Grape Vine

With commercial grape production dating back to 1000 BC, Grape juice is considered to be the the "nectar of the gods". Hundreds of species and varieties of grapes exist with varying colour and flavour. Grapes grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines and are eaten raw or used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also used in some kinds of confectionery.

The domestication of grapes originated in Central Asia.Yeast, one of the earliest domesticated micro-organisms, occurs naturally on the skins of grapes, leading to the innovation of alcoholic drinks such as wine. Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics record the cultivation of grapes, and history attests to the ancient Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans growing grapes for both eating and wine production. 

Here is a recipe for Grapes Cooler Punch: 

Ingredients:

# 250 gms fresh green grapes

# 250 gms purple grapes

# 3 cups cold water

# 2 cups chilled lemon-lime soda pop

# Lemon and lime slices

Method:

1. Crush the grapes in a blender. In large container, mix juice concentrates. Stir in water.

2. Just before serving, pour into punch bowl. Add soda pop and lemon and lime slices. Pour over ice in glasses.

. . .

Orange County

The sweet orange does not occur in the wild. It is believed to have been first cultivated in southern China, northeastern India, or perhaps southeastern Asia. Italian traders have introduced it to the Mediterranean area around  1450 and then Portuguese navigators have been credited with bringing orange trees to the Mediterranean region around 1500. 

After introduction of the sweet orange, it was quickly adopted as an edible fruit; it was so highly regarded that wealthy persons grew oranges in private conservatories, called orangeries. 

Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch sailors planted citrus trees along trade routes to prevent scurvy. On his second voyage in 1493, Christopher Columbus took the seeds of oranges, lemons and citrons to Haiti and the Caribbean. Many orange groves were established by grafting the sweet orange onto sour orange rootstocks.

The orange blossom, is highly fragrant and the petals are an important component in the making of perfume, rosewater for food items. It is  traditionally associated with good fortune and has long been popular in bridal bouquets and head wreaths for weddings. Fallen blossoms are also dried and then used to make tea.

Orange blossom honey is produced by putting beehives in the citrus groves during bloom, which also pollinates seeded citrus varieties. Orange blossom honey is highly prized, and tastes much like orange.

Here is a recipe for simple Orange Juice:

Ingredients:

# 4 Oranges
# 4 Ice cubes (optional)
# Mint leaves or thin orange slices, for garnish (optional)


Method:
Lightly smack each orange on the counter. Cut each one in half. Squeeze into a glass. You may also use a citrus reamer to do this. If you want less pulp, use a hand juicer with a strainer. 

Here is a recipe for Orange Smoothie:

Ingredients:

# 2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice
# 1/4 cup pineapple
# 1/4 cup milk / young coconut milk
# 1/2 cup of natural yogurt
# 1 