Explore Exotic Summer Fruits
If you’re a Melissa’s follower, you’ve read all the SM posts regarding Rubyglow® as one of the most expensive fruits today, and I doubt anyone would refute this claim at $395.99 per pineapple!
Did you know this pineapple, a hybrid- so no funny science going on here, took FIFTEEN YEARS to develop through various stages of cross breeding, testing, tasting, and more hybridizing? A pineapple plant needs about 2-3 years to yield one pineapple fruit. The plant will generate buds for more pineapples, which can be transplanted, but only one fruit per stalk. One plant, one pineapple. For this reason, it is understandable why Rubyglow® pineapples are so expensive and probably will be until there are enough buds from existing plants to generate more plants. This is the reason why Melissa’s sold out of the pineapple harvest in less than one week!! But do not fret. If you have an extra $400 plus shipping burning a hole in your pocket, we will have more available in August.
Rubyglow® Pineapples have a very rare ruby red colored skin (thus the name) and a citrine yellow interior flesh that is lower in acid, yielding a sweeter pineapple. All of the pineapples are hand-harvested and packed in specially designed cartons, adding to their luxury and uniqueness. It is truly a special and quite memorable gift to give or receive. Once you receive this very luxe pineapple, please carefully unwrap and place in the refrigerator, unwashed, for up to two days. Then, wash the exterior, pat dry, and cut into serving slices for your special guests to enjoy.
Please keep in mind, this pineapple is restricted from shipment to Hawaii, and must be shipped at least 2nd Day. Do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Department with questions or website assistance.
As we have mentioned in earlier posts, mango is a source of Vitamin A and C as well as nutritional fiber. Some mango varieties also have stringy, textural fiber, which is not always palatable to the consumer, but the Green Keitt Mango does not have this profile. In fact, this variety can be used as a peach substitute! Smooth, creamy, and sweet with that pinch of mango tang, you’ll soon fall for this variety of mango and discover ways to include it in every meal!
Mangos are usually selected for ripeness based on their fragrance and, erroneously, the skin turning from green to beautiful sunrise hues of red-orange-golden yellow. Green Keitt Mangos are so named because their skin remains green even when ripe! For this reason, ripeness for all varieties of mango is determined by aroma at the stem end and slight give (like a fresh tomato) when the fruit is gently pressed between the palms of your hands. If you forget the mango on the counter and it’s over-ripe and soft, don’t throw it away! Simply peel away the skin then pit and puree with a bit of simple sugar or honey and yogurt for a refreshing lassi drink, or blend with some ice or liquid of choice for smoothies or sorbetto. Tasty in curries, over meat and game, folded into cooked rice, fruit salads and salsas. A creamy smooth-textured mango is a very acceptable substitute for peaches, as well.
For all mangos, select fruit that yields to gentle pressure, as noted above, with no shriveled skin, black spots, or soft fruit. Green Keitt mango may be stored at room temperature until ripe, about 1-3 days. Once ripe, wash and pare away skin and inedible flat pit. Refrigerate mango in an airtight container up to one week, or peel and freeze in airtight container up to three months. Mango peel can cause an allergic reaction, so wash your hands well after handling this luscious fruit.
While conventional Green Keitt Mango is now in season, keep your eyes open in September for Melissa’s Organic Green Keitt mango!
Have you ever tried to peel and seed a fresh pomegranate and have you and your kitchen counter stained in pomegranate juice? Well, there are secrets to peeling and removing all 600 of those lovely jeweled bursts of flavor (revealed at another time), but why spend your time doing that when there’s homework to do and dinner to get on the table? Make life easier and just as healthy with Melissa’s Pomegranate Arils. We’ve done all the work and removed them from the pomegranate shell. They are ready to use! Arils are a covering over a seed. Additional examples of an aril are the net-like covering of nutmeg known as spice mace, or the grape-textured flesh of lychee or rambutan.
Pomegranate arils are a burst of sweet tart, refreshing juice found to be loaded with anti-oxidants and many nutrients. Great out of hand (especially as frozen bursts) and super easy to add to juicing or smoothies. But consider including them as a salad topper, with cooked meats or lighter fish, with soft cheeses on a bagel, or topping peanut buttered celery (Red ants on a log!). They are habit forming when mounded under melted dark chocolate!
