Latest news with #fruit
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
Nine unusual and delicious ideas for strawberries
The arrival of British strawberries is one of the most delicious signs that summer has begun. And this year, berry lovers are in for a treat: it's shaping up to be an exceptional season. According to Sandy Booth, CEO of New Forest Fruit Co – a key supplier for Sainsbury's – the sunny weather has worked wonders. 'With the recent spell of sunshine, our strawberries are ripening at a faster rate than usual, not only giving us a bumper crop but also yielding fruit with enhanced sweet and juicy flavours due to the cooler nights, after long sunny days,' he says. More than 30 varieties are grown across the country, but most supermarkets either don't list the variety on the label or default to the reliably firm and sweet Elsanta. Look a little further and you'll find other cultivars, such as the aromatic Eve's Delight from Kent (currently at M&S for £8.33/kg). But if you're simply planning to slice and serve with cream, save a few pence and pick up a punnet of Waitrose's 'wonderfully wonky' but fabulously sweet berries (£7.20/kg). But why stop at cream? Piled onto a pavlova, muddled in a jug of Pimm's or stirred through an Eton Mess are just a few of the strawberry's starring roles; there's no shortage of ways to enjoy this year's giant, juicy berries, as you'll discover below. A quick note before you tuck in: to enjoy strawberries at their best, store them properly. Don't wash them first – simply refrigerate in their original container, or, if they came in a paper bag, transfer to a shallow bowl lined with kitchen paper. For full flavour, bring them to room temperature at least an hour before serving. Nine unusual and delicious ideas for strawberries Quick pickled strawberries These make a fab addition to a charcuterie board and the leftover juices can be whisked with olive oil for a zingy salad dressing. Hull and halve 400g strawberries and place in a jar. Warm together 150ml white wine vinegar, 75ml water, 3 tbsp caster sugar. Add your choice of whole spices, such as a sprinkle of pink or black peppercorns, a couple of star anise, cracked cardamom pods or a pinch of chilli flakes. Stir until the sugar dissolves then pour over the strawberries. Leave to cool to room temperature then chill until ready to serve. Keep chilled and eat within two days. Strawberry caprese skewers For a surprisingly wonderful flavour match, swap the cherry tomatoes in your traditional tricolore salad for sweet and juicy strawberries. Or to make delicious pre-dinner nibbles to serve alongside a glass of summer spritz, thread small or halved strawberries, mini mozzarella and basil leaves onto cocktail sticks and finish with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Strawberry and goat's cheese toasted brioche Butter two slices of brioche bread and make a sandwich (butter on the outside) with goat's cheese and sliced strawberries. Season with chilli flakes, black pepper and a drizzle of honey if you fancy it, then toast in a panini press or frying pan until crunchy and golden brown. Tip: an easy way to hull strawberries For neat and speedy removal, gently push a straw, preferably a thin metal or reusable plastic one, through the tip of the strawberry. The calyx will simply pop out of the top. Spice-roasted strawberries Place 400g halved strawberries, 2 tsp sumac, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 tbsp caster sugar and 4 tbsp water in a small heatproof dish. Stir well then roast or air fry at 200C for 15-20 minutes until softened and bubbling but still holding their shape. Wonderful served with yoghurt for breakfast or ice cream for pudding. Strawberry milk ice lollies Homemade creamy strawberry ice lollies need only three ingredients and an overnight stint in the freezer (no additives or emulsifiers in these, thank you). Hull and halve 300g strawberries and blend with 170g condensed milk and 100ml milk until smooth. For seedless lollies, strain the mixture, otherwise pour into 6 ice lolly moulds and freeze overnight. Strawberry and avocado salad For a pretty summer salad, toss together halved strawberries, diced or sliced ripe avocado and some baby spinach leaves. Crumble in a little feta, add a few slivers of red onion then dress with a honey-mustard vinaigrette. Double chocolate frozen strawberries Thoroughly dry the strawberries by patting with kitchen paper then remove the hull. Push in a cocktail stick then freeze the strawberries in a single layer. Dip the frozen strawberries into melted white chocolate, using the stick to shake off any excess. Once all the strawberries are coated, return to the freezer until fully set then repeat with a layer of milk or dark chocolate then slide out the sticks. Serve frozen. Strawberry mojitos Roughly chop 12 large strawberries and 2 limes and muddle together in a jug with two tablespoons of white sugar and few fresh mint leaves. Stir in 400ml white rum, mixing well. When ready to serve, divide between 6-8 glasses, fill with ice cubes then top up with sparkling water. Strawberry smoothie Fill a blender goblet with hulled and halved strawberries (if you have any other berries such as raspberries or blueberries, add a few of those too). Break in a small banana then add a good splash of milk or coconut milk or water and whizz until smooth. Pour over ice and serve.
