New K-Grapes, Sweet Tamarind & More
This fruit really IS special because it took nearly thirty years to reach a grocer’s table! While growing on the vine, about thirty percent of the grapes are thinned away, allowing nutrients and energy for the remaining grapes to grow larger berries and quality bunches. Shine Grape is a variety of Muscat, one of the sweetest grape varieties. They are crisp and crunchy with a sweet and refreshing profile, meant to be served as they are, or with other fresh cut fruits as a snack, dessert, or side. Available year-round. Product of South Korea.
Looking like a string of melted milk chocolate beads, Melissa’s Sweet Tamarind from Thailand is a “healthier” snack (no added sugar) and a cooking ingredient. Tamarind is grown in tropical regions throughout the world. Grown on trees, not vines, the green pods are left to ripen and harvest once they turn russet potato brown. Tamarind can be sweet or tart depending on variety and time of harvest. Thai tamarind is of the sweeter variety, a smoother balance of sweet and sour, whereas varieties in Latin America tend to have more acid and tart. Tamarind is used as a paste in popular dishes like Pad Thai and in sauces, drinks and candies. As a snack, carefully break open the pod, remove the veins and shell, then pop the luscious paste with pit into your mouth and enjoy, spitting out the pit once all the flesh has been removed. For recipes calling for sweet tamarind paste, place shelled tamarind in a bowl with just enough boiled water to cover. Once the mixture has absorbed the water, simply rub off the pulp and discard the pits. At this point, the pulp may be placed into ice cube ports and frozen for later use, or refrigerated in a well-sealed jar. Add to meat sauces for zing and sweetness, or combine with water and a bit of sweetener for a satisfying and cooling beverage. Flesh or paste removed from pods may be frozen in convenient recipe portions for up to one year. An old yet usable ice cube tray functions well.
Sweet Tamarind Pods are shelf-stable; store in a cool pantry. Available year-round. Product of Thailand.
The bumpy skin of this citrus lime is strongly scented; its juice and leaves are essential ingredients in Thai and Southeast Asian cuisines, providing aroma and unique flavor to curries, soups, and sauces. Makrut juice and peel are also used cosmetically in shampoos and scrubs to cleanse and invigorate. The peel’s volatile oils and anti-inflammatory benefits also make Makrut a cleansing ingredient for house cleaning, as well as curing colds and viruses. Makrut pairs well with Melissa’s Sweet Tamarind, turmeric, ginger, coconut flesh and milk, and other spices and herbs from India to Southeast Asia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka, to name a few.
Select Makrut that are heavy for their size, fragrant, and have a slight give. Avoid brown spots and shrivels. Rock hard citrus will not yield juice. Refrigerate in a plastic bag for up to two weeks. Always wash fruits and vegetables well prior to preparation. Extra Makrut may be peeled into thick zest strips and juiced, then frozen into recipe portion size. Zest will not be as brightly flavored or scented as fresh, but will work in a pinch or added to season dishes. Available October to November. Grown in the USA, California.
As you are probably realizing by now, citrus is big this time of year. But some citrus have a short season, such as Buddah’s Hands, so you’ve gotta get them ASAP and enjoy them as long as possible. This fruit is quite unusual and named for its appearance: a hand with very long fingers. It’s often used as an air freshener; when the fingers are gently wiggled or rubbed, the essential oils are released. There is no flesh or juice; only peel. The peel can be zested for baking or added to marinades. Go gory and add a ‘finger’ to a cocktail during Halloween season!
Buddha’s Hands are often given as hospitality gifts and are symbols of happiness, longevity, and good fortune. Select a hand that is bright in color, firm, and fragrant with no signs of shrivel, mold, dark spots, or blemishes. IF displaying, do not wash. Display in a cool, ventilated area for up to two weeks. The hand may also be refrigerated for up to four weeks. Wash, then pat dry and use as zest, peel, or in marinades and dressings. Available October to January. Product of USA, California grown.
Quickly becoming omnipresent in many fusion dishes, this variety of citrus is a well-known ingredient for Japanese sauces and seasoning called Ponzu (a mix of yuzu juice, soy sauce, yuzu peel, mirin can be added to salads, marinades, etc.) It’s a cross between Japanese citrus and sour mandarin, and though it was once only available in Asia, Yuzu citrus is now grown in the U.S. Its juice runs from lemon-lime to tangerine grapefruit and its fragrant zest or peel can be rubbed with salt or sugar to flavor drinks, marinades, and baked goods.
