Feliz Cinco De Mayo everyone! I wanted to share something I learned about fruit recently. I LOVE fresh fruit - especially when it's in season! There's nothing worse than trying to eat watermelon out of season. It's all mealy and not at all sweet. Ick. I try to live like a good locavore and only eat what's available in season, locally. However, sometimes I crave something such as strawberries covered in sweet cream on top of pancakes!! YUM!! Here's a little science behind the sweeter fruits:
First: when fruit ripens, the process is controlled by a hormone called auxin. When the ripening process reaches it's peak, it causes the cell walls of the fruit to degrade. This makes the fruit taste sweet and juicy! (Nerd alert!)
Next: out of season fruits can easily be "tricked" into the above-mentioned process by sprinkling a touch of seas salt. Although this may seem counter-intuitive, sea salt actually enhances the flavor of fruits overall. Just don't go overboard, otherwise your fruit will be far too salty.
Next: out of season fruits can easily be "tricked" into the above-mentioned process by sprinkling a touch of seas salt. Although this may seem counter-intuitive, sea salt actually enhances the flavor of fruits overall. Just don't go overboard, otherwise your fruit will be far too salty.
Finally: SUGAR! I was recently at the Baha Mar hotel in the Bahamas with my family for a quick vacation. I ordered a gorgeous fruit bowl to enjoy while I sat soaking up the sun! The first day, the fruit was AMAZING and SUPER SWEET! Dragon fruit, pineapple, strawberries... it was delicious!! However, the very next day at the pool, I ordered the SAME bowl of fresh fruit. It was not nearly as sweet. I didn't want to complain to the staff because everything was just so perfect. Yet, I needed to get to the root of the unsweet fruit. I assumed that yesterday's bowl was obviously sweet because we were in the Bahamas and everything is "Better in the Bahamas" (that's their country slogan and I love it). Yet, the Bahamas does not grow much produce on their islands. Unfortunately, their soil is very dry, thin and patchy. Not to mention their fresh water resources are scarce and fruit crops especially need heavy irrigation. Believe it or not, much of their fruit comes from the same places we might be buying fruit from here in the USA grocery stores. I found out that the chefs wash the fruit in sugared water! Brilliant! They also sprinkle a bit of sugar over the fruit just before serving it. Why didn't I think of that? The reason my second bowl of fruit wasn't as sweet was because the chef forgot to add sugar.
When I came home from our trip, I was desperate for more dragon fruit. I went to a small specialty fruit and veggie store run by a lovely Korean family near my home. They always have the best selection of produce at great prices! Two beautiful bright pink dragon fruits made their way into my market bag, along with a bunch of other deliciousness. Dragon fruits are ripe when they softer to the touch - much like an avocado. If it's mushy - then it's overripe. I sliced open the fruit and sampled a small piece. NOPE. Not sweet. I reached for my jar of SALTOPIA SWEET LIFE infused raw sugar cane, DATE NIGHT and sprinkled away. I used enough sugar so that it added the needed pop of sweet, but not too much - you will want the sugar to dissolve right into the fruit so you don't see it. So now, if you crave a fruit that may not be in season just yet, reach for some raw sugar!
Hotel information and friends tip: This magical fruit bowl was enjoyed at Baha Bay Beach Club at the Baha Mar Hotel in the Bahamas. You can book your lounger in advance for your entire stay at Club, so you don't have to be a maniac waking up at 6am to run down to the pool and throw towels, flip flops and books on a chair. Plus the fee to reserve your chair goes towards your food and beverage orders that day. It's brilliant! My chair! My fruit bowl! My view! My kinda vacation! My kids spent the day in the hotel's brand new waterpark, which is next to the Beach Club, while hubby and I slept in the sun (and ate a bunch of fruit, of course).
Hotel information and friends tip: This magical fruit bowl was enjoyed at Baha Bay Beach Club at the Baha Mar Hotel in the Bahamas. You can book your lounger in advance for your entire stay at Club, so you don't have to be a maniac waking up at 6am to run down to the pool and throw towels, flip flops and books on a chair. Plus the fee to reserve your chair goes towards your food and beverage orders that day. It's brilliant! My chair! My fruit bowl! My view! My kinda vacation! My kids spent the day in the hotel's brand new waterpark, which is next to the Beach Club, while hubby and I slept in the sun (and ate a bunch of fruit, of course).
