3 Mistakes You Make When Choosing Fruit Trees

Mistake 1: You lack Imagination

Just about every household has a Lemons and Oranges or whats popular but the problem with this is that when your oranges start fruiting the cost in the supermarket for the same orange is often super cheap and fresh. Because they are so popular the pests of this tree are popular. eg. Gall wasps are often controlled by industrial methods but the home gardeners tree gets attacked and they don't have the resources to out power these pests. Basically if the fruit in your backyard is the same as the one you easily buy every day of the year anyway you are only exposing yourself to 1% of what fruit has to offer you.

So why not choose something like a Mulberry Tree, Black Sapote, Pecan, Sapodilla, Miracle Fruit, Peanut Butter Fruit, Lychee, Soursop, Custard Apple. And when you do choose a variety choose a variety that isn't common to your supermarket. Eg. If you are going to get an Orange tree then grow the Navelina. After you eat this variety you will wonder if they really are selling oranges in the supermarket the taste is so different.

Mistake 2: You are a Cheapskate

A seedling tree might cost $10 but the same tree as a grafted variety can cost upwards of $35. So people choose the seedling and then get disappointed why it doesn't fruit. A grafted tree can fruit often 3 years before a seedling even thinks about bearing fruit plus the fruit being produced is a proven quality and taste. Obvious example is that you eat an orange, love it and then plant the seed. 8 years later that seed produces its first "oranges" and instead of tasting sweet and having orange skin, it has a very light yellow skin and is almost un-edible. Same goes for Lychees, Apples, Pecans, Macadamias etc etc.

Mistake 3: You Plant it "Wherever"

Fruit trees love the sun and they love good drainage. Pay attention to the way the sun falls on your backyard throughout the year, especially in Spring and then make sure you use that space for your fruit trees. Your shady spots are perfect for rainforest trees, so don't let them go to waist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference: http://blog.daleysfruit.com.au/

 

Read More

Pomegranate nutrition facts

Pomegranate is among the most popular, nutritionally rich fruit with unique flavor, taste, and heath promoting characteristics. Along with berries, and some tropical exotics such as mango, it too has novel qualities of functional foods often called as “super fruits.”

Botanically, it is a small size fruit-bearing deciduous tree belonging within the Lythraceaefamily, of genus: Punica. The fruit is thought to originate in the Sub-Himalayan range of North India. Scientific name: Punica granatum.
The tree grows to about five and eight meters tall. It is cultivated at a commercial scale in vast regions across Indian sub-continent, Iran, Caucuses and Mediterranean regions for its fruits. Completely grown-up tree bears numerous spherical, bright red, purple, or orange-yellow colored fruits depending on the cultivar types. Each fruit measures about 6-10 cm in diameter and weighs about 200 gm. Its outer skin or rind is tough and features leathery texture.
Interior of the fruit is separated by white, thin, spongy, membranous, bitter tissue into compartments. Such sections, packed as sacs, filled with tiny edible sweet, juicy, pink pulp encasing around a single, angular, soft or hard (in over-mature fruits) seed.
Pomegranate is one of the most extensively cultivated fruits for food, juice, flavor, and color, making it a common ingredient in new functional foods often called “super fruits."

Health benefits of Pomegranate

• The fruit is moderate in calories; 100 g provides 83 calories, slightly more than that in theapples. It contains no cholesterol or saturated fats.
• It is rich source of soluble and insoluble dietary fibers, providing about 4 g per 100 g (about 12% of RDA), which aid in smooth digestive and bowel movements. The fruit is suggested by nutritionists in the diet for weight reduction and cholesterol controlling programs. Regular inclusion of fruits in the diets boosts immunity, improves circulation, and offers protection from cancers.
• Punicalaginis a polyphenolic anti-oxidant compound found abundantly in the pomegranate juice. Studies suggest that punicalagin and tannins are effective in reducing heart-disease risk factors by scavenging harmful free radicals from the body.
• Total antioxidant strength of pomegranate fruit measured in terms of its oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) is 2341 µmol TE/100 g.
• The fruit is an also good source of antioxidant vitamin-C, provides about 17% per 100 g of daily requirement. Consumption of fruits rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents by boosting immunity.
• Regular consumption of pomegranate has also been found to be effective against prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), diabetes, and lymphoma.
• 
  Further, it is an also good source of many vital B-complex groups of vitamins such as pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5), folates, pyridoxine and vitamin K, and minerals like calcium, copper, potassium, and manganese.
 