Pomegranate is one of the oldest fruits known to man. It is mentioned in The Bible along with figs, wheat, barley, olive trees, vines, and honey, and thought to have originated in Iran. They are a symbol of faithfulness and abundance. Available year-round, select arils that appear plump with little juice loose in the package. Store covered, in the refrigerator and use by the noted date code, or freeze by the same date and use within two months. Do not re-freeze. This product is available year-round, barring Mother Nature’s whim. Product of Chile. In season, July – September. For all other seasons, please check our web page at melissas.com
Perfect for a lunch addition or mid-day snacking, Melissa’s Baby Apple Medley is a selection of smaller apples just the right size for children, or about 4-5 adult bites-because adults are kids, too! Packed in a convenient one-pound tote, this medley contains a variety of in-season apples, often Fuji, Gala, and Granny Smith. If there is peace and quiet in your home, this tote is just enough to exercise the adage of an apple a day, or include in fresh green salads, slaws and fruit salads, grazing boards, chocolate or flavored yogurt or whipped cream cheese dipping. Pared apples can also be used to add just a touch of sweetness to simmered or roasted meats and fowl.
Select apples that are firm with no bruises or cuts. Apples are best stored in the coldest part of your refrigerator away from strong foods such as onions and garlic. However, if you plan to use the apples within one week, they may be kept on the counter up to one week. The latter is a great way to remind oneself of a healthy snack or addition to any dish. Remember to wash your fruit prior to preparation or consumption. If storing washed and cut or peeled apples, lightly toss or dip them in a solution of one tablespoon lemon juice to one cup of cool water and allow to soak for five minutes. Drain and pat dry, but do not rinse off. Product of USA.
You don’t have to be old enough to remember Neil Diamond’s “Hot August Nights” to know August really IS the hottest month of the year, and the time we need to effectively hydrate our bodies. Melissa’s Sweet Young Coconut is hydration, natural energy in its own shell, electrolytes, and flavor. And that’s not all. Once you carefully open the coconut (INSERT VIDEO LINK HERE) you’ll find there is a very tasty, custard-like flesh that can be easily scraped out and consumed as is, or added to smoothies, cocktails, or cooking rice, cut into vegan calamari, or combined with its water and a bit of fresh habanero pepper to make coconut ice!
Young coconuts, also known as Thai or hut coconuts, are immature coconuts loaded with water and gelatinous flesh, as opposed to the more commonly seen brown or white coconuts with their hard shells, thick coconut meat, and little water. Young coconuts are meant for drinking, while brown and white coconuts are meant for eating.
Throughout the South Pacific, several myths explain the existence of coconut. Some have characters with very long names, and some have gods, but all of them involve a male image and a lovely princess. Before the male image (an eel, a serpent, an animal) dies from rejection, he tells the princess she will regret the situation because he will save her in the future. A famine occurs, a sprouted tree bears a young coconut, and the civilization survives from the nourishment of coconuts. If the husk of the young coconut were pared away, three divots or ‘eyes’ of the coconut would be visible. These represent the face of the rejected male; two eyes, a mouth from which the villagers receive nourishment, and the ridge that separates the three is the nose.
Melissa’s Sweet Young Coconut contains the outer husk, which conceals the three eyes and prevents the thin coconut shell from easily cracking. When selecting a Sweet Young Coconut, look for a coconut heavy for its size, averaging 12-14 ounces of liquid inside. Steer clear of any with pink bottoms, signs of leakage, mold, or off aroma. Keep the coconut cold on ice or under refrigeration. Do not allow the coconut to turn warm. Once opened, consume or freeze only the juice and flesh within two days and up to three months. For an easy open young coconut, ask your local retailer for Melissa’s Organic EZ Open Coconut with the push button plunger. Available year-round. Both Sweet Young Coconut and Organic EZ Open Coconut are grown in Thailand.