The Sun
22-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
Three genius ways to save on ice lollies as prices and temperatures rise
ICE lollies are perfect for cooling off when temperatures rise, but they can be pricey. Here are some ways to keep down the cost of your frozen treats . . . BREAK THE MOULD: Making your own lollies is far cheaper than buying from the shops. You just need to invest in some moulds, which can be used over and over again. Dunelm has a set of four silicone push-up moulds for £5. Simply fill them with juice or squash and pop in the freezer for a quick, low-effort treat. USE IT UP: If you want to get creative, homemade ice cream and lollies are a great way to use up any fruit that is on the turn. It is also a clever way to smuggle fruit into a fussy child's diet. Raid your fridge for items that need to be used and get kids involved for a fun activity that they'll love. For example, when you have some bananas that need using up, simply chop into chunks and freeze for at least an hour. Then blitz them with a little milk to a creamy texture before freezing in moulds. You could add a teaspoon of honey for a sweeter taste. 'survey reveals what your ice cream eating habits could say about your personality' Avocado works well to give a nice creamy texture. Just blend with natural yoghurt, a squeeze of lime and a little honey before freezing in moulds. Or try soft strawberries blitzed with apple juice for an easy delicious combo. CARRY CASE: Kids often want ice lollies when you're at the park or as a treat on a day out. But the price of single lollies from shops or ice cream vans can be really expensive. Instead, you can take homemade or shop-bought lollies with you by popping them inside a travel mug which keeps drinks and food cold. The best cooling travel mugs can be expensive but they are worth the investment if they stop you buying refreshments when out and about. Try the Sainsbury's home travel cup, £12. All prices on page correct at time of going to press. Deals and offers subject to availability. 7 DEAL OF THE DAY 7 SIT and relax on these deckchairs, perfect for lazy summer days, down from £69 to £54 at George from Asda. SAVE: £15 CHEAP TREAT 7 LIFT your mood with a spritz of Daise Happy body mist, £5.99, from Superdrug. What's new? TRY bangers with a twist – new in at Tesco, a six-pack of Heck chorizo-style sausages are £3.35, or £2.50 with a Clubcard. TOP SWAP CUDDLE up to this cute Odyssey Octopus, £48 from Or try the equally adorable octopus plush toy, £10 from Flying Tiger. Shop & save KIDS will love spending time in this 240cm diameter paddling pool, down from £24.99 to £14.99 at The Range. PLAY NOW TO WIN £200 7 JOIN thousands of readers taking part in The Sun Raffle. Every month we're giving away £100 to 250 lucky readers - whether you're saving up or just in need of some extra cash, The Sun could have you covered. Every Sun Savers code entered equals one Raffle ticket. The more codes you enter, the more tickets you'll earn and the more chance you will have of winning!
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
What is your favourite fruit?
We know food shopping with your parents can be a bore, but next time you are in the fruit and veg section, take a quick look at the may notice this spring's bumper crop of strawberries are HUGE!According to UK farmers, the "glorious spring weather" has meant the strawberry season is off to a "stonking start". According to The Met Office, this spring is currently one of the driest and warmest in over a century, and that has been good news for some fruit growers. We wat to hear from you about your favorite fruits - is it "stonking" strawberries or something else? Join in our vote and leave us a comment below. Marion Regan, who works for Hugh Lowe Farms, who provide Wimbledon with their famous strawberries, said this year's crop were sweeter than ever. Warm days and cool nights are known to make strawberries sweeter as the lower night temperatures allow them to rest and put the energy they have gained during the day into producing more natural we wonder if strawberries are top of the shops when it comes to your favourite fruit. Why not choose which fruits you like snacking on best from our list below. You can upvote three different fruits so take your time to decide which is your main squeeze...! And if your favourite isn't on the list, choose "Something else" and let us know what we have missed.