This golf ball-sized fruit has a bumpy green peel which turns bright yellow during the end of the season. The flavor does not change as the season passes. Very seedy, Yuzu fruit juice has much less yield than other small citrus fruits. To extract as much juice as possible, allow the fruit to be at room temperature, wash and dry, then roll on a hard counter to break the juice cells. Alternatively, you may microwave the whole fruit for about ten seconds, but watch carefully as ovens vary in efficiency, and allow the fruit to cool before halving to prevent skin burns. If you’re into zero waste, save the seeds for natural pectin canning. Simply freeze them, adding to other citrus seeds, then place them in a knotted cheesecloth and soak them overnight in water, releasing the pectin. Add to supplement or replace commercial pectin when making jams and jellies.
Select fruit that seems heavy for its size and is free of cuts, shrivels, or dark spots. Remember, early in the season, yuzu is dark green and will change to yellow as the season progresses. Available October through November. Product of California.
Kiwi berries are not baby kiwis, but they are awfully cute and resemble the overall shape and interior of kiwi fruit sans the fuzz. About the size of a large grape, this berry is ripe and ready to eat when slightly firm. They’re very ‘pop-able’ for children as well as adult snacking. Add them to a fruit skewer of Pinkglow® Pineapple, Cara Cara orange wedge, a cube of semi-soft cheese, and other berries or toss into a tropical fruit salad. For Halloween, skewer and dip in white chocolate, then add two Melissa’s Dried Currants for eyes. Or, for a party dessert bite, spread softened cream cheese on one-quarter of a graham cracker and place sliced baby kiwi on top.
Select Kiwi berries that are plump without cuts or soft spots, with no wrinkled skin or shrivels. Ripen at room temperature until they yield to gentle pressure. Do not firmly squeeze fruit. Over ripened fruit will be mushy and soft and candidates for smoothies. Once ripe, store unwashed fruit in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Washed, then frozen baby kiwi is only palatable added to smoothies. Because of their natural pectin content, this fruit will not set in gelatins. Available late September to November. Product of USA.
Who wouldn’t want to enjoy a chin-dripping bite of fruit any time of year? Rambutan, a member of the lychee family, not only is fun to look at, but is a tasty and refreshing two-bite fruit. A member of the lychee family, rambutan is about the size of a big grape with feelers all over its bumpy pink-colored skin. Be careful when enjoying rambutan, as they do contain a pit.
This is a perfect piece of fruit to serve during the Halloween season, with its hairy feelers, unusual appearance, and fun-to-eat profile. To eat, simply wash well, then gently score the skin and twist off the peel. Avoid the inner pit. Peel and halve, then include in an eyeball punch!
Select fruit that is firm, with no leaking juice, soft spots, or mold. The feelers may darken, but as long as the fruit is firm, wash and enjoy! Available now through December. Product of Honduras or Guatemala.
Some varieties of persimmon are grown extensively in Asia, with all varieties originating in China. As they are orange and round, persimmons in Asia are given as blessings of good luck. Fuyu (diospyros kaki) persimmons and Hachiya (diospyros virginiana) were initially brought to the US via Commodore Perry. While the Hachiya variety successfully grew in Southern U.S. regions, Fuyu varieties did not prosper until twenty years later when the USDA imported trees from Japan and planted them throughout California and The South. One variety cannot always replace the other, as explained below, due to astringency. Persimmons are actually a wonderfully sweet and satisfying piece of fruit, but one must know the characteristics between the two for successful application.
So, how does one remember which variety is which? Many of us at Melissa’s remember the variety by the first few letters of each variety. “F” as in ‘flat’ for the tomato-shaped Fuyu, and “Ha” as a slight mispronunciation of ‘High’ for the Hachiya’s ‘high’ or taller shape.
Regardless of variety, select fruit that has bright orange skin, and is firm, shiny, and heavy for its size. Harvested green, under-ripe fruit may not reach full flavor. Hachiya variety is usually displayed orange and firm and will generally ripen in a paper bag to a soft stage in about a week or less. For all varieties, avoid cuts, bruises, and mold in the calyx. Allow fruit to ripen at room temperature on the counter. Hasten the process by placing it in a paper bag with an apple or banana. Refrigerate ripened fruit for up to two weeks. Always wash all fruit prior to preparation or consumption. Washed, peeled and seeded persimmon may be frozen for up to three months.
Known as ‘kaki’ (pronounced “cocky") is the variety that can be consumed at any stage of ripeness other than green. It is crisp and crunchy (hard ‘k’ sounds), usually with thin edible skin, and, when overripe, often substituted for tomato in salads or mashed well and folded into parfaits or quick breads and cakes. They pair well with cheeses for grazing boards, as vessels to serve appetizers, for green salads, salted meats, Autumn and Winter spices, and other fresh fruits of the season. Fuyu persimmons are a fabulous travel fruit as only their calyx is inedible! Available October through December, Product of USA, California grown. NOTE: if you miss this tasty California fruit, you’ll have a second opportunity with the Sharon fruit variety available December through February. Product of Israel.
