the mangosteen plant, regardless of its popularity, and no one even knows exactly for sure where and when the mangosteen plant was first cultivated. However, it is strongly supposed that it first originated in the Moluccas, while some experts say that the mangosteen trees were first domesticated in Thailand or Burma. For many years now, the fruit of the mangosteen tree has been shipped from Singapore to Calcutta, then on even to China, for medical purposes.

Varieties of Mangosteen

According to this fruit Corner, the fruit from seedling trees is fairly uniform, only one separate variation is known and that is in the Sulu Islands. The fruit is larger than the mangosteen, the rind thicker than normal, and the flesh more acidic, the flavor more distinct. In North Borneo, apparently wild form has only 4 carpels, each of fruit containing a fully-developed seed, and this is almost certainly not unique.

Mangosteen Water Glimpse formula does not begin with regular water. Glimpse formulas begin with a unique one, one of a kind, mangosteen infused water. This process need steeping like a tea bag, this is done by dipping mangosteen pericarp powder into USP grade purified water. This allows the transfer of mangosteen’s powerful phytonutrients into the first ingredient and base for this formula. Each step in making Glimpse involves the meticulous use of traditional techniques combined with modern science. The mangosteen infused water have been shown in third party in-vitro analysis to crowd concentrated amounts of xanthones, proanthocyanidins, catechins and other vital phytonutrients. You can enjoy optimal skin benefits from mangosteen with mangosteen-infused water.

Nutrition Value for Mangosteen

Fruit comparison tables. Overview of vitamin and mineral content including nutrition charts of the Mangosteen. Nutritive value per 100 g of Mangosteen Principle Nutritive value Dietary fibre 1.8 g Sugar - Protein 0.4 g Fat 0.6 g Carbohydrates 18 g Calcium 0.14mg Water 81 g Iron 0.003g

Medicinal Uses of Mangosteen fruit

The most modern researches in scientific research shows that Mangosteen contains a class of naturally occurring polyphenolic compounds which is known as xanthones. Xanthones provide valuable effects on cardiovascular diseases, including ischemic heart disease, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and thrombosis. Xanthones show its particularly powerful antioxidant properties. Xanthones are found in a limited number of rain forest plants, but nowhere are they found in greater abundance than in the rind of the Mangosteen fruit. The medicinal properties of the Mangosteen fruit are derived mainly from its outer rind or peel, not from the fleshy inner part of the fruit. The rind, called the pericarp, is where the powerful antioxidants are highly concentrated. The Mangosteen pericarp is about a half-centimeter thick and is green when unripe, then dark purple when ripe. These unique antioxidants, known as Xanthones, have properties which help to heal damaged cells by free radicals, slow aging, and ward off degenerative diseases and physical and mental deterioration. The rind of partially ripe Mangosteen fruit yields a polyhydroxy-xanthone derivative termed mangostin, also beta-mangostin. The fully ripe fruits contains the xanthones gartanin, beta-disoxygartanin, and normangostin.

Health benefits of Mangosteen

For hundreds of years, the people of Southeast Asia have been using the Mangosteen, especially the rind called the pericarp, to ward-off and treat infections, reduce pain or control fever, and treat various other ailments. Dried Mangosteen fruits are transported from Singapore to Calcutta and to China for medicinal use. The sliced and dried pericarp is powdered and managed to overcome dysentery. Made into an ointment, it is applied on eczema and other skin disorders. The rind decoction is taken to relieve diarrhea and cystitis, gonorrhea and gleet, and is applied externally as an astringent lotion. A portion of the rind is steeped in water overnight and the infusion given as a remedy for chronic diarrhea in adults and children. Filipinos employ a decoction of the leaves and bark as a febrifuge and to treat thrush, diarrhea, dysentery and urinary disorders.

Mangosteen Recipes

1. Mangosteen Yogurt Panna Cotta

Ingredients: 4oz mangosteen puree 8oz heavy cream 6 oz plain yogurt 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp lime zest 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 3 gelatin sheets

Method: Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for 2-3 minutes until softened, and then squeeze water. In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mangosteen puree, cream, lime zest, vanilla, and sugar until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve. In a small pan melt the gelatin over low heat, and stir in sugar and vanilla. Whisk the gelatin mixture thoroughly into the yogurt mixture. Pour the mixture into 4 glasses and frezze it until firm.

Vietnamese Mangosteen Salad Recipe

Ingredients: 4 mangosteens 200g shrimps, boiled, shelled . 200g pork belly, boiled, cut into threads. 50g shredded dried squid lettuce,vietnamese herbs 2 lemon 2 tablespoons sugar For the sauce: 4 tablespoons mayonnaise sauce 1 tablespoon chilli sauce 1 tablespoon tomato sauce 1 tablespoon cooking oil

Method: Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend it until smooth. Pour mixture into shallow tray, place in freezer for 15-20 minutes or until set. Scoop mixture into mangosteen shells. Serve immediately. For more information please visit : www.fruitsinfo.com