Read More

Banana fruit nutrition facts

Go for banana fruit, nature's own energy-rich food that comes in a safety envelope! Fresh, delicious bananas are available year around and in fact, one of the cheapest fruits. Botanically, the fruit belongs to the family of Musaceae.Commercially, it is one of the widely cultivated crops in the tropical and subtropical zones.
Scientific name: Musa acuminata colla.

Banana is a perennial herbaceous plant that develops from the underground rhizome. It flourishes well under tropical moisture-rich, humid low-lying farmlands.
In fact, the whole plant is a false stem (pseudostem), consisting of broad leaves along with their petioles overlapping around each other in a circular fashion standing up to 2 to 6 meters tall from the ground surface depending upon the cultivar types. At maturity, the rhizome gives rise to flower (inflorescence) that is carried up on a long smooth un-branched stem through the centre of the pseudo-stem emerging out at the top in the centre of the leaf cluster. The flower subsequently develops to hanging bunch consisting of 3 to 20 hands (tiers), each with at least 5-10 fingers (fruits) in each hand (tier). Banana plant or plantain bears hanging clusters of fruits as a bunch. Fruits are arranged in tiers, with 6-20 fruits in each tier.

Health benefits of banana fruit

• Banana fruit is one of the high calorie tropical fruits. 100 g of fruit provides 90 calories. Besides, it contains good amounts of health benefiting anti-oxidants, minerals, and vitamins.
• Banana pulp is composed of soft, easily digestible flesh with simple sugars like fructose and sucrose that when eaten replenishes energy and revitalizes the body instantly; thus, for these qualities, bananas are being used by athletes to get instant energy and as supplement food in the treatment plan for underweight children.
• The fruit contains a good amount of soluble dietary fiber (7% of DRA per 100 g) that helps normal bowel movements; thereby reducing constipation problems.
• It contains health promoting flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants such aslutein, zea-xanthin, ß and α-carotenes in small amounts. These compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes.
• It is also a very good source of vitamin-B6(pyridoxine), provides about 28% of daily-recommended allowance. Pyridoxine is an important B-complex vitamin that has a beneficial role for the treatment of neuritis, and anemia. Further, it helps decrease homocystine (one of the causative factors in coronary artery disease (CHD) and stroke episodes) levels within the body.
• The fruit is an also moderate source of vitamin-C (about 8.7 mg per 100g). Consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals.
• Fresh bananas provide adequate levels of minerals like copper, magnesium, and manganese. Magnesium is essential for bone strengthening and has a cardiac-protective role as well. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells.
• Fresh banana is a very rich source of potassium. 100 g fruit provides 358 mg potassium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure, countering bad effects of sodium.

Read More

Banana fruit nutrition facts

Go for banana fruit, nature's own energy-rich food that comes in a safety envelope! Fresh, delicious bananas are available year around and in fact, one of the cheapest fruits. Botanically, the fruit belongs to the family of Musaceae.Commercially, it is one of the widely cultivated crops in the tropical and subtropical zones.
Scientific name: Musa acuminata colla.

Banana is a perennial herbaceous plant that develops from the underground rhizome. It flourishes well under tropical moisture-rich, humid low-lying farmlands.
In fact, the whole plant is a false stem (pseudostem), consisting of broad leaves along with their petioles overlapping around each other in a circular fashion standing up to 2 to 6 meters tall from the ground surface depending upon the cultivar types. At maturity, the rhizome gives rise to flower (inflorescence) that is carried up on a long smooth un-branched stem through the centre of the pseudo-stem emerging out at the top in the centre of the leaf cluster. The flower subsequently develops to hanging bunch consisting of 3 to 20 hands (tiers), each with at least 5-10 fingers (fruits) in each hand (tier). Banana plant or plantain bears hanging clusters of fruits as a bunch. Fruits are arranged in tiers, with 6-20 fruits in each tier.

