Fruit Facts

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Making Vinegar at Home

Two things required when making vinegar at home.They are

Oxygen supply

Oxygen must spread throughout the mixture and stir it every day and let the air to reach fluid through a cheesecloth filter, which is used in place of a regular lid.

Temperature

The fermenting cider should be kept between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (F). Lower temperatures doesn’t produce a proper vinegar state, and higher ones interfere with the formation of the mother of vinegar. Mother of vinegar forms on the bottom of fermenting wine that has spoiled.

NOTE:

Avoid metal container when making vinegar.The acid in the mixture will corrode metal or aluminum objects. Glass, plastic, wood, enamel, or stainless steel containers should be used for making or storing vinegar.

Steps for Making Cider Vinegar:

Step 1–Make a clean cider from ripe apples

Cider is made from the varieties of apples .Fruit should be nicely washed well to remove debris.Crush the fruit to produce apple pulp and strain off the juice. Use a press or cheesecloth for straining.Add yeast will speed up the process. Special cultivated yeasts are available for this purpose.bread yeasts are not recommended.

Steps 2 and 3–Making Alcohol and Acetic Acid

Pour the liquid in a containers to about 3 quarters . Don’t close the lids on the containers and stir the mixtures daily. Keep the containers away from direct sunlight and maintain at 60 to 80 degrees F. Full fermentation will take about 3 to 4 weeks. Taste samples daily until the desired strength is reached.

Step 4–Filtering

When the vinegar is fully fermented, filter the liquid through several layers of fine cheesecloth or filter paper.This removes the mother of vinegar, preventing spoilage of the product.

Storing Vinegar

The vinegar is ready for storage in capped containers.Heat the vinegar before pouring it to sterilized bottles, or bottle, then place in a hot water bath in order to pasteurize. In both cases, the temperature of the vinegar must reach at least 140 degrees F to sterilize the product. Cool the containers and store at room temperature out of direct sunlight.

Flavored Vinegar

To make flavoring, place material in a small cheesecloth bag and suspend in the vinegar until strength is reached. This will take about 4-5 days, except for garlic, which takes only 1 day.

For every 2 cups of vinegar, use one of the following:

1. 1/2 cup crushed fresh herbs
2. 1 tablespoon of dried herbs
3. 2 large cloves of garlic
4. 8 small green onions
5. Flavorings include tarragon, basil, nasturtium, chives, mint, chervil, borage, hot chilies, and raspberries.

Be careful not to overload the vinegar. Too much vegetable matter can destroy the acid and ruin the preservative quality of the vinegar.

Flavored vinegars taste great and have a beautiful color, making them excellent for use in salads. You will be tempted to display flavored vinegar; however, be sure to keep your bottles out of direct sunlight, which will destroy the flavor, acidity, and color of the vinegar.

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CANCER

Litchi fruit extract showed anticancer activities. This fruit has flavonoids in the pulp which helps to prevent fatal and lethal disease like cancer. Flavones, quercitin and kaempferol as a powerful compound in reducing the proliferation of cancer cells.

HEART DISEASES

Lychee fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C. Vitamin C aids the body in fighting against cancer and heart diseases. A compound extracted from lychee called Oligonol(R) have benefits for skin through improving the blood flow to the sub dermal skin layer and protecting it from damages caused by UV light and free radicals. Oligonol(R) have also shown improved cardiovascular function, reduction of visceral fat as well as reduction of exercise fatigue.

The lychee fruit protects the body from potential heart attacks. It helps to clear out blood clots and also keeps the cells healthy. 50% less chance of heart attack is seen in body that ate lychee fruit several times a week than people who don’t eat lychee fruit.

IMMUNITY

Due to presence of Vitamin C in lychee fruit, helps to boosts up the natural immunity of the body particularly among the people who suffering from fevers colds, and sore throats.

RELIVE PAIN

Lychee fruit has the ability to shrink the swollen glands and relieves pain associated with it. A tea made from powdered lychee seeds is used to relieve pain, including neuralgic [nerve] pain. The Chinese uses it to treat inflammations of the genitals.

GASTRO-INTESTINAL TROUBLES

The seed present in this fruit is astringent and is used for intestinal troubles and to get rid the body of intestinal worms. Various parts of the lychee tree are also prescribed for mild Diarrhea, gastralgia and stomach ulcers. Lychee flesh is considered a good antacid. It is used to treat High acidity, nausea and dyspepsia.

