Summer Fruits

                                                Summer Fruits(with benefiets)

Apricots

Apricots originally came from China. This golden fruit has been around for more than 4,000 years. Apricots progressively made their way through the Persian Empire to the Mediterranean where they were fondly adopted. Spanish explorers introduced the apricot to the New World, and they were planted in the gardens of Spanish missions all over California. The first recorded major production of apricots in America was in 1792 south of San Francisco

Apricot kernels contain an average of 21% proteins and 52% vegetable oils, and are widely used as a substitute of almonds in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Apricot seeds, because of their remarkably high content of amygdalin, are a source of vitamin B17 and utilized in alternative medicine for cancer therapy. It has to be underlined, however, that the seeds must be baked prior to direct consumption, since apricot kernels can be poisonous if ingested raw in large quantities. Aside from the potential anti-cancer properties of apricot seeds, the fruit itself is a small natural drug-store as well.

Apricot is a fruit that has been known to humans for thousands of years. During archeological excavations in the antique Armenian town Shenchovit near Yerevan, apricot pits were found in layers dating back to over 6000 B.C. The first written mention of apricot, however, is in a Chinese letter more than 4000 years old.

Cantaloupe

Cantaloupe fruit is also called as mushmelon, muskmelon, cantalope, rockmelon or spanspek which all together refers a variety of Cucumis melo, comes under the family Cucurbitaceae which includes nearly all melons and squashes.

Cantaloupe has a rough rind and its surface may easily be contaminated in the field by soil, unclean irrigation water, animal droppings or unclean water during post-harvest wash. Therefore, it is important to scrub the cantaloupe with a clean brush (used only for produce) under running water before cutting in order to prevent Salmonella from contaminating the flesh.

Scientific Name for Cantaloupe:Cucumis Melo

Nutrition Information of Cantaloupe

Principle	Nutrient Value	Percentage of RDA
Energy	34 Kcal	1.5%
Carbohydrates	8.6 g	6.5%
Protein	0.84 g	1.5%
Total Fat	0.19 g	<1%
Cholesterol	0 mg	0%
Dietary Fiber	0.9 g	2.25%
Vitamins
Folates	21 µg	5%
Niacin	0.734 mg	4.5%
Pantothenic acid	0.105 mg	2%
Pyridoxine	0.072 mg	5.5%
Riboflavin	0.026 mg	2%
Thiamin	0.017 mg	1%
Vitamin A	3382 IU	112%
Vitamin C	36.7 mg	61%
Vitamin E	0.05 mg	0.5%
Vitamin K	2.5 mcg	2%
Electrolytes
Sodium	1 mg	0%
Potassium	267 mg	6%
Minerals
Calcium	9 mg	1%
Copper	41 µg	4.5%
Iron	0.21 mg	2.5%
Magnesium	12 mg	3%
Manganese	0.041 mg	2%
Zinc	0.18 mg	1.5%

Cantaloupe and other melons are tasty and nutritious, and we don't want people to stop eating them, Keene said. The most important advice for consumers is to promptly refrigerate or eat cut melons.

 

 

 

Strawberries

Strawberries are short-lived herbaceous perennials, producing for 2 to 3 years. Plant in an open, sunny position in raised beds; a good airflow will reduce fungal diseases. Strawberries prefer a well-drained soil, rich in humus. Dig in lots of organic matter, compost, animal manure or blood and bone, about a month before planting.

Commercially strawberries are replanted every year to maintain a high fruit production. This also saves the commercial grower from the time consuming problem of dealing with runners. For the home gardener it is best to treat strawberries as a short-lived perennial of 2-3 years. Runners provide an opportunity to grow more strawberry plants but also adversely affect strawberry fruit production. Pinching off runners early in the season will improve fruit production. The runners, if left, also tend to overcrowd the bed so that in the 2nd year the original strawberry bed is too crowded to be very productive at all. Due to this fruit, the strawberry suppliers are benefited much.

