Autumn’s fruitful harvest
Autumn’s fruitful harvest
MEDIA
RELEASE
For immediate release
3rd April
2017
The seasonal shift to autumn brings with it a new crop of great tasting and delicious fruit to enjoy.
Autumn is a feast of riches for fruit lovers. From crisp new-season apples and crunchy pears, to the delicate sweetness of persimmons and the tropical tang of passionfruit, autumn fruit is a healthy medley of textures and flavours.
Pick a variety of bright, colourful fruit to
provide your body with all the nutrients it needs to stay
happy and healthy.
Here are tips from 5+ A Day on how to
enjoy seasonal fruit this
autumn.
Passionfruit
Nutrition:
The seeds in passionfruit are a source of dietary fibre
which helps to keep our digestive system healthy.
Tips: Ripe when
it’s wrinkled, passionfruit can enhance the taste of many
desserts: try topping off low-fat yoghurt with the pulp and
seeds. If you have a bumper crop of passionfruit, freeze
pulp in ice cube trays for later use, or simply freeze
passionfruit whole. When you want to use it, bring it out to
defrost and use it as you would
fresh.
Feijoas
Nutrition:
Green fruit have varying amounts of lutein, which
also promotes eye health. Fresh feijoas are a good source of
vitamin C and provide around 50 percent of our daily
requirements. Vitamin C helps the body to absorb iron from
food.
Tips: Native to South America, feijoas are a popular autumn fruit. They can be used in a number of different ways, from chutneys and crumbles to muffins and smoothies – or simply cut open and eaten raw. For a zingy salsa, finely chop fresh feijoa, red onion and coriander, and mix together. Add a drizzle of olive oil and season. Mix and serve with steak, chicken, or fish – or use the salsa as a dip. The season is short, so get in quick and make the most of this delicious fruit.
Apples
Nutrition:
Fresh apples are a good source of vitamin C and
contain fibre, which helps to satisfy hunger without the
calories – very handy when you are watching your weight!
Tips: Expect to see a bumper
crop of New Zealand-grown apples in store, as an excellent
growing season has resulted in fruit that will be bursting
with flavour and sweetness. For a tasty autumnal fruit
salad, cut up apple, pear, and nashi pear and mix through
passionfruit pulp. Or try baked apple slices for a healthy
snack: thinly slice apple, place on a baking tray,
sprinkle with a little cinnamon and bake until
soft.
Pears
Nutrition:
Pears a good source of dietary fibre which can
help improve cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Tips: A quick way to get
around 10 percent of your daily vitamin C is to toss a cup
of sliced pear into a lunchtime salad. Start the day with an
easy pear parfait: place pear chunks in the bottom of a
clear glass, add layers of low-fat yoghurt and muesli,
followed by more pears. For a one-pan dinner, add halved and
cored pears to your next roast chicken dish. Mix together
olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey and drizzle over the
pears while
cooking.
Persimmons
Nutrition:
Persimmons are a source of vitamin A, which is important for
good eyesight, and vitamin C, which is necessary for the
immune system and cell function.
Tips:
New Zealand-grown persimmons can be eaten like
an apple. As finger food, persimmons make a healthy addition
to a platter. Cut persimmon into wedges and use as an
alternative to crackers on a cheese platter. For a frosty
treat, freeze ripe or over-ripe persimmons for 8 hours (or
up to a month). To serve, lop off the tops with a serrated
knife and spoon out the sweet, custard-like frozen
fruit.
ENDS