FIGHT INFECTION

Herbal tea made by boiling the peel or bark of this fruit can boost the immune system of the human body to fight against infections such as common cold and throat ailments. Traditional healers prescribe lychee for Quinsy [a painful pus filled inflammation of the tonsils and surrounding tissues; usually due to tonsillitis].They also include the peel, tree bark, roots or flowers in their herbal formulation to treats skin eruptions due to smallpox.

PREVENT BLINDNESS FROM DIABETES

The potent compound in lychee chinensis Sonn shows promise in preventing eye and nerve damage in people with diabetes. This compound has the potential to be developed into a class of drug called Aldose reductase inhibitors. The potent antioxidant capability of polyphenol has proven beneficial for a number of health conditions.

Coughs and Dieting

Colds and flu can cause severe dry coughs which can be very discouraging. You don’t like having these coughs throughout the day and night. Lychee’s can help to treat these annoying coughs because Lychee contains little or no fat at all, you can include Lychee into your daily diet. This would mean that you can choose to consume as many Lychees as you can without having to worry about putting on weight.

Beautify the Skin

Person who are suffering from acne and spots, then it is required that you have to consume Lychees as much as possible. Lychee’s helps to nourish your skin of oils which can help reduce the growth of acne.This fruit refines your skin when enjoyed at no limit. Refining of the skin leads to less spots on your face.

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The fruits are good for health as it is rich in proteins,vitamins,minerals,etc,.The fruit helps the human to make stand away from diseases.Children’s favorite recipe is chocolate.They used to enjoy very much while eating.By using healthy fruits chocolate can be made.Follow the below method to make chocolate.

INGREDIENTS

• 300g White chocolate
• 75g Dark Chocolate
• 1/2 Cup Walnuts
• 1/4 Cup Apricot
• 1/4 Cup Cranberries
• 1/4 cup apple
• 1/4 cup strawberry

PROCEDURE

• Heat the oven up to 350F/180C and bake walnuts for 10 minutes.Then put in bowel to cool down.
• For every 30sec take white chocolate in a bowl and make it to be stirred for 2min.It becomes smooth soft molten chocolate.
• Follow the same procedure for dark chocolate
• Take a plate/tray and line it with parchment paper and pour the white chocolate in the center.Spread it over the plate to get smooth layer
• Pour dark chocolate on four corners and mix with white chocolate creating patterns
• Dice apricots with walnuts, sprinkle them along with cranberries,strawberries,apple on top of the chocolate.
• After it reaches room temperature,transfer it to fridge to set it hard.

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A fruit chaat is a very famous  recipe(combination of fruits and Veggies served along with the  sweet and sour chutney’s).The fruit chaat can be prepared with little time and is low in calories. Fruits are important ingredients. Fruits provide very good nutritional value and easy digestion.

Fruit Chaat is basically a mixture of different kinds of fruits with species and sugar. There are many varieties of this recipe like Fruit Chat with Cream, Fruit and Vegetable Chat, and Fruit Chana Chat. Prepare this recipe  and serve it with Samosa and Pakoray.

• 1 banana
• 1 Apple
• 1/2 cup grapes
• 1/2 cup Pineapple
• 1/2 cup water melon
• 1/2 cup boiled white chana
• 1/4 cup pomegranate
• 1/4 cup boiled sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup mangoes
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
• 1/4 tsp roasted cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp chat masala powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup sugar syrup

Method

Take a large bowel and add bananas, mangoes, pineapple pieces, apple, watermelon,and black pepper powder. Beat them nicely.Take another  bowl and add  pomegranate, grapes, sugar syrup,white boiled chana, boiled potatoes,lemon juice, roasted cumin powder, orange ,chat masala, red chili powder, and salt. Mix  all ingredients and pour into water melon ,banana, mangoes,and apple bowl.Chill in refrigerator for 10 t0 15  minutes.Now  fruit chat is ready to serve. Serve with samosa and poakary.This chaat is packed with nutrients and is also low in calories.

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A few ways you can basically lose weight without going gym at the home itself. The following are some healthy weight loss tips  of all ages.

1. Make definite you don’t skip your meals for weight loss. Breaking your meals in to 5-6 small meals is a better idea, as this will improve your metabolism and won’t let your binge. In case you are pressed for time, then make a speedy smoothie, using fresh unflavored yogurt and berries.

2. As soon as you wake up, start your daytime with a fruit. Not tea or coffee – a fruit! Because that will kick start your metabolism and the earlier in the day it starts, the faster it will burn the calories. The other reason is that when you eat a fruits in the morning, you get the greatest benefits out of it.

