Tomatillos are small fruits (used as a vegetable) enclosed in a husk. The fruit resembles a small unripe tomato and is usually green or yellow. The yellow color indicates ripeness, but tomatillos are most often used when they are still green. Green tomatillos are firmer and easier to slice. The husk that holds the fruit is paper-like and is light brown. The flesh is slightly acidic with a hint of lemon. Tomatillos belong to the same family as tomatoes.

The Aztecs first grew tomatillos as far back as 800 B.C. and they have been popular in Mexico and other Latin American countries for many years. In the US, they are mainly grown in Texas.

Tomatillo Selection

The condition of the husk is often a good indicator when selecting tomatillos. If the husk is dry or shriveled then the fruit is probably not in good condition. Select tomatillos that have an intact, tight-fitting, light brown husk. If you peel back a small part of the husk, the fruit should be firm and free of blemishes.

Canned tomatillos are available at specialty markets and are often used when making sauces. Tomatillos are available year round in supermarkets and specialty markets. Domestically grown tomatillos are available from May through November.

Tomatillo Storage

Fresh tomatillos with the husk still intact may be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. They are best stored in a paper bag. Tomatillos last a week longer in the refrigerator if the husks are removed and the fruit is placed in sealed plastic bags. Tomatillos may also be frozen after removing the husks.

Tomatillo Preparation

The husks must be removed before preparing, but tomatillos in the husk are often used as decoration. Wash the fruit with soap and water to remove the film left by the husk. Tomatillos may be used raw in salsas or salads or cooked for sauces. Cooking enhances the flavor and softens its skin, but the result is a soupy consistency since the fruit collapses after a few minutes.

Tomatillo Recipes

Corn & Tomatillo Soup
Makes 8 servings

Each serving equals 1 cup of fruit or vegetables

Ingredients

1½ cup tomatillos
1½ cup onion, chopped
2 garlic gloves, diced
1 tsp margarine
3¾ cup whole kernel corn
1 cup frozen peas
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
4 oz diced green chilies
¼ cup spinach, chopped
1 tsp sugar

Sautè tomatillos, onion and garlic in with margarine for five minutes. Remove to food processor and add peas and cilantro. Puree to chunky. Pour in pan and add chicken stock, diced green chilies, chopped spinach, corn, and sugar. Heat and serve.

Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 128, Protein 5g, Fat 2g, Calories From Fat 14%, Cholesterol 2mg, Carbohydrates 25g, Fiber 4g, Sodium 113mg.

Source: FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov

• green wash

The following press release was issued by Whole Foods Market’s North Atlantic Region regarding the voluntary recall of Morningland Dairy of Mountain View, Missouri, Raw Goat Milk Mild Cheddar Cheese.

Whole Foods Market’s North Atlantic region is announcing a voluntary recall Morningland Dairy and Ozark Hills Farm Raw Goat Milk Mild Cheddar Cheese due to possible contamination by Listeria and Staphylococcus aureus.

Azteca Linda Corp. of Brooklyn, NY, is expanding the 8/24/10 recall of QUESO FRESCO (FRESH WHITE CHEESE (exp. SEP 11 2010) to include expiration date SEP 12 2010. 

In addition, the firm is recalling Queso El Azteca brand REQUESON (RICOTTA CHEESE) with expiration date SEP 19 2010 because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems…

Hot peppers (chilies) are often used to spice up dishes, and they are especially popular in ethnic cuisine including Mexican, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Arab and Spanish cooking. Chilies are an excellent source of vitamin C if you can withstand their powerful bite.

Contrary to popular belief, the hottest part of the chili pepper is not the seeds but where the seed attaches to the white membrane inside the pepper. This area has the highest concentration of capsaicinoids. Capsaicinoids are flavorless, odorless substances that act on pain receptors in the mouth and throat. Capsaicin is the primary capsaicinoid. Capsaicinoids can be found throughout the flesh of chili peppers though their concentration varies in different areas so that one part of a pepper may be hot and another part of the same pepper quite mild.

The seeds are often hot because they are in such close contact with the white membrane.

There are several varieties of chili peppers (see box below) and each differs in flavor and heat intensity. Even within each variety, there may differences in how ‘hot’ each particular chili is. Typically, larger chilies are more mild because they contain less seeds and white membrane in proportion to their size. Most varieties can be found dried, canned, or fresh.

Varieties

Anaheim (California Green Chile or Long Green Chile): One of the most commonly used varieties in the United States, especially in stuffed chiles. This chili is long, slender and lobed, green or red in color and mildly hot. They can be eaten when green or when they are their mature red color.

