Mango-banana-melon, all in one fruit
She is back to us again. She waited for us to really miss her, she asked if we were ready for her, and only when she was sure that the time had come she was picked and delivered straight to us. A wonderful taste of mango, banana, maybe a little pear and all in a delicate sweetness, and nicely packaged in an elliptical and greenish heart, with bumps reminiscent of pine cones. Have you guessed that I am talking about the annona?
Mark Twain must have really loved annonas, because he declared it to be the most delicious fruit on earth. I'm not sure he had the chance to taste pineapple, guava, or lychee for comparison, but I agree that annona has a wonderful and unique taste. It comes from the sub-tropical regions of America: Ecuador, Chile and Peru, where they eat tons of annonas, just as we eat sabra fruit and dates without limit and without getting excited. Also in India they indulge in annona, and in the Bahamas, Africa, and Florida.
The annona tree is seasonal and deciduous. In the winter it stands naked, all of it, which rises to an impressive height of 3-6 meters. Organic annona is a clear sign that autumn is here and that the first cold winds have already begun to blow, and usually she stays with us until the end of autumn, then she lets us miss her again until the following autumn.
Annona usually has a short season – so hurry up if you do not want to miss out!
How to choose a good annona? Similar to choosing a good avocado: start from the appearance of the peel. An organic Annona peel should be free of stains which indicate that it has been exposed to extreme cold, colder than the Annona likes, meaning it was probably in the freezer. The Annona tree is indeed good at surviving a drought year, but cold blasts it does not like.
Preparation could not be simpler. Wash it, cut it in half with a knife, remove the black seeds and enjoy eating it with a spoon. Or cut it into segments, quarters or less, and bite it off the peel. Spit out the seeds.
If you enjoy botanical experiment you can easily sprout the seeds, and within a month or so they will proudly display a small, greenish sprout. You can do many things with the seeds – play with them 5 stones, prepare works of art and more. Do not eat them, because they are toxic.
If you are able to restrain yourself and not devour an annona immediately, you can store it for a day or two on the shelf or for up to two weeks in the refrigerator (in the less cold part, on the top shelves and not on the sides of the refrigerator). Those who are less able to delay gratification can eat it as it is, which is the most beneficial way that best preserves its nutritional values, or add it to a recipe. Because of its sweetness and texture, a lot of delicious desserts are prepared from it, some of which I found here: https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3815731,00.html
A good and ripe organic fruit does not need an excuse to be eaten with pleasure, but nevertheless, If you want to know more about how much good you are doing your body by eating a juicy and ripe annona, know that this fruit helps the body cope with stress, attention deficit disorder, memory problems, fighting Cancerous tumors, diabetes, and is also full of vitamins B and C, calcium, magnesium, potassium.
May we have a successful "after the holidays" that is full of renewal and optimism.
For health and a good appetite!
Yours,
Maggie and the garden team
We can expect in our organic vegetable baskets (draft only):
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
lettuce
Thai spinach
Rocket
Potatoes
squash
Eggplant
pumpkin
In the large organic vegetable baskets, also:
radishes
Tatsoi
Beets with Leaves
coriander
Organic fruit baskets:
Oranges
Melon
Granny Smith apples in the transition
In the large organic fruit baskets, also:
Pears
Bananas