This variety seemed to prosper in the Old South from its initial introduction to the U.S.in mid-1850’s, and it is evident in the types of dishes and preparations. Hachiya is the variety usually cooked and featured in puddings, baked quick breads and cakes, puréed in smoothies and frozen confections, and dehydrated until chewy and caramel-sweet as a snack. However, because of its high tannic profile, this variety must be fully water-balloon-ripe in texture to use. If unaware, this is the persimmon that will permanently dissuade you from any persimmon dish. Additionally, baking soda is generally included in Hachiya recipes to tame the tannins. Without it, your dish will have a bitter and drier texture.
Our U.S. pioneers were quite creative with the use of persimmon. There was little waste. The wood is quite hard and made sturdy furniture and shutters, later golf clubs and pool cues. The Hachiya variety contains seeds, which were also used as buttons. Pioneers also used persimmons to forecast weather: slice an unripe hachiya vertically and look for the image of a fork, knife, or spoon. If a fork, light powder snow; if a spoon, heavy wet snow; and if a knife, bitter cold! Available October through December. Product of USA, California grown.
No, we aren’t writing about the number ‘fifteen’ in Spanish. Quince (KWIN-sss) is also known as membrillo, a sweetened paste often seen on grazing boards as a spread or in pastries or topping cheesecakes. This is a very dense fruit that looks like a round apple. Uncooked, it is incredibly tannic. But cooked, quince becomes sweet with a rose-to-orange blush. Wash, peel, and core the fruit, then prepare it via baking, roasting, steaming, or boiling. It is a great addition to applesauce, autumnal comfort dishes and roasts, or just cooked until fork tender and folded into quick bread or butter cake. Cooked wedges may be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months. It may also be pressure canned as a jam, or strained as a jelly.
Select fresh quince that are hard, with no spots, bruises, or discoloration. It is not uncommon to see a bit of harmless fuzz on the bloom end. Simply wipe this off with a clean towel, then wash fruit well prior to preparation. Quince may be stored at room temperature up to one week while providing a nice aroma for your home, or stored refrigerated for up to three weeks. Always wash before use. Available through December. Product of USA.
This apple of Asian parentage is grown in the Pacific Northwest and is an “autumn only” apple. Quite a popular variety, Green Dragon® Apples are known not only for their name, but more importantly for their fragrance and flavor. Depending on one’s mood and imagination, this low-acid apple will have hints of pineapple, pear, tartness, and sweet all rolled into one bite. Tasty eaten out of hand, baked, sautéed, or roasted. Include them in green salads and slaws, add to sweet sour bourbon pan sauce for pork or chicken, to holiday stuffings, baked goods, fruited salad, and ambrosia. Green Dragon® apple’s thin skin makes them a pleasant “no peel,” out-of-hand snacking apple- but don’t forget the napkin…you’ll surely have juice dripping down your chin with every bite!
Select Green Dragon® apples with shiny, taut skin, firm flesh, and no bruises or cuts. Yes, even apples have freckles! Store them in the refrigerator in a paper bag for up to two weeks. Available October through December. Grown in USA, Oregon.
Definitely an eye-catcher with its pale-yellow skin, rose blush, and white freckles, this tart, firm, textured and juicy apple is appropriately named for its ‘hidden’ pink-rose flesh. Tasty on a grazing board with bold cheese, puréed as pink applesauce, added to pies or buckles, tossed with chopped Belgian endive, candied nuts and apple vinaigrette, you’ll find the flesh of this apple deepens in color when cooked for pastries or roasted for stuffed game.
‘Born’ in Oregon, a child of the ’60s, the lone parent tree was found in a vacated orchard. It’s one of few red-fleshed varieties in the world! Select Organic Hidden Rose Apples® that are firm, shiny, and do not bear bruises, soft spots, or cuts. Store under refrigeration in a paper bag. To this day, Organic Hidden Rose Apples® are a small crop with a very short season of availability, only October to November. Grown in USA-OR.
So named for their butterscotch-colored skin, this Asian apple pear is quite large, crisp, crunchy, mildly sweet, and low in calories compared to the European shapely green pears. The skin, unlike many other Asian pears, is tender and edible- no need to peel it. Butterscotch™ Pears may be cooked to include in roasts, crisps, and quick breads without turning mushy; they hold their texture and shape. Include them in recipes where steamed, poached with wine, roasted or baked. Serve them raw on grazing boards, julienned in salads with feta, with citrus and nuts over arugula and balsamic, or simply cut into half-moons as a snack and palate cleanser. Select Butterscotch™ Pears heavy for their size and absent of cuts, bruises. This pear is often sold with a Styrofoam sock to prevent bruising and protect its tender skin. Ripe and ready to eat when harvested, store pears at room temperature in a cool area. Available October to January. Product of South Korea.