Ancho: Dried or fresh poblano pepper. Dried anchos are flat, wrinkled, and heart shaped. They range in color from very dark red to almost black. Anchos are mild to moderately hot and often soaked and ground for use in sauces.

Cascabel: Green or red, small and round, moderately hot and typically available dried. When dried, their skin turns a translucent red-brown color and their seeds rattle inside.

Cayenne (Long Hots): Red when fully mature, long (6 to 10 inches), thin and straight or curled at the tips. Very hot. Cayenne can be found dried and ground into a powder that is seen as generic “red pepper” in the spice aisle.

Cherry: Round and red like a cherry. Sold fresh or pickled in jars, these peppers range from mild to moderately hot.

Habanero (Scotch Bonnet): Typically yellow-orange but they can be green, red, or orange. These peppers are lantern shaped and typically about 2 inches long. The hottest pepper grown commercially; intense fiery flavor; a unique floral flavor and an extremely intense heat that affects the nasal passages.

Hungarian: These peppers start out yellow and ripen to orange or red; they are moderately hot.

Jalape?o: Most often green when mature but sometimes red, these peppers are about 2 inches in length with cracks around their stems. They are very hot, with an immediate bite. Jalape?os are sold canned, sliced, and pickled and are added to many products during processing including sausage, cheese, and jelly.

Poblano: Ancho peppers that are green. Poblano peppers look like small bell peppers and are mild to hot in taste. They are often roasted and peeled prior to being used in soups, sauces, casseroles or even stuffed with meat and cheese for a dish called chilies rellenos. Serrano: Sold red or mature green and about 1 to 4 inches in length. Moderate to very hot with an intense bite. Serrano chilis are often used in Thai cooking and they are also quite popular in Mexico and the southwestern United States.

Availability, Selection, and Storage

Chili peppers are available year round and in the United States they are grown in California, New Mexico and Texas. When selecting chilies, look for firm, glossy chilies with taut, unwrinkled skin and fresh green stems. Dried hot peppers should be glossy yet unbroken.

Chilies should be stored unwashed and wrapped in paper towels in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. Dried chilies should be stored in airtight containers at room temperature for a maximum of four months. To keep dried chilies for more than four months, store them in the refrigerator.

Preparation

It is very important not to touch your nose, eyes or mouth after handling or eating hot peppers. If you do, flush with water immediately. The capsaicin in the peppers can be extremely painful to your eyes and can even burn or irritate your skin (especially if you have cuts on your hands).

If possible, wear thin rubber gloves while preparing chili peppers. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water when done working with chilies. If the bite is too strong when you eat a chili, chew on bread or another starchy food; water only makes the bite worse as it spreads it.

To decrease the heat intensity of chilies, wash them, cut them open and remove the seeds and veins. Also, soaking cut up chilies in salt water for at least an hour will help cool them off.

To add a mild pepper flavor to your dish, poke holes in the chili of your choice with a toothpick (or cut slits in it) and add it to a food that is already cooking. When cooking is complete, remove the chili from the dish.

Chilies can also be roasted whole over a gas stove, broiler, or on a grill. Use a cooking fork to hold each pepper over flame. Turn frequently until the chili’s skin is blackened. After cooking is complete, place chilies in a paper or plastic bag for 15 minutes. Scrape off skin, cut off stem and pull out core. Scrape any remaining seeds.

Preparing Dried Hot Peppers

Use a damp cloth to wipe peppers. Grind chilies in a food processor for use as chili powder. To soften their texture and make their flavor more mild, soak chili peppers in water prior to using.

Recipes
Cherry Pepper Salad
Makes 4 servings
Each serving equals 1 1/2 cups fruit or vegetables
Source: foodreference.org

Ingredients

1¼ cup fresh sweet cherries, pitted
1 cup each thinly sliced sweet yellow and green peppers
¼ cup thinly sliced mild chili pepper
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
½ Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp pickled ginger strips, optional
4 cups mixed greens

Toss together all ingredients except greens; refrigerate 1 hour or longer. Serve on mixed greens.

Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 80, Protein 2g, Fat 2g, Calories From Fat 23%, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 15g, Fiber 3g, Sodium 100mg.

Source: FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov

• how to keep peeled dried chilis from getting full on moths
• anaheim chili peppers
• green wash

Okra grows in an elongated, lantern shape vegetable. It is a fuzzy, green colored, and ribbed pod that is approximately 2-7 inches in length. This vegetable is more famously known by its rows of tiny seeds and slimy or sticky texture when cut open. Okra is also known as bamia, bindi, bhindi, lady’s finger, and gumbo, is a member of the cotton (Mallow) family.

