A balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables is important...

Transcription

1 helpp fact sheet Fruit and Vegetable Facts A balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables is important... Type of Fruit / Vegetable Banana All year round, best between April-June and August-October. Ideal temperature is o C. Do not store in refrigerator as skin will blacken. Eaten raw or cooked e.g. fried or baked in cakes. Cherry Best between November-February. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Use as soon as possible. Great for snacks, fruit and cheese platters and salads. Lime Best between March-September. Keep limes at room temperature before squeezing. Whole limes can be refrigerated up to ten days in a plastic bag. Mainly used for their juice. As an ingredient in salad dressings. Mango Best between January-March and Oct-Dec. Ripen at room temperature. Keep ripe mangoes well wrapped under refrigeration. Keep for at least a week. Can be eaten by itself or serve with ice cream, in fruit salad or cakes. Great when barbecued or sautéed.

2 Kiwi Fruit All year round, best between March-June. Ripen at room temperature, store in refrigerator crisper. Peel and eat or cut in half and scoop out flesh with a spoon. Slice onto cakes, icecream, pavlova or any sweet savoury salads for a refreshing taste. Dragonfruit Find them at your local Asian grocery stores. At room temperature, the fruit has a short life. Keep refrigerated for longer storage. Usually eaten chilled, sliced open, served open-faced and the pulp is scooped out with a spoon. Plantain May-August, find them at your Asian grocers. Store plantains at room temperature in a well-ventilated area. Green plantains will ripen slowly over several days to weeks. Use within a few days once ripe. Must be cooked before they are eaten. Can be fried, steamed, boiled or baked. Used as a starchy vegetable when green and as a sweet side dish or dessert when ripe. Prickly Pear Available from January - May Store at room temperature until ripe, then refrigerate. Use within 1-3 days. Cut a slice from top to tail, slit downwards, peel off the skin and slice. Best eaten accompanied with a fresh lime or lemon. Can be served with ice cream or used in desserts. Quince Available between March-May Store at room temperature until ripe, then refrigerate in a plastic bag. Wrap cut fruit tightly with plastic wrap or store in airtight container before refrigerating. The fruit is too astringent to be eaten raw however it gives a delicious taste to apples or pears when cooked. Best made into a jam. Raisins Can be stored, tightly wrapped, at room temperature for several months. As an out-of-hand treat or added to salads for sweetness and baked goods like cookies, muffins or even bread.

3 Dates Best between February-April. Find them at your local supermarket or Afghan/Arab grocery stores. Store in tightly sealed container or plastic bag. Able to last for a month. Eat it as a snack or can be used in baked goods. Yams Available all year round. Store in a loosely covered bag at room temperature. Best used within 5-7 days. It can be used in the same way as a sweet potato. It can be boiled, mashed or fried. Tamarind Find them at your local Asian grocery stores. Keep at room temperature. Use in meat or fish dishes as a souring agent. Potato Store in cool, dark and dry place. Use whole, sliced or diced as desired. May be mashed, baked, roasted or boiled. Can be used in salads, stews or soup. Sweet Potato All year round, best between May-July. Store in cool, dark place with good ventilation and use within 2 weeks. Ends removed. Skin can be left on (scrubbed well) or peeled. Serve as a vegetable with roasts or use in soups and pies. Ginger Kept in a cool, dark place in an airtight container. Add grated ginger in stir-fries, salads and dips. Use finely chopped or crushed in marinades.

4 Cassava (Tapioca root) Available February-April. Wrap in plastic before refrigerating. Use within 2 days. Can be baked whole, boiled or steamed and eaten like other tubers such as potatoes. Eggplants Keep in refrigerator crisper. Can be sliced and fried, baked, boiled, steamed or grilled. Good when sautéed in olive oil and cooked with plenty of tomato paste. Radish Cut off the greens and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Can be served whole, sliced or marinated. Also use raw in salads. Tomato All year round, best between July-December. Keep refrigerated. Served sliced or cut in wedges in salads. Added into sandwiches and soups and used as a base for many sauces. Cucumber Keep in vegetable crisper or in a plastic bag. Wash, slice and eat raw with skin on. Can be added to dips and salads. Zucchini Best kept in refrigerator crisper. Can be steamed, baked or fried. Use raw in salads, grated and baked in cakes. Cut into sticks, ribbons or circles and added to stir-fries.

5 Chinese Okra Available in April-June. Find them at your local Asian grocery stores. Store in refrigerator, do not wash until ready to use. Use within 3 days. It can be sliced and stir-fried, baked, battered and deep fried, or pureed and turned into chutney. Celery Best kept in vegetable crisper. Wash stalk and cut into lengths to use in dips or cut into fine slices and use in soups, salads and stir-fries. Chinese Celery Find them at your local Asian grocery stores. Store in refrigerator crisper. Add to stir-fries and soups. Broccoli Keep in a cool, dark place in an airtight container. Steam or add to stir-fries with ginger and garlic. Spinach Best between March-November. Store in vegetable crisper. Trim and remove stalks. Can be used in stir-fries, steamed, pureed, added to quiches or pies. Kangkong (Water Spinach) Available all year round. Find them at your local Asian grocery store. Keep refrigerated and store in vegetable crisper. Similar to English spinach, remove roots and end of stems. Rinse thoroughly and slice to use in stir-fries, salads and quiches.

6 Kailan (Chinese Broccoli) Available all year round. Find them at your local Asian grocery store. Keep refrigerated and store in vegetable crisper. All parts of this vegetable can be eaten. Wash and snap florets and leaves from the stem. Slice as required. Can be steamed, braised or stir-fried. Bok Choy (Chinese White Cabbage) Available all year round. Can be found at your local supermarket. Refrigerate in a plastic bag, do not wash until ready to use. Use within 3-4 days. Use in dishes similar to cabbage or spinach. Remove tough stalk end and wash leaves and stalks, slice as required. Best steamed or used in stir-fries. The stalks can also be used like asparagus. Chinese Cabbage Best kept in vegetable crisper. Can be finely shredded or torn into bite size pieces and used in stir-fries. Crisp white stalks can be used like celery. The leaves can be also be steamed and used to wrap a filling, like a spring roll. Developed by HELPP, Funded by SA Health, and managed by Nutrition & Dietetics, Flinders University Contact: Food Safety and Nutrition Branch, SA Health Tel: or Nutrition & Dietetics, Flinders University Tel Contact HELPP: P (08)