Pineapple Punch

You will need



• 8 cups of tea
• 1 cup lemon/lime/kumquat juice
• 4 cups sweetened pineapple juice
• Large bottle of ginger ale
• Ice
• 1 sliced lemon
• 4 slices of pineapple cut into wedges
• 4 sprigs of mint


Method



1. Put tea, lemon juice and pineapple juice
in a jug, and chill well.
2. Leave covered for an hour, and add
chilled ginger ale just before serving.
3. Serve with plenty of ice, and lemon slices,
pineapple pieces and sprigs of mint.

Pineapple:

Pineapple belongs to the Bromeliaceae family, which originated in the
American tropics . It is a herb-like plant with long narrow
leaves. Each plant flowers and fruits only once and dies after fruiting. The
fruit looks like a spinning-top with scaly skin. Two varieties are normally
used. These are the Ripley Queen, which has rough, prickly leaves, and the
Smooth Cayenne variety with smooth leaves .
Pineapple requires well-drained, composted soil. Because the
root system of pineapples is shallow, they can be grown at
very high planting densities on hillsides or flat land
. They are grown from suckers or tops
of the mature fruits after they have been harvested.
Pineapples require plenty of attention to keep weeds
down. Mulching is a good way to keep the weeds in
check. After about 18
months, they will produce fruits. Pineapples can
also be made to fruit during the off-season
through the use of chemicals, in order to fetch
higher prices in the market.
Selection
Pineapple must be properly ripe to develop its sweet taste. When the fruit
is not ripe, it tastes acidic or sour. When selecting pineapple, choose wholesome,
freshly picked ripe fruit, not deformed, either evenly yellow-green or
yellowish at the base and greenish towards the top end of the fruit. Check
that the base is freshly harvested. The fruit should be firm all around, with
a fresh, sweet pineapple smell and not smell rotten or fermented.
Yellow–orange coloured fruits tend to be over-ripe. If the fruit has an ‘off’
or slightly fermented smell, or the base looks old, it should be rejected. The
Smooth Cayenne’s larger fruit, with smooth skin, is juicier than the Ripley
Queen, which is rough-skinned but sweeter. When choosing Smooth
Cayenne, select firm fruits that are reddish-yellow in colour. Do not cut
unless the fruit is fully ripe, as the green fruit has a poor flavour. Most 
pineapples sold in the Pacific Islands are harvested mature.

Storage
Mature fruits will change colour in storage. Stand the fruit upright in a
cool, ventilated area. Under cool conditions, pineapples will keep for two
to three days. Deterioration occurs quickly above 20°C. For
longer storage, remove tops and keep cool. Pineapple can be cut into cubes
and deep-frozen. Prepared slices and crushed pineapple can be preserved by
bottling or by stewing and then freezing.
Preparation
Remove the top and base of the fruit and cut downwards with a sharp knife.
Remove the ‘eyes’ by cutting diagonal wedges about 1/2 –3/4 cm in a spiral
around the fruit. Cut fruits in halves or quarters or into round slices.
Remove core if desired and serve.
Fresh pineapple contains a substance called bromelain that can produce a
bitter taste when pineapple is mixed with fresh pawpaw and left to stand.
Therefore the two fruits should not be mixed until just before serving.
Bromelain is made inactive by cooking.
Food value
Pineapple provides Vitamin C, dietary fibre and small amounts of minerals
and vitamins. A hundred grams of pineapple provides approximately 22 mg
of Vitamin C and 214 kJ or 52 kcal of energy . To
take advantage of the Vitamin C, pineapple is best eaten fresh.
Use
Ripe pineapple fruit is usually eaten fresh. It is also used as an ingredient in
fruit salads, drinks, cooked desserts and savoury dishes. The fruit can be
processed into juice and dried into glazed pineapple pieces.
The bromelain in pineapple allows the fruit to be used as a meat tenderiser.
Bromelain is only present in raw, fresh pineapple 
. A marinade is usually prepared by mixing cooking oil with lemon
juice and slices of pineapple. Meat is then added to the mixture and left to
stand for two hours before use.
.