Okra was discovered around Ethiopia during the 12th century B.C. and was cultivated by the ancient Egyptians. This vegetable soon flourished throughout North Africa and the Middle East where the seed pods were consumed cooked and the seeds toasted, ground, and served as a coffee substitute. With the advent of the slave trade, it eventually came to North America and is now commonly grown in the southern United States. You’ll now see okra in African, Middle Eastern, Greek, Turkish, Indian, Caribbean, and South American cuisines.

Okra is commonly associated in Southern, Creole, and Cajun cooking since it was initially introduced into the United States in its southern region. It grows well in the southern United States where there is little frost.

Okra is a powerhouse of valuable nutrients. It is a good source of vitamin C. It is low in calories and is fat-free.

Varieties
Clemson variety is dark green with angular pods. This okra takes less than two months to mature.

Emerald type is dark green, with smooth round pods.

Lee is a spineless type known by its deep bright green, very straight angular pods.

Annie Oakley is a hybrid, spineless kind of okra with bright green, angular pods. It takes less than two months from seeding to maturity.

Chinese okra is a dark green type grown in California and reaches 10 to 13 inches in length. These extra-long okra pods are sometimes called “ladyfingers.”

Purple Okra a rare variety you may see at peak times. There is a version grown for its leaves that resemble sorrel in New Guinea.

Availability, Selection, and Storage

Okra is available year-round, with a peak season during the summer months. It is available either frozen or fresh. When buying fresh okra, make sure that you select dry, firm, okra. They should be medium to dark green in color and blemish-free. Fresh okra should be used the same day that it was purchased or stored paper bag in the warmest part of the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Severe cold temperatures will speed up okra decay. Do not wash the okra pods until ready to use, or it will become slimy.

Preparation

When preparing, remember that the more it is cut, the slimier it will become. Its various uses allow for okra to be added to many different recipes. Okra is commonly used as a thicken agent in soups and stews because of its sticky core. However, okra may also be steamed, boiled, pickled, sautèed, or stir-fried whole. Okra is a sensitive vegetable and should not be cooked in pans made of iron, copper or brass since the chemical properties turns okra black.

Young Versus Mature Okra – What is the difference?

Most okra pods are ready to be harvested in less than two months of planting. If the okra is going be consumed, then these pods must be harvested when they are very young. They are usually picked when they are two to three inches long, or tender stage.

Okra pods grow quickly from the tender to tough stage. Pods are considered mature when they exceed three inches in length. Mature okra is tough and is not recommended for use in certain recipes.

How do I reduce okra slime?

Most people who have eaten or have cooked okra, know about the okra slime. Some recipes call for the whole okra, but how do you deal with the okra slime?

There are few ways to minimize the slime:

Simply trim the off the ends and avoid puncturing the okra capsule.
You can also minimize the slime factor by avoiding the tendency to overcook okra.

Recipes
Okra and Green Beans
Makes 6 servings

Source: University of Illinois Extension

Ingredients

1 lb okra, uncut
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 lb fresh green beans
2 large garlic cloves, crushed then chopped
1 cup water
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground pepper
1 6-ounce can tomato paste

Wash okra pods, trim stems, do not remove caps. Rinse well and drain. Wash beans and cut into 3 inch lengths. Combine water, tomato paste, olive oil, onion, garlic, salt and pepper in a sauce pan and mix well. Heat, stirring frequently, until mixture comes to boil. Add okra and beans and additional water if necessary to almost cover vegetables.
Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently until vegetables are crisp-tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Serve it warm or cold.

*This dish can also be oven-baked. Instead of simmering, lightly cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F.

Nutritional analysis per serving: Calories 106, Protein 5g, Fat 3g, Calories From Fat 19%, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 19g, Fiber 7g, Sodium 187mg.

Source: FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov

• can you have pickled okra on the HcG diet?
• green wash
• okra is tough

The feijoa is also an egg-shaped fruit with a thin lime-green skin. The flesh inside is cream-colored and encases a jelly-like center. The texture is gritty, close to that of a pear. The flesh tastes like a combination of several other fruits, usually described as pineapple, guava, and strawberry. Some people report a taste similar to that of a quince or lemon. Feijoa is native to South America, but is now commercially grown in New Zealand and California. It is also commonly called a pineapple guava.

Selection
Select fruit that is fragrant and gives slightly to gentle pressure. Ripe feijoas are delicate, so take caution not to bruise the fruit. Imported feijoas are available from late March to June; while domestic ones reach the market in the fall. Feijoas are gaining in popularity and are becoming easier to find in supermarkets. They are already easy to find in specialty markets and can often be ordered out-of-season through several online merchants.

