Ask a Dietitian

As seen on BCTV, 16 September, 2003

Fall Fruits!

Fall may have arrived but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy fresh fruits. Although those great summer berries start to disappear, there are some fabulous fall fruits like apples, pears, kiwis and figs, still available for enjoyment.

Pears

This fairly common fruit is packed with good things. Pears supply a high amount of that cholesterol combating, soluble fiber. In just one serving you could meet 15-20% of your recommended daily requirement (~ 4.0g of fiber/medium pear).

Most often this fruit is consumed fresh but dried pears are also enjoyable. In their dried form, they are high in iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and of course fiber.

Enjoying this fruit is easy. Besides fresh and dried, pears are delicious baked into a fruit crisp or pie, poached in fruit juice, with a cinnamon stick until tender or sautéed in fruit juice, again with some favorite seasonings, for just a few minutes.

Variety of this fruit is abundant. Here listed, are some characteristics that define the varieties.

Bartlett: These pears are the most popular variety. They are usually quite large and juicy. They have a well known green color that turns yellowish as it ripens.

Bosc: These pears are usually a brownish color, with a wide body that taper to the top. They are firm and crunchy yet sweet and juicy. These pears are great for cooking, as they retain their shape with heat.

Anjou: These pears are oval shaped with a smooth thin skin, which is light green to yellow-green or red in color with a creamy looking flesh. Though they have a relatively bland taste, they are still very sweet and juicy.

Asian: This variety is sometimes mistaken for an apple. They are very crisp and fairly sweet and juicy.

Apples

We have all heard the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Well, there is some truth in that. Although apples are well known for their high soluble fiber content (pectin), recent research published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, shows that the high variety and content of polyphenols and flavonoids, collectively called phytochemicals or phytonutrients, have strong antioxidant affects to help protect against heart disease, asthma and cancer. As research continues the beneficial impact of these components are becoming more and more apparent.

Two of the most popular varieties of apples are Red Delicious and Granny smith. When choosing your favorite variety aim for those apples with the rich colored skin, but don’t worry about shininess, it could just a wax coating added by the producer! Simply wash your fruit with warm soapy water.

Try to eat the skin instead of pealing it off. Almost half of apple’s vitamin C content is found just underneath of the skin. Pealing the skin off will likely remove much of that beneficial antioxidant among other phytochemicals.

Kiwis

Kiwis are traditionally from southeast-Asia, also called the Chinese gooseberry and yangtao. Kiwis are a small oval shaped fruit with a thin brownish-green fuzzy skin grown on a vine. They have an emerald green flesh and dark purplish seeds that surround its white core. Kiwi fruit were first exported from China to England in the 1900 and to the US and New Zealand in 1906. Now you can find BC grown Kiwi fruit which are harvested in late fall and available through May when the New Zealand harvest becomes available.

Kiwi fruit are ripe when the skin yields to slight pressure. They should be stored in the refrigerator if ripe or at room temperature to ripen. Kiwis are an excellent source of vitamin C and fibre. They are also a source of potassium and vitamin E. Their bright green flesh and dark seeds make them a beautiful addition to any fruit salad or fruit plate. They too can be made into jam or juice and some even eat the skin.

Figs

These little fruits are a great source of nutrition! Figs are low in calories and high in fiber. They are also high in potassium, calcium and iron. In just one serving (approximately 4 figs or ¼ cup) you can get 20% of your daily fiber requirement (5 grams), 7% that of potassium and 6% (53 grams) and 8% (1.2 mg) of calcium and iron requirements respectively.

Figs grow best in Mediterranean and dryer warm-temperate climates, but areas of California are also capable of cultivating this fruit. Fig advocates will tell you that figs are best consumed when they are fresh from harvest. Unfortunately, figs are very perishable and are unable to travel long distances in the fresh fruit state. Therefore the most common form for consumption in Canada is dried.

Figs make a great snack on their own or added into muffins and cereals. A healthy idea is to use fig puree in baked goods to decrease the amount of fat usually required in the products. This method is similarly used with prune purees, but makes a great alternative. Add figs to a cheese plate, toss them into salads, blend them into a banana and yogurt smoothie, bake them with chicken or eat them dried in trail mix or on cereal.

Bon appetite!

Spicy fruit compote with light peach coulis

Compote:

Coulis:

Place all ingredients for the compote into a pan and cook for 25-30 minutes, until the mixture is reduced by half. In another pan, place the tinned peaches, sugar and orange juice. Cook until reduced by about three quarters. Put this mixture into a blender, and blend to a smooth paste.

Chill all ingredients for two to three hours. To serve, place a good spoonful of the spicy compote into the centre of a plate, place a sprig of mint on top to decorate, and then circle with a spoonful of the peach coulis.