A TASTE OF SOMETHING SWEET
Q: What is the difference between Paw-Paw and Papaya?
There is a common misnomer that Winter is ‘Apple and Pear’ season due to the shortage of bright, tropical summer fruits. In truth, there are a myriad of tropical and other fruit varieties available at the markets during winter; each offering unique textures, flavours and twist to your menu. So over the coming weeks, while pineapples, melons and figs are predicted to be in short supply and up in price why not try something new. Below we have featured a range of fruits that are both good quality and in good supply at the markets – making them smart buying this Winter.
BERRIES:
While berry season (Nov – Feb) is still some time away, we are seeing some lovely fruit at the markets at the moment. QLD strawberries have suffered a little from recent rain and are experiencing some quality issues, however overall supply and standard is good for strawberries, blueberries and raspberries (red).
CARAMBOLA: StarFruit, 5 corner, Bilimbing, Yang Tao
Currently sourced from: QLD
Availability: Available all year- peak production April/May, Jul/Oct, Dec/Jan
Appearance: distinctive 5 winged fruit with waxy green-yellow skin
Flesh: transparent- yellow to white
Flavour: crisp, juicy - sweet (yellow) to slightly tart (green). The edges/tips of the wings have the most acid/tannins and are therefore the most astringent
Selection: firm bright fruit with clean, waxy skin
Preparation: can be eaten fresh - slicing achieves the distinctive star shape for platters, salads, desserts and seafood dishes
CUMQUATS: aka kumquats
Currently sourced from: QLD
Availability: autumn/winter
Appearance: small orange fruits with a thin peel that are round-oval in shape
Flesh: segmented yellow-orange flesh
Flavour: intense, sweet-sour flavour,- most often candied, glazed or preserved though can be eaten fresh or even in liqueur
Selection: start to deteriorate once picked so look for robust, bright fruit with no obvious damage on skin
KIWIFRUIT: aka Chinese Gooseberry
Currently sourced from: NZ
Selection: firm, full fruit with no blemishes
Preparation: while many choose to forgo, the entire fruit is edible including the skin
GREEN: Hayward
Availability: Local: Mar-Jul, NZ: Jun-Dec
Appearance: egg shaped fruit with fuzzy, light-brown skin
Flesh: rich green flesh with small edible black seeds
Flavour: tangy, sweet
GOLD:
Availability: Jun – Sept
Appearance: egg shaped fruit with smooth, golden-brown skin
Flesh: gold flesh with less seeds than the green variety
Flavour: sweeter than Haywards
PANAMA PASSIONFRUIT:
Currently sourced from: QLD
Availability: all year
Appearance: lighter purple skin than other varieties, with white flecks
Flesh: orange pulp with lots of hard, black seeds(more pulp than black passionfruit)
Flavour: intensely refreshing- tangy (slightly acidic) flavour
Selection: fruit that is heavy for size, smooth and firm
Preparation: eaten fresh from casing or used in desserts
PAPAYA: aka Paw-Paw
Currently sourced from: QLD
Availability: all year with peaks May/June and Sept/Oct
Appearance: looks like an elongated melon with smooth, thin green-yellow skin
Selection: look for fragrant, well shaped fruit, no discolouration or soft spots
Preparation: unlike many fruits it can be cut without discolouration, eaten fresh, in salads or as a accompaniment to seafood or chicken.
RED PAPAYA:
Appearance: firm, dark orange-red flesh
Flavour: fragrant, sweet, succulent – similar to rockmelon
YELLOW PAW-PAW:
Appearance: rounder & larger than red variety, it has yellow skin and soft yellow flesh
Flavour: fragrant, juicy, sweet- milder than red papaya
GREEN PAPAYA:
Appearance: a green unripe fruit from either varieties listed above (commonly red papaya due to their fuller flavour)
Flavour: oil hands and knife prior to cutting (unripe papaya release a latex fluid which can cause allergic reactions) – used as a vegetable in Asian cuisines, suitable for pickles, salads and vegetables in curries
YELLOW DRAGON FRUIT: aka Pitaya Amarillo, S. megalanthus
Currently sourced from: QLD
Availability: Main fruiting May- Jun – good quality fruit available, will be winding up in next few weeks
Appearance: med–large oval fruit with distinctive yellow skin and pointy scales
Flesh: clear-white with edible black seeds
Flavour: often lauded as the best tasting due to its higher sugar levels- crisp kiwi/melon flavours, delicately sweet and mild
Selection: look for bright fruit that gives slightly under pressure
Preparation: chilled and eaten fresh or used in gelatos, ice-creams, sorbets, cocktails etc
A: Nothing. Paw-Paw and Papaya are actually different varieties of the species Carica papaya- though in Australia we tend to refer to the yellow fruit as ‘paw-paw’ and the red as ‘papaya’. Native to the Americas and first cultivated in Mexico, this tropical fruit is highly nutritious and unfortunately under-used in Australian cuisine due to the popularity of melon varieties.