Storage
Ripe feijoas may be refrigerated, but they don’t have to be. Ripen feijoas in a paper bag at room temperature; to ripen quicker add an apple to the bag. Ripe feijoas normally last about 3 to 5 days. Feijoas may be frozen, but only if peeled and cooked into a puree.

Preparation
Feijoas are most often eaten raw. The fruit is ripe when it is slightly soft and the jellied inner section is clear. The fruit is unripe when the jelly is white and is spoiled when the jelly is brown. Unfortunately, this test of ripeness may only be determined once the fruit is opened. Peel the fruit before preparing, as the skin is bitter.

Source: FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov

Red bananas are smaller in size than a common banana and the peel is a deep red or purple. It has a creamy white to pink flesh, with a slight raspberry-banana flavor. The overall taste is similar to a common yellow banana. They are imported from Costa Rica and are a favorite in Central America.

Selection
Select firm bananas free from bruises or cracks in the peel and look for a deep purple color. This indicates the banana is ripe. If the color of the peel is lighter, the banana is not ripe. As with common yellow bananas, red bananas will ripen in a couple of days at room temperature. Red bananas are available year round at specialty markets and larger supermarkets.

Storage
Store bananas at room temperature, do not refrigerate. Turn bananas occasionally and store them in an uncovered location.

Preparation
Peel fruit prior to eating. Red bananas are used in similar ways as common yellow bananas. They are most frequently eaten whole raw or chopped and added to desserts or fruit salads. Red bananas are one of varieties commonly used for store bought dried bananas.

Source: FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov

Natural Weight Loss, Acid Reflux Treatment and Natural Health Remedies

Author: Margaret Hills
Narrator: Lynsey Frost

Many people take cider vinegar every day, because they find it can help with arthritis, joint pain, gout, diverticulitis and other troublesome complaints.

This book explains how cider vinegar works, who can take it, and how to use the treatment at home.

There is a quick reference for symptoms that need medical attention, what to expect, warnings for anyone who shouldn’t use it and advice about maintaining effective change for a healthier lifestyle.

There is also a useful section of easy recipes for using cider vinegar as part of drinks and food.

Find out more about this audiobook here

• Natural Remedies for Diverticulitus
• natural home remedies to fast and effective weight loss

Kiwano melon is an oval shaped fruit with horns on its peel. It has a bright orange and yellow skin with a pale yellow-green pulp inside. The flavor of the pulp is sweet and a bit tart with a flavor mix of bananas, lime and cucumber. Kiwano melon is native to southern and central Africa and is commonly known as an African horned melon. Most imported melons are now from New Zealand. California has began growing this melon, so a domestic product is available part of the year.

Selection
Select melons without any bruises or spots with a bright orange color. It is best to purchase a melon that has the horns intact, as damaged horns may be a sign of rough handling. Kiwano melons are available year round in specialty markets and supermarkets.

Storage
Unripe melons may be stored at room temperature for up to two weeks. Ripe melons will last about 3 to 4 days at room temperature. There is no need to refrigerate kiwano melon.

Preparation
There is no way to peel the skin off of the melon, so the fruit needs to be scooped out of the melon before using. The melon may be cut in half or into wedges to help extract the fruit pulp. The pulp may be eaten by itself, used as a topping for a sweet dessert or added to a fruit or green salad. The shell may be used as a serving dish once the pulp is removed, but the skin should not be eaten.

Source: FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov

• kiwano fruit nutrition

Guava is an oval shaped fruit that varies in size from a small egg to a medium apple. The thin skin may be yellow, red, purple or nearly black and the flesh ranges from a pale yellow to a bright red. Guava is sweet with a slight tart aftertaste. Its texture is firm; similar to an apple. Guava is native to South America, but is now commonly grown in California, Florida and Hawaii. It is also known as a Bangkok Apple or Guayaba.

Selection
Select fruit that gives to gentle pressure and is unblemished. Fresh guavas are often only available in the region near where they are grown, but may be ordered by mail. Canned guava products are available nationwide throughout the year in larger supermarkets.

Storage
Store ripe guavas in the refrigerator for up to a week. Green, unripe guavas should be stored at room temperature until ripe. Ripe guavas stored at room temperature will spoil quickly; normally within a couple of a days.

Preparation
The entire guava is edible. The rind and small seeds inside, along with the creamy flesh are often used in making jellies, preserves, and sauce. To be eaten raw, guava needs to be very ripe. Guava is typically sliced lengthwise into 5 or 6 slices and seeds discarded.

Source: FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov