Fruits Damson to Kiwi
Damson
Prunus family
Description
A member of the plum family, originating from the area around Damascus, hence the name, may have been introduced to Britain by the Romans.
Use
Wash and dry.
Serve fresh whole or stoned and cut into halves, as a dessert fruit or in fruit salads.
Can be poached, stewed or baked, or used in pies, tarts, puddings, sauces, ice cream or sorbets.
Can be used to make jams, preserves and wine.
Date
Phoenix dactylifera
Description
The oval fleshy fruit of the palm, ranging in colour from golden to dark brown with a high sugar content.
Native to North Africa, thought to have been introduced to Britain by knights returning from the Crusades.
Use
Can be served as is or when added to cooked dishes chopped. Dried dates can be added to cakes, puddings, pastries and a wide range of desserts to add natural sweetness.
Elderberry
Sambucus
Description
A deep purple fruit, often found growing in the wild.
Use
Can be used to make jams, preserves and wine.
Fig
Ficus carica
Description
A bulbous fruit with a dark green skin and sweet, pulpy flesh with a distinctive aroma.
Native to western Asia, one of the oldest known fruits, the Romans are thought to have introduced it to Europe.
Use
Wash and dry. Peel if preferred, serve fresh as a dessert fruit or with cheese. Can be stuffed or poached and added to ice cream cakes and pastries.
Gooseberry
Ribes grossularia
Description
Small oval berries with a tough skin, some of having hairy covering, they can range in colour from yellow-green to dark red and have a juicy flesh and a tart flavour.
Native to northern Europe, have been widely cultivated in Britain since the 16th century.
Use
Remove the stem and rinse in a colander, drain well . Use fresh, if one of the sweeter varieties, in fruit salads or in summer pudding. Can be cooked in pies and tarts. Can be pureed and added to ice cream and sorbets. Can be used to make jams and preserves.
Grape
Vitis vinifera
Description
The small round berries of the grapevine, which can range in colour from pale green to black and have a juicy flesh. There are very many varieties.
Native to many areas, introduced to Britain by the Romans around 10AD.
Use
Wash and dry. Serve fresh as a dessert fruit, with cheese or as a garnish for sweet or savoury dishes. Can be cooked in pies and tarts. Can be pureed and added to ice cream, sorbets and drinks.
Grapefruit
Citrus paradisi
Description
A large, juicy fruit with a yellow to golden skin.
Thought to have originated in the West Indies, may have been introduced to Britain in the 16th century.
Use
Wash or wipe clean. Can be cut in half crossways and served fresh as a breakfast dish. Peeled and segmented it can be added to fruit, green and seafood salads. Juice can be added to sorbets or cheesecake. Can be used to make marmalade and in preserves.
Greengage
Rosaceae family
Description
A sweet-flavoured type of plum, small, round, and green when ripe, named after Thomas Gage, who introduced it to England about 1725.
Use
Wash and dry.
Serve fresh whole or stoned and cut into halves, as a dessert fruit or in fruit salads.
Can be poached, stewed or baked.
Or used in pies, tarts, puddings, sauces, ice cream or sorbets.
Can be used to make jams and preserves.
Hazel Nut
Corylus family
Description
A common wild tree in Europe, the nuts of which have been consumed since ancient times.
Use
Can be eaten as is, or added to many dishes both sweet and savoury, including soups, stuffings, desserts, sweets and candies, etc.
Varieties
Cob Nuts, Filberts (a larger cultivated variety).
Honeydew Melon
Description
A large oval fruit with a thick skin that can range in colour from pale to dark yellow, with creamy flesh and containing a large number of seeds at its centre.
Originating from Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times in the Nile Valley, thought to have first become popular in Europe in the 14th century.
Use
Cut the fruit in half and remove the seeds. It can be cut into segments and served as a dessert fruit, with smoked ham or shell fish or cheese. It can be added to green and fruit salads. When pureed it can be added to sorbets and drinks.
Varieties
Casaba melon, Charentais melon, Ogen melon, Christmas melon, Spanish melon
Kiwi Fruit
Actinidia chinensis
Also known as: Chinese gooseberry
Description
An oval fruit, the size of a plum with a rough, brown skin the flesh is bright green and has many small black seeds.
Native to china, it was introduced to Britain in the mid 19th century where it became a popular curiosity fruit in gardens of larger houses, where it was used primarily for decorative purposes.
Use
Wash or wipe clean. Cut in half and eat with a teaspoon or peel and halve, cut into segments or slices and add to fruit salads or with cheese. It can be pureed and added to sorbets and ice creams.
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