CTV News
14-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
New Zealand's unofficial fruit is the feijoa, not the kiwi. And part of the fun is in giving it away
Someone leaves a box outside a house offering free feijoas in Wellington, New Zealand on May 11, 2025. (Charlotte Graham-McLay / AP Photo) WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The unofficial national fruit of New Zealand isn't native to the country – it's South American. It isn't exclusively found in New Zealand. And it's not, perhaps surprisingly, the kiwi. It's the feijoa. Known as pineapple guava elsewhere, the fruit — a green perfumed oval with a polarizing taste — can be purchased in California or Canberra. Yet no country has embraced the feijoa with quite the fervour or the fixation of New Zealanders. Due to its short shelf life, New Zealand — a nation of thriving fruit exports — has never been able to spin the feijoa (pronounced fee-jo-ah) into a global brand, as growers have done with apples and kiwi. But during the brief span of weeks each year when the fruit is ripe, the country goes feijoa wild. A backyard boom The feijoa's allure comes partly from how it's acquired. In autumn, fallen fruit forms fragrant carpets beneath backyard trees and is swept into boxes, bags and buckets to be offered for free outside homes, in office breakrooms and on neighbourhood Facebook groups. There's such abundance that some feijoa lovers take pride in never having paid for one. 'It's sort of non-commercialized. We turn up our noses at the idea of buying them in the shop,' said Kate Evans, author of the book Feijoa: A Story of Obsession and Belonging. 'You just sort of expect to get them for free.' In suburban Wellington, Diana Ward-Pickering said she had given away 'thousands' of feijoas from her five backyard trees this season: in a box on the sidewalk, to neighbours, to coworkers, to her daughter's eyelash technician — in short, to any friend or stranger who wanted some. On a recent Sunday, Ward-Pickering selected a feijoa from dozens on the ground, halved it with a spoon, and scooped the pale, creamy flesh into her mouth. 'Delicious,' she said. But while she could eat a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of the fruit in a sitting, she said, even her appetite couldn't keep up with the sudden and generous bounty that arrives each April. 'There are people who can't afford to pay for them,' Ward-Pickering said. 'We happily give them away.' Love it or hate it Not everyone's an enthusiast, and every New Zealander has an opinion. What devotees of the fruit savour as a distinctive texture, flavour and smell, is gritty, soapy or sour to others. Diana Ward-Pickering's daughter, Lizzy, gingerly slurped a piece of feijoa into her mouth and grimaced. 'It's giving snot,' she said. 'My mind has not changed.' But for New Zealanders abroad who love the fruit, feijoas are a nostalgic taste evocative of a kiwi childhood. Evans, who admitted to once paying 3 Australian dollars (US$1.90) for a single feijoa at a market in Australia, said that in 12 years living overseas she often saw expatriates asking the same question online: Where can I find feijoas? A strange history How a fruit that hails from the Brazilian highlands, Uruguay and a corner of Argentina first came to New Zealand remains something of a mystery, Evans said. But what's known is that feijoas have been in New Zealand for just over 100 years, probably originating from California, via Australia. The trees grow 'extremely well' in New Zealand, growers say, due to the soil, subtropical climate and relative lack of destructive insect species. In spite of New Zealand's booming backyard feijoa economy there's still demand for them in stores, where they are currently sold for about 9 to 10 New Zealand dollars (US$5 to US$6) per kilogram. There are about 100 commercial feijoa growers in New Zealand almost solely supplying the domestic market, including for popular beverages such as feijoa cider, kombucha and juice. But exporting the fruit is 'tricky,' said Brent Fuller, spokesperson for the New Zealand Feijoa Growers Association. 'They'll keep in the chiller for two or three weeks, but that's about it.' Research is underway to increase the shelf life of the fruit. But with the name feijoa still unknown abroad, it remains for now an institution of New Zealand's autumn. 'It's something that kind of bonds us and gives us an excuse to talk to people around us,' Evans said. The kiwi, she added, has been a lucrative export for New Zealand. 'But we don't love it the way that we love feijoas.' Article written by Charlotte Graham-mclay, The Associated Press
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
This low-calorie fruit strengthens the immune system — and helps you poop
If you're looking for a new fruit to snack on, this oddball will help you slay your next physical. With its hot pink skin, green spiky tendrils and a speckled inside that resembles cookies and cream, it looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. Meanwhile, its flavor is a mix between a kiwi and a pear, with a mild sweetness and a delightfully refreshing crunch. But don't let the wild appearance fool you — this tropical gem, known as dragon fruit, is more than just a pretty face. It's a low-calorie, nutrient-packed powerhouse that not only helps keep your immune system in fighting shape but also keeps your digestive system humming like a well-oiled machine. Loaded with vitamin C, antioxidants and gut-friendly fiber, dragon fruit offers a one-two punch of immune support and bowel regularity. Just one cup of the stuff delivers about 7 grams of fiber — nearly a third of your daily needs — which helps move things along in the bathroom and supports a healthy gut microbiome. That same scoop also contains key nutrients like magnesium and iron, which are crucial for keeping your body energized and your immune response strong. Plus, it's rich in prebiotics — natural compounds that help feed the good bacteria in your gut, boosting digestion and strengthening the body's natural defenses against illness. Low in sugar and high in hydration, dragon fruit is the kind of snack that tastes indulgent but acts like a health food. As an added bonus, its powerful blend of nutrients and fiber can also boost your heart health, make your skin glow and keep your energy levels up. Dragon fruit, also known as pitaya, is native to southern Mexico and the western coastlines of Guatemala, Costa Rica and El Salvador, although it is also cultivated in Asia and other tropical parts of the world. Its peak season runs from now through summer, and — while it is delicious on its own — dragon fruit is also ideal for smoothies and sorbets.