Stewed Kavika

You will need



• 6–10 kavika
• 1 cup water
• 1/2–1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice


Method



1. Wash, remove rose end, cut in half and
remove seed.
2. Place prepared fruit in a pot. Add water,
sugar and lemon juice.
3. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer until
fruit is tender. Taste to check whether the
syrup is sweet enough. Adjust by adding more
sugar or more lemon juice.

Kavika:

Kavika, also known as Malay apple, is a small tree with pompom-shaped
flowers and glossy, dark-green leaves . The tree is beautiful,
especially when the bright pink-purple flowers shed their many stamens in
a carpet on the ground. The fruit contains a single large seed 
. It is oval, round or pear-shaped, white to pale rose or light red in
colour, with a waxy skin and a subtle, astringent, refreshing taste when
eaten ripe

Selection
Fruits should be fully developed as indicated by a change of colour from
green to whitish-pink, cream-pink or rose. As the fruit ripens, the seed
becomes loose inside. When selecting kavika, choose firm, ripe fruits that
are clean, wholesome and without bruises.
Storage
In cool weather, fruits will keep in good condition at room temperature for
several days. They should be covered to prevent drying. They last longer if
kept in cool storage. Stewed half-ripe fruits can be frozen.
Preparation
Wash fruits well before use. Fresh ripe fruit should be handled with care to
prevent bruising.
The fruit is generally eaten raw as a snack. Half-ripe fruits can be stewed,
with the skin on or peeled. Trim off the blossom end, cut fruit into quarters,
and remove seed. Fresh fruit used in fruit salad is best dipped in lemon
or orange juice to prevent browning.
Food value
Kavika provides small amounts of Vitamin C and some minerals 
.
Use
Kavika is usually eaten fresh. It can also be used in fresh fruit salad as well
as stewed and served as dessert.

Jambolan Preserves

You will need



• 4 cups jambolan fruit
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 cups sugar


Method



1. Wash and cut pulp from seeds. Do not peel.
2. Put all ingredients in a pot and bring to boil.
3. Boil briskly until setting point. Test.
4. Pour into hot sterilised jars. Cool a little
before putting lids on. Store for later use.

Jambolan Juice

You will need



• 4 cups firm ripe jambolans
• 3/4 cup water


Method



1. Wash jambolans and remove stems.
2. Place in saucepan with water and cook until
fruit is soft. This will take about 15–20 minutes.
3. Cool slightly and strain with cloth.
4. Pour juice into jug and use as base for juice.
This may be diluted or used as it is. Sweeten to
taste.
Method
• 4 cups firm ripe jambolans
• 3/4 cup water

Jambolan:

Jambolan or Java plum, also known as jamun, is the dark purple fruit of a
large tree similar in size to a mango tree. The fruit is about 4 cm
(1/2–1 1/2 in) long and similar to a cherry . Each
fruit contains a seed surrounded by a thin layer of yellowish pulp. The pulp
is very juicy and acidic, and often has an undesirable astringent taste.

Selection
When selecting jambolan, look for fruits that are ripe, clean, wholesome
and without infestation. They are best picked off the tree. Fruits picked off
the ground should not be bruised and must be eaten immediately.
Storage
Wash fruits well and store in a cool place, preferably in small lots, as bigger
lots can encourage bruising and fermentation. For longer storage, juice and
freeze the juice.
Preparation
If eaten raw, wash well before eating. To make juice, separate the yellow
flesh from the seed (thrown away) and reduce to pulp with a blender. Ripe
jambolans can also be stewed with water and sugar. The astringent taste can
be reduced by soaking prior to cooking.
Food value
Jambolan contains minerals and some dietary fibre. One hundred grams of
the raw fruit provides 257 kJ or 61 kcal 
Use
Jambolans are usually eaten fresh. They can also be made into jams, juice,
preserves and wine.