In addition to being consumed fresh, strawberries can be frozen, made into preserves as well as dried and used in such things as cereal bars. Strawberries are a popular addition to dairy products, as in strawberry flavored ice cream, milkshakes, smoothies and yogurts. Strawberry pie is also popular.

Cosmetically, they are supposedly used for whitening teeth. They can be crushed and made into an exfoliant for skin.

WaterMelon

Watermelon is an American preferred for meals and snacks. People can't get sufficient of the sweet treat, and nutritionists have long appreciated the health benefits watermelon provides. In recent research new light is found on its potential health benefits. Watermelon contains more lycopene, an antioxidant that may help to reduce the risks of cancer and other diseases.

Watermelon, the fruit which is really a Vegetable.Watermelon can be traced back to Africa and it is part of the cucumber and squash family. Early watermelons were mostly rind and seeds. Today's varieties are larger, the flesh is sweeter, the seeds are smaller and the rind is thinner. It is the most refreshing, thirst satisfying fruit of all. It consists of 92% water and 8% sugar, so it is appropriately named. Americans consume over 17 lbs of watermelon each year. The largest watermelon on world record (Guinness Book of World Records) weights 262 pounds.

Watermelons are mostly available throughout year. It is a perfect fruit to a salad, salsa, or cool drink.

There are over 50 varieties of watermelon. Most of it have reddish flesh, but there are orange and yellow-fleshed varieties also. Among the 50 varieties of watermelon, common in the United States are: Allsweet, Ice-Box, Seedless and Yellow Flesh.

• 20–25 pounds
• Red Flesh
• Oblong
• Dark green rind, with or without stripes

Peach Fruit

Peaches are a native to China. The peach is a species belongs to the genus Prunus. Peaches are excellent source of fiber. The peach develops from a single ovary that ripens into a fleshy, juicy exterior, making up the edible part of the fruit, and a hard interior, called the stone or pit. Peaches can be red, pink, yellow, white, or a combination of those colors. Peaches are used in desserts and appetizers that provides perfect combination of flavor and nutrition.

• First cultivation:Peaches were first cultivated in ancient China.
• Introduction to Greece:Peaches were introduced in Greece around 322 B.C.
• First grown in Georgia: Peaches were first grown in Georgia during the colonial period of the 1700s.
• Peach State: After the Civil war, Georgia peach cultivators came up with new peach varieties and started commercial business and made Georgia a Peach State.

Peach Classification

Yellow-Flesh Peaches

Yellow-flesh peaches have a pit, in the center of the flesh. Taste The yellow flesh peaches are more Acidic tang than the white flesh peaches. Season May - Sept Mostly available Farm Market Popular Varieties Reliance and Sweet Scarlet Skin texture Skin color mostly red over a bright yellow ground color

White-Flesh Peaches

White-flesh peaches are very sweet with low acidity
Taste	They taste sweet to less acidic and smoother with white flesh
Season	May - Aug
Mostly available	Western markets, in Asia
Popular Varieties	Spring Snow and Sugar May
Skin texture	Soft texture, creamy or yellow with red or pink color near the pit

Mango

Mango fruit is one of the most trendy, nutritionally rich fruit with distinctive flavor, smell and taste. Mangos are seasonal fruits that begin in the month of May. It is a very rich source of potassium, vitamin C and E.

 

 

 

 

Zucchini

Zucchini (US, Australian, and Canadian English) or courgette (New Zealand and British English) is a small summer marrow or squash, also commonly called Italian squash. Its Latin name is Cucurbita pepo. It can either be yellow or green and generally has a similar shape to a ridged cucumber, though a few cultivars are available that produce round or bottle-shaped fruit. Unlike the cucumber it is usually served cooked, often steamed or grilled. Its flower can be eaten fried or stuffed. Zucchini is commonly thought of as a vegetable, and in layman's parlance, of course, this is more useful; however by strict definition the zucchini is a fruit, being the swollen ovary of the zucchini flower.