3. Start drinking at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day, and take in even more in the event you are exercising regularly. Drinking water will make definite that your endocrine technique and organs are functioning properly, which will help with digestion and will boost your metabolism. Try carrying a water bottle around with you in the coursework of the day and drink it even in the event you do not feel thirsty. This will make positive that you are fulfilling your every day water requirements.

4. Set an aim to try and consume the recommended 5-9 servings of  fruitsand vegetables per day.This will make positive that your body takes the necessary fiber, while fighting hunger.You must also not forget the plenty of benefits of vegetables for your health and disease prevention. A great way to eat extra vegetables is to mix them with the food.

5.To help the body improve its digestion capacity, include a quantity of metabolism boosters. 4-5 cups of green tea, plenty of water everyday, having a glass of chilled water with a lemon juice, in the work of the morning, and exercising are nice ways to boost your metabolism naturally.

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The carambola fruit is rich in ascorbic acid, which is important for the physical state of your body because it helps to keep bones, teeth, mucous membranes, skin and immune system improves.one cup of sliced carambola has 37.2 mg of vitamin C.

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The extract made from pineapples provides variety of positive effects on the  skin and maintain  skin elasticity by removing dead damaged skin, and  improving hydration and moisture and promoting a more elastic and clear looking skin.This fruit facial can be done at home itself.

Ingredients:

• pineapple
• few tsp of wheat flour or honey
• cold milk

Procedure:

Pineapples are an excellent source of bromelian which can revitalize the skin and eliminate dead cells that leads to clogging of pores. Extract pineapple juice and mix it with a few tsp of wheat flour or honey and beat it nicely. Once the mixture achieves the desired texture, apply it on your face and leave it on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse it off with warm water and repeat the session whenever you need a treatment for your complexion.

Clean your face with cold milk. After that, soak a cotton ball in it and rub in a circular motion over the face and neck. Milk removes the dirt from deep pores and gives an instant brightness to the skin.

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Papaya-high-yield varieties-healthy-profits

Papaya is a tropical fruit widely consumed across the world with growing popularity over the past few years.

It is native to southern Mexico and Central America, but has long been known and cultivated in the home gardens by the people of tropical and subtropical areas. It is one of the few crops which fruit throughout the year, offering quick returns.

Over time, it has grown from the status of a home-garden crop to that of a commercial crop in many tropical countries as it is one of the highest producers of fruits by per-hectare.

Area and output

Over the last two decades global papaya production has more than tripled to 105 lakh tonnes in 2009 from 31 lakh tonnes in 1989. This growth in production has been accompanied by an increase in productivity to 25 tonnes a hectare from 14 tonnes a hectare. India is the leading producer of the fruit and has increased its share in world production to 37 per cent in 2009 from 11 per cent in 1989.

Other major producers are Brazil, contributing 17.1 per cent (17.92 lakh tonnes) of world tonnage, followed by Indonesia at 7.3 per cent (7.66 lakh tonnes), Nigeria at 7.3 per cent (7.63 lakh tonnes) and Mexico at 6.7 per cent (7.07 lakh tonnes).

A growing population and increasing per-capita incomes have generated robust demand for fruits in India. Besides, there has been a growing trend towards healthier food consumption reflected in the growing interest in the nutritional aspects of tropical fruits.

This change is borne out by a multi-fold increase in production of papaya over the last two decades, primarily on domestic demand.

Between 1991-92 and 2009-10, the area under cultivation for papaya more than doubled to 95.7 thousand hectares from 45.2 thousand hectares in India, whereas production witnessed an almost five-fold increase to 39.14 lakh tonnes from 8.05 lakh tonnes. This was due to an increase in productivity to 41 tonnes a hectare in 2009-10 from 18 tonnes a hectare in 1991-92.

This compares well withto the world average of 25 tonnes a hectare but lags the other key producers like Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico.

Andhra Pradesh produces a significant proportion of the crop at around 38 per cent, with an output of 15 lakh tonnes and a yield of 80 tonnes a hectare.

Gujarat ranks second with a production of 8.32 lakh tonnes, followed by Karnataka (4.19 lakh tonnes), West Bengal (3.21 lakh tonnes), Chhattisgarh (2.12 lakh tonnes), Madhya Pradesh (1.93 lakh tonnes), Assam (1.19 lakh tonnes), Kerala (0.8 lakh tonnes) and Tamil Nadu (0.74 lakh tonnes). Of these, the top four accounted for 79 per cent of the total production in 2009-10.

