Go Fruit!

Australians breed pineapple with extra vitamin C

A 15- year research project in Australia has lead to the development of a new variety of pineapple called the ‘Australian Jubilee’. This fruit is sweeter and contains double  the amount of vitamin C in comparison to other pineapple varieties. The new variety is the first truly Australian pineapple, as the traditional varieties grown for commercial production all originate from Hawaii. It is already on the market and will be available all-year round, as it can also be grown during the winter and still be of good quality (source: ABC news).

Apple salsa, serves 6

Ingredients:

 

5 big eating apples (the variety doesn’t matter)

1 small red onion

1 dl walnuts

Juice from one lemon

Grated peel and juice from 1 organic orange

Honey or syrup

2 dl Fresh finely chopped herbs (for example lemon thyme, mint, lemon balm, basil or a mixture)

Salt and pepper

 

Method:

 

Cut the apples and the red onion into small cubes. Chop the walnuts and heat them on a dry frying pan until they start turning brown. Mix onions, apples and walnuts in a bowl and add the lemon and orange juice, the orange peel and the herbs. Add salt, pepper and honey or syrup to taste.  

Free fruit at work induces lifestyle changes

 
The ‘Fruit at Work’ study in ISAFRUIT was the first study to investigate if the general health and diet among employees can be affected by offering free fruit at work. For 18 weeks, 186 employees in a government office in the UK were offered 2 pieces of fruit per day for free, while a control group of 165 employees from the same workplace did not get free fruit. Measurements of health parameters such as BMI, fat percent and blood pressure were carried out together with dietary assessments to find out if the free fruit made a difference. It turned out that it did. Compared to the control group, employees receiving fruit had made several health and dietary changes, as part of a healthier lifestyle by the end of the study. Thus, simple changes in the work place seem to be a promising way to increase general public health. Employers could also benefit as providing free fruit at work could increase employee satisfaction and potentially reduce the number of sick days. If you are interested in more information, the results from the study are currently in preparation for publication.

Plum compote with cardamom

Easy and tasty dessert. Perfect for the plum season.

 

Ingredients:

500 g plums

3 tablespoon honey

2 dl orange juice

1 teaspoon cardamom

1 split vanilla pod

Whipped cream and macaroons for garnish

 

Method:

Make a small cut across the plums and put them in boiled water for a couple of seconds. Take them up and remove the peel. Cut the plums into small pieces and remove the stones. Put all ingredients in a pot and let it boil with a lid on for 10 minutes.

 

Remove the vanilla pod. Mash the mixture with a whisk. If it is too sour you can add some more honey.

 

Serve with whipped cream and macaroons. 

 

Art sculptures of watermelons

Using only their imagination and a fine knife some people can turn watermelons into amazing sculptures. The idea apparently originates from banquets 700 years ago where the carved watermelons were used to impress royal visitors. The Daily mail has featured some of the impressive watermelon sculpture of hotel chef Takashi Itoh from Tokyo. Have a look for yourself.

Orange fried chicken, serves 1

Ingredients:

 

1 chicken breast

1 dl chicken stock

2 teaspoon butter

1 orange

1 tablespoon chopped almonds

2 tablespoon raisins

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Salt

Pepper

 

Method:

 

Fry the chopped almonds on a dry frying pan while stirring. They should not turn brown. Take them off the pan, melt the butter and brown the chicken breast on both sides for about 2 minutes. Add almonds, raisins, the juice of half an orange and chicken stock. Let it simmer for 10 minutes. Take the chicken breast off the pan. Mix 1 teaspoon of corn starch in 2 tablespoon water and add to the remaining sauce to thicken it. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Peel the other half of the orange and slice it. Slice the chicken breast and arrange on a plate. Pour over the sauce and garnish with orange slices. Serve for example with rice.

Genes -a shortcut to better fruits

 

A couple of weeks ago, the complete genome of apple was mapped for the first time by an international team of scientists. Knowledge about all of the genes in a fruit and their function can help to breed new fruit varieties with desired characteristics. Also, the ability to grow in more extreme environments can be favoured. Work is ongoing to identify which genes are responsible for which apple characteristics, for example firmness, aroma and sugar content and in the long term will enable breeders to preselect seedlings which possess desirable characteristics, very early in the breeding process. The time it takes to develop a new variety, with specific characteristics, could be considerably shortened due to these research advances (source: the Telegraph). Watch a video from the ISAFRUIT project about how this method has been applied to peaches and apricots.

Highlights from the ISAFRUIT roundtable at Fruit Logistica in Berlin

Mike Knowles editor of Eurofruit Magazine chaired a roundtable event where ISAFRUIT researchers Jos Bartels, Lars Ove Dragsted, Ronan Gormley and Joan Bonany presented some of their initial results. The highlights also include the Mr Fruitness project, a joint initiative between EU and CSO (Italian marketing and research organisation), aiming to increase fruit consumption among children. 

 

Healthy dried fruit sticks, 5-6 sticks

These fruit snacks are very easy to prepare and work well as a snack that can be enjoyed throughout the day.

 

Ingredients:

100 g dried dates

200 g raisins

25 g preserved orange peel

3 tablespoon sesame seeds

 

Method:

Stone the dates and blend them in a food processor with raisins and orange peel until the mixture is homogeneous. 

Roll the mass into 5-6 sticks and turn them over in sesame seeds. Wrap the sticks in plastic film wrap. You can store them for a couple of days in an airtight tin.

Mango and chicken salad, serves 2

Ingredients

 

4 tablespoon pine nuts

200 g chicken breast cut in strips

1 tablespoon oil

150 g mixed salad leaves

200 g sliced tomatoes

1 mango, peeled and cut in strips

100 g feta cheese

0.5 tablespoon vinegar

1.5 tablespoon olive oil

Sugar

Salt

Peber

 

Method:

Toast the pine nuts on a frying pan until they turn slightly brown. Take them off the pan, add some oil and fry the chicken breast until it is cooked thoroughly. Spice with salt and pepper.

Arrange the salad leaves, tomatoes, mango and feta cheese nicely on two plates. Add pine nuts and chicken.  

Mix and shake the dressing ingredients (add sugar, pepper and salt to taste). Spread the dressing over the salad and serve.