Cherries

Excellent fruit quality. Susceptible to rain splitting. Winter tender and spring frost tender. Yields are not high, with high cull rates. Not self-fertile. Fruit resembles Montmorency. Tart, juicy, meaty flesh with small free pit. Tree is a natural genetic dwarf, growing 8-12' tall. Self fruitful. Hardy to -50oF. Tree is spur-type. Ripens a week later than Montmorency.

The standard for pie cherries. Medium large, bright red fruit with firm yellow flesh. Rich, tart, tangy flavor. Tree grows to 15' tall. Self-fertile.Large fruited Morello type with thin, light red skin, red flesh, red juice with small freestone. Fruit will turn mahogany if left on the tree. Crack resistant. A natural dwarf tree 6-12' tall.

Scientific Name for Cherries:Prunus Avium

Nutrition Information of Cherries

Principle	Nutrient Value per 100g	Percentage of RDA
Cherry type	Sweet        Tart	Sweet     Tart
Energy	63 cal      50 Kcal	3%        2.5%
Carbohydrates	16.1 g      12.18 g	12%        9%
Protein	1.06 g      1.00 g	2%         2%
Total Fat	0.2 g         0.3 g	1%       1.5%
Cholesterol	0 g           0 g	0%         0%
Dietary Fiber	2.1 g         1.6 g	5.5%       4%
Vitamins
Folates	4 µg           8 µg	1%            2%
Niacin	0.154 mg   0.400 mg	1%         2.5%
Pantothenic acid	0.199 mg    0.143 mg	4%             3%
Pyridoxine	0.049 mg   0.044 mg	4%          3.5%
Riboflavin	0.033 mg    0.040 mg	2.5%          3%
Thiamin	0.027 mg    0.030 mg	2%          2.5%
Vitamin C	7 mg        10 mg	11%        17%
Vitamin A	640IU      1283 IU	21%        43%
Vitamin E	0.07 mg     0.07 mg	0.5%         0.5%
Vitamin K	2.1 µg     2.1 µg	2%            2%
Electrolytes
Sodium	0 mg           3mg	0%             0%
Potassium	222 mg       179mg	5%             4%
Minerals
Calcium	13 mg         16 mg	1.3%       1.6%
Copper	0.060 mg   0.104 mg	7%        11.5%
Iron	0.36 mg   0.32 mg	4.5%       4%
Magnesium	11 mg        9mg	3%          2%
Manganese	0.070 mg   0.112mg	3%            5%
Phosphorus	21 mg     15 mg	3%           2%
Zinc	0.07 mg     0.10 mg	0.5%        0.1%

Grapes

Grapes are grown for fresh eating, juice, jelly or wine. Seedless grapes are preferred for fresh eating or for raisins. Grapes have good vigour to cover trellis rapidly with thick foliage, perfect for adding some green to a home landscape. Grapes many laterals can easily and quickly spread over a fence, wall trellis, pergola, etc. The fruit from ornamental type grape varieties is more for show not yield and taste. As a result the fruit from these varieties may not be suitable for eating or winemaking.

Grapes should be grown in full sunlight. They can be successfully grown in locations where peaches and sweet cherries will survive the winter and where tomatoes or sweet corn will mature. Well drained sandy loam soils are best for grapes. Clay soils delay maturity of crops and vines, while sandy soils advance maturity. Remember that grape plants are vines and require support usually on a post and wire trellis. Grape vines must be pruned different from fruit trees. Most home gardeners do not prune their grapes hard enough. Pruned grape vines will "bleed". This causes concerns to home gardeners but it is a good sign and the "bleeding" will stop.

Large, seedless, green (white) early. The most winter tender of the seedless grapes grown in this area. Red colour or darker. Seedless and hardy. High quality. Good for fresh eating, juice, jelly or wine.