Health benefits of banana fruit

• Banana fruit is one of the high calorie tropical fruits. 100 g of fruit provides 90 calories. Besides, it contains good amounts of health benefiting anti-oxidants, minerals, and vitamins.
• Banana pulp is composed of soft, easily digestible flesh with simple sugars like fructose and sucrose that when eaten replenishes energy and revitalizes the body instantly; thus, for these qualities, bananas are being used by athletes to get instant energy and as supplement food in the treatment plan for underweight children.
• The fruit contains a good amount of soluble dietary fiber (7% of DRA per 100 g) that helps normal bowel movements; thereby reducing constipation problems.
• It contains health promoting flavonoid poly-phenolic antioxidants such aslutein, zea-xanthin, ß and α-carotenes in small amounts. These compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes.
• It is also a very good source of vitamin-B6(pyridoxine), provides about 28% of daily-recommended allowance. Pyridoxine is an important B-complex vitamin that has a beneficial role for the treatment of neuritis, and anemia. Further, it helps decrease homocystine (one of the causative factors in coronary artery disease (CHD) and stroke episodes) levels within the body.
• The fruit is an also moderate source of vitamin-C (about 8.7 mg per 100g). Consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals.
• Fresh bananas provide adequate levels of minerals like copper, magnesium, and manganese. Magnesium is essential for bone strengthening and has a cardiac-protective role as well. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells.
• Fresh banana is a very rich source of potassium. 100 g fruit provides 358 mg potassium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure, countering bad effects of sodium.

 

Read More

Apple fruit nutrition facts

By: A. M. Awan

Delicious and crunchy apple fruit is one of the most popular fruits, favorite of health conscious, fitness lovers who believe in the concept “health is wealth.” This wonderful fruit is packed with rich phyto-nutrients that in the true senses indispensable for optimal health. The antioxidants in apple have much health promoting and disease prevention properties; thus truly justifying the adage, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
Scientific name: Malus domestica.

Apples are obtained from the medium-sized tree belonging to the Rosaceaefamily. The apple tree is originated in the mineral-rich mountain ranges of Kazakhstan, and now being cultivated in many parts of the world.
Apple fruit features oval or pear shape; and the outer skin has different colors depending upon the cultivar type. Internally, the juicy pulp has been off-white to cream in color and has to mix of mild sweet and tart taste. Its seeds are inedible because of their bitter taste.
Hundreds of varieties of apples are either eaten as table fruits or as dessert fruit grown in the US and worldwide. Some of the apples are sought-after in cooking and baking too.

Health benefits of apple

• Delicious and crunchy apple fruit is notable for its impressive list of phtyto-nutrients, and anti-oxidants. Studies suggest that its components are essential for normal growth, development and overall well-being.
• Apples are low in calories; 100 g of fresh fruit slices provide only 50 calories. They, however, contain no saturated fats or cholesterol. Nonetheless, the fruit is rich in dietary fiber, which helps prevent absorption of dietary-LDL or bad cholesterol in the gut. The fiber also saves the colon mucous membrane from exposure to toxic substances by binding to cancer-causing chemicals inside the colon.
• Apples are rich in antioxidant phyto-nutrientsflavonoidsand polyphenolics.The total measured anti-oxidant strength(ORAC value) of 100 g apple fruit is 5900 TE. Some of the important flavonoids in apples are quercetin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2. Additionally, they are also good in tartaric acid that gives tart flavor to them. Altogether, these compounds help the body protect from deleterious effects of free radicals.
• Apple fruit contains good quantities of vitamin-Cand beta-carotene.Vitamin C is a powerful natural antioxidant. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals from the body.
• Further, apple fruit is a good source of B-complex vitamins such as riboflavin, thiamin, and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6). Together these vitamins help as co-factors for enzymes in metabolism as well as in various synthetic functions inside the body.
• Apple also contains a small amount of minerals like potassium, phosphorus, and calcium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure; thus, counters the bad influences of sodium.

Read More

Fruit nutrition facts

Why fruits?

Fruits are nature’s wonderful medicines packed with vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and many phyto-nutrients (Plant derived micronutrients). They are an absolute feast to our sight, not just because of their color and flavor but their unique nutrition-profile that help the body stay fit and healthy!