ESCAPE TO THE TROPICS
Q: Have exotic fruits been impacted by the recent rain?
With stonefruit winding up over the next few weeks and melons suffering with the rain, you can be forgiven for thinking that there is little inspiration when it comes to fruit this Autumn. Luckily, we have some of the world’s most interesting fruits waiting at the markets, ready to bring exotic colours and flavours to your Autumn menu.
CARAMBOLA: Star Fruit, 5 corner, Bilimbing, Yang Tao
Availability: Available all year- peak production April/May, Jul/Oct, Dec/Jan
Shape: distinctive 5 wings
Skin: waxy green-yellow
Flesh: transparent- yellow to white
Flavour: crisp, juicy - sweet (yellow) to slightly tart (green). The edges/tips of the wings have the most acid/tannins and are therefore the most astringent
Selection: firm bright fruit with clean, waxy skin
Preparation: can be eaten fresh - slicing achieves the distinctive star shape for platters, salads, desserts and seafood dishes
CUSTARD APPLE: aka Atemoya, Cherimoya
Availability: March - September (peak - May/June)
Shape: heart shaped with nodules
Skin: green - yellow smooth skin
Flesh: creamy white - yellow
Flavour: rich, juicy and sweet
Selection: bruise easily therefore buy when still hard to touch and ripen over 2-3 days. Ripe fruit is light green-yellow with pale yellow skin between the nodules, it should yield to gentle pressure (like an avocado)
Preparation: slice in half and scoop out flesh to enjoy raw or alternatively use in ice-cream, sorbet, desserts, cakes or as a soothing accompaniment to spicy dishes
DRAGON FRUIT: aka Pitaya, Pitahaya
Availability: October - April (Red), All Year (White)
Shape: large oval (150-600g)
Skin: pink - red with fleshy green scales
Flesh: there are two varieties, red or white flesh both with lots of tiny edible black seeds
Flavour: crisp, refreshing, sweet flavour- White has kiwi/melon undertones, Red a hint of raspberry
Selection: look for bright fruit that gives slightly under pressure
Preparation: chill then slice in half and scoop out flesh to enjoy raw or use can be used in marmalades, jellies or drinks
MANGOSTEEN:
Availability: February to April
Shape: round, slightly flat on top
Skin: reddish purple - black
Flesh: white - creamy pink
Flavour: juicy, with subtle, sweet flavour with a hint of acid
Selection: mangosteens don’t ripen after harvest so buy mature fruit with no significant imperfections of the skin. A healthy green steam indicates freshness, the skin should yield slightly under gentle pressure
Preparation: either place fruit in palm of hand (stem up) and press gently until shell opens or cut carefully round the skin effectively ‘removing the cap’ of the fruit
NB: Yellow mangosteens do sometimes come to the markets. Deep yellow when mature and similar in size to a mandarin, they are frequently sour and should be prepared differently
PERSIMMON:
There are two types of Persimmon, the traditional ‘Astringent’ variety and the ‘Sweet’ variety. Sweet Persimmon introduced in the ‘70s now accounts for approx. 70% of Persimmon production
Availability: late February - June
Preparation: discard stem and enjoy, handle carefully
Astringent Persimmon:
Shape: large, heart shape
Skin: orange
Flesh: orange
Flavour: when mature they are very sweet however very unpleasant if eaten too early
Selection: Buy firm, then allow to ripen until the flesh is soft and jelly-like
Sweet Persimmon: aka Fuji Fruit, Fuyu Fruit
Shape: round with a somewhat flat top
Skin: orange
Flesh: orange
Flavour: mild, sweet flavour
Selection: Should be bought when crisp and crunchy. When fresh, best enjoyed like an apple, otherwise can be used when soft/mature in cooking
POMEGRANATE:
Availability: February - May
Shape: round
Skin: thick red - purple
Flesh: white astringent pulp which houses the edible, jelly like, red seeds of the fruit
Flavour: sweet to slightly tart
Selection: bigger (and heavier) is best, as the seeds will be larger and juicier
Preparation: Either cut into segments and peel open to reveal seeds or cut in two, score each half 4-5 times, hold over a bowl and hit the rind until the seeds fall out, dig out any remaining seeds. Seeds will also separate from the pulp easily in water
RAMBUTAN:
Availability: December - May
Shape: oval to oblong (approx 5cm in diameter)
Skin: thick skin covered in soft, spiky hairs that are green when immature and red/scarlet when ripe
Flesh: translucent - white covering a single seed (some varieties are freestone)
Flavour: juicy, sweet with a touch of acid
Selection: buy firm, bright fruit with firm spines (not brittle)
Preparation: delicious fresh (like their kin Lychees/Longans) however can also be used for sorbets/jams. Rambutans are also refresh the palate between dishes
A: Exotic fruits are faring considerably well, though there has been some impact on supply. Of the lines listed above, Mangosteens are currently in shorter supply and up in price, while other lines are showing only minor quality issues.