Global Trade

In 2008, global exports of papaya were 2,45,937 tonnes and worth about Rs 940 crore. Mexico is the largest exporter of papaya by volume accounting for 37 per cent of the exports, followed by Brazil and Belize at 12 per cent.

The US accounts for over 50 per cent of papaya imports by volume and over 30 per cent by value. Other key importers are Singapore, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, the UK, Spain and Portugal.

India exports less than 1 per cent of its produce primarily to West Asia. This accounts for 3-6 per cent by volume and a miniscule 1-2 per cent by value of global papaya exports.

The ripe fruit is eaten raw or processed into juices, jams, canned cubes, candied slices, ice-cream flavouring, etc. The unripe fruit is usually cooked before consuming.

Green papaya fruit and the tree’s latex are rich in an enzyme called papain, which has uses in medicine and industry. Papain is used as a protein digestive and in the manufacture of pharmaceutical preparations for digestive disorders.

It finds extensive use in the manufacture of proteolysed preparations of meat, liver and casein. It is also used in tenderising meat, softening leathers, degumming natural silk and wool fabrics, chewing gums, tooth paste and cosmetics.

Post-harvest

Papaya is highly perishable with a shelf-life of four to six days after harvest under tropical conditions and up to three weeks at low-temperature storage. Post-harvest losses can be significant if harvesting, packing and handling techniques are inadequate or inappropriate.

Moreover, sellers require the fruit at specific stages of ripeness for optimum sales, which is around 50-70 per cent of yellow colouring. Therefore, for the fruit to arrive in markets properly ripened, attention has to be paid when packed, with adequate time buffer built in for transport.

Productivity has been lower in India as compared to most major producing countries due to cultivation of local low-yield varieties. Additionally, papaya is highly susceptible to pests and diseases, which further lower productivity. On the other hand, lack of information on post-harvest handling, storage and transport practices leads to losses.

Way Forward

Demand for papaya in the domestic as well as export markets and its profitability for farmers requires a deeper look at all opportunities for its commercial exploitation.

The Government and the private sector must work towards introduction of higher yielding varieties and focus on infrastructure, transport and human-resource development to minimise pre- and post-harvest losses. Papaya is still primarily consumed raw.

Developing more processing options and markets for processed products can reduce post-harvest losses, besides adding value to the produce.

Source: YES Bank

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Britons consume more fruits and veggies than Americans

The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey was conducted from March 1 to Sept 30. 6893 Britons and 211,232 Americans were involved under the survey.

Gallup asked respondents to report on how many days in the last seven they had five or more servings of fruits and vegetables. And also whether it is easy or not easy to get reasonable fruits and vegetables in the city where they live.

High-income Britons were easy to get reasonable fruits and vegetables and were more likely to consume them regularly compared with low- income Britons. About 7-in-10 Britons in high-income households reported eating at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables at least 4 days each week. But this fell nearly 6-in-10 for the lowest income households.

Women and all subjects age 65 and older were more likely than are men and those younger than 65 to consume fruits and vegetables.

Gallup officials stated Britons’ better eating habits shows that obesity and chronic conditions such as heart disease rates are lower than in the United States.

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According to the Food and Drug Administration, the FDA doesn’t recommend any soap or liquid detergent to wash the commercial fruit and vegetables. All should be thoroughly washed under running water, whether it’s grown conventionally or organically.

University of Maine’s Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition backed up this claim by testing three store-bought produce rinses and washes against regular tap water and distilled water. Finally the study reveals that distilled water was the most effective way to remove pesticides and microbes. Since the distilled water is filtered and purified to remove any contaminants. The researchers also believed that very clean cold tap water can be used instead.

Best way to clean fruits and vegetables

Wash your fruits and vegetables even if you are peeling them. For ex: Slicing an unwashed cantaloupe can transfer bacteria from the outside of the melon onto the cut fruit. Thick skinned fruits or vegetable that grows underground, like beets and carrots need an extra scrub to remove excess dirt. The University of Maine suggest soaking fruits and veggies produce with a lot of nooks and crannies for one to two minutes in clean, cold water before eating.

Experts recommend once your fruits and vegetables are clean, drying them with dish towel or paper towel is another step. Also wash utensils with hot, soapy water after cutting and peeling produce. The FDA also advises a solution of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach to one quart of water.

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