Another refreshing and satisfying fruit during the hot summer months are Asian Pears or Apple Pears. Did you know there are three types of pears? Most common for consumers is the European pear with the tapered top and bulbous bottom. Once ripe, its edible skin is thin, and the flesh is sandy but firm in texture, with a sweet or buttery profile. The second is the Li Pear, which looks very similar to the European pear, but is drier to the palate, crisp, crunchy, and mildly sweet. And lastly is our featured pear, the Apple Pear or Asian Pear.
Native to Southern China, Asian Pear or Apple Pear is so named for its crisp crunch and texture, yet it is also quite juicy. They are harvested ripe and ready to eat with edible peel, though some people prefer to pare it away. They are very low in calories and sugar, but higher in fiber than European pears, and the beauty of this pear is it doesn’t turn mushy or tannic when roasted or baked, nor does it easily oxidize!
Apple Pears are tasty out of hand, but are very good in fresh salads, as thin slices with feta or bleu cheese on a flatbread pizza, included in dried and fresh fruit grazing boards, as Asian salad or slaw with napa cabbage, slices of water chestnut or jicama and soy sesame dressing, or pared and cut into small half-inch dice and used as a substitute in cobbler or crumble. Since this fruit is generally available year-round, they are delicious even in the fall and winter months, added to stuffings, quick breads, and ambrosia salad!
When selecting Apple Pears, look for firm fruit with no bruises, cuts, or soft spots. Store at room temperature up to three months. Wash and pat dry before preparation or consuming. Available year-round. Grown in USA and Chile.
Many produce items are often named for their shape, a person, region, or because they resemble something, which is the case with Passion Fruit. Passion Fruit, also known as maracujá/maracuyá in Latin American countries, is believed to have been named by European missionaries who saw Christ’s symbols of crucifixion in its flowers (hammer and nails, crown of thorns) and The Passion of Christ.
Melissa’s Passion Fruit is the Common or Purple Passion Fruit, round or ovoid with a deep purple-brown shell and golden yellow juice with seeds. The edible seeds are surrounded with pulp and juice. This fruit may be consumed at any stage once harvested and yields a flavor from tangy tart to intensely sweet with hints of guava, banana, and lime. The fruit is featured in sorbets and ice creams, pan sauces for seafood, light meats and vegetables, flavoring for cake icings, fillings, and candies, smoothies, yogurts, flavored waters, cocktail mixers and even makeup!
Many studies have mentioned Passion fruit is good for health due to its great sources of lycopene, a carotenoid that helps the eyes, prostate, and soothes tummy anxiety. All I can tell you is the juice is tasty and considered one of the most nutrient dense produce items compared to total calories currently in existence.
You’ve heard us state when selecting fresh produce, to pass on signs of shriveling and wrinkles, but passion fruit is an exception. At the wrinkled state, the fruit is sweetest, though it can be more difficult to cut as the shell becomes less rigid. Unwashed, unripe fruit may be left at room temperature counter until fragrant and depressions or wrinkles appear. Ripe fruit may be refrigerated, unwashed, in a loosely wrapped plastic bag, for up to one week. Care and prudence need to be used to prevent severe injury. We suggest cutting washed fruit on a skid-proof cutting board and using a serrated knife. A dull knife is your biggest enemy, especially in this application. Once the fruit is opened, scoop out the seeds, pulp, and juice; use as the recipe directs. Some recipes call for the juice and pulp to be strained from the seeds. If you’re lucky enough to have a bevy of passion fruit, you can ripen the fruit and place pulp and juice in a freezable bag or container for future use. Do not freeze the whole fruit due to freezer space and difficulty cutting when thawed. Grown in USA and New Zealand
Plum varieties are some of summer’s tastiest fruits and probably most attractive with the variety of jewel-toned skins and vibrant, juicy flesh. That omnipresent pit doesn’t seem such a bother if you’re a true plum aficionado because some varieties have a pit that easily pulls from the flesh (freestone), while other varieties allow one to slowly nibble away the last bits of flesh clinging to the pit (clingstone). The reason plum season is usually longer than many other fruits is because there are two different species of plum, one Japanese and the other European. Regardless, plums are one of the fruits of summer available into early fall. They can be a hot weather out-of-hand refresher or an autumnal comfort food cobbler. And if you plan well ahead, a fab winter base for a holiday gathering.