1. Fruits are low in calories and fat and are a source of simple sugars, fiber, and vitamins, which are essential for optimizing our health.
2. Fruits provide plenty of soluble dietary fiber, which helps to ward of cholesterol and fats from the body and to get relief from constipation as well.
3. Fruits contain many anti-oxidants like poly-phenolic flavonoids, vitamin-C, and anthocyanins. These compounds, firstly,help human body protected from oxidant stress, diseases, and cancers, and secondly;help the body develop capacity to fight against these ailments by boosting our immunity level. Many fruits, when compared to vegetables and cereals, have very high anti-oxidant value, which is something measured by their "Oxygen Radical Absorbent Capacity" or (ORAC).
4. Anthocyanins are flavonoid category of poly-phenolic compounds found in some "blue-fruits" like blue-black grapes, mulberries, acai berry, chokeberry, blueberries, blackberries, and in many vegetables featuring blue or deep purple color. Eating fruits rich in blue pigments offers many health benefits. These compounds have potent anti-oxidant properties, remove free radicals from the body, and thus offer protection against cancers, aging, infections, etc. These pigments tend to concentrate just underneath the skin.
5. Fruit’s health benefiting properties are because of their richness in vitamins, minerals, micro-nutrients, anti-oxidants, which helps the body prevent or at least prolong the natural changes of aging by protecting and rejuvenating cells, tissues and organs. Their overall benefits are manifold! Fruit nutrition benefits are infinite! You are protecting yourself from minor ailments like wrinkling of skin, hair-fall, and memory loss to major ailments like age-related macular degeneration (AMRD) of the retina in the eyes, Alzheimer’s disease, colon cancers, weak bones (osteoporosis)…etc., andthe list of fruit nutrition benefits never ends!

Here is an impressive list of fruits with complete illustrations of their
health benefits and nutrition facts:

Acai berry	Apple	Apricot
Avocado	Banana	Blackberries
Black currants	Blueberries	Cantaloupe
Cherimoya	Cherry	Chokeberry
Cranberries	Dates	Durian fruit
Figs	Gooseberries	Grapes
Grapefruit	Guava	Jackfruit
Kiwi fruit	Kumquat	Lemon
Loquat fruit	Lychee	Mango fruit
Mangosteen	Mulberries	Orange
Papaya	Passion fruit	Peaches
Pears	Persimmon fruit	Pineapple
Plums	Pomegranate	Quince fruit
Raspberry	Sapodilla (Sapote)	Star fruit
Strawberry	Tangerine	Watermelon

How much fruit nutrition should be included in our daily diet?

Research studies suggest that one may eat any servings of fruits daily. It is recommended to eat at least 2-3 servings of fresh fruits every day.
The term one fruit serving is about 250 g of cleaned, edible-portion of the fruit, excluding discards like peel, seeds, etc.
Include seasonal fruits in the daily diet. Variety of fruit's type, color, and flavor should be encouraged to get maximum health benefits. Yellow and orange color fruits are rich sources of α and β carotenes, zea-xanthin and crypto-xanthin, while blue, black colored like black or blueberries are a good source of poly-phenolic anthocyanin anti-oxidants.

Selection of fruits

To avail maximum fruit nutrition benefits eat organic produce. Many "wild" varieties of berries and "tropical tree" fruits have still not treated with any kind of fertilizers or chemicals and can be readily purchased from local farm owners. Organic fruits tend to be smaller; however, they feature special flavor and richness in vitamins, minerals and stuffed with numerous anti-oxidants.
In the store, however, choose fruits that feature freshness, bright in color and flavor and feel heavy in your hands. Look carefully for blemishes, spots, molds, and signs of insecticide spray. Buy whole fruits instead of section of them (for example, buy a small size watermelon instead of a section of big size melon).

Dry fruits

Dry fruits are rich source of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals. Consumption of some dry fruits daily enhances the overall bioavailability of nutrients. Try raisins(dried grapes), apricots, dates, figs, tamarind..., which are indeed very good in iron, calcium, zinc, selenium and manganese. In addition, mixing dry fruits with some fresh fruits would help you get vitamin C which in-turn facilitates complete absorption of iron inside the stomach.

How to use fruits?

Barring few fruits like berries, try to wash them soon after shopping. Rinse them in salt water for few minutes and then wash in cool running water until you are satisfied with complete cleanliness. This way, you make sure that the fruit you eat is rid-off dust, sand and any residual chemical spray. Eat them while they are fresh because, certain fruits have very short shelf life and the health benefiting properties of fruit declines with time. If you need to store them, place them in plastic wrappings or in zip pouches to keep them fresh for short periods until you use them. Eat fruits as a whole without any additions to get their original flavor, taste, and to get maximum fruit nutrition benefits.
If you need to store them, place them in plastic wrappings or in zip pouches to keep them fresh for short periods until you use them. Eat fruits as a whole without any additions to get their original flavor, taste, and to get maximum fruit nutrition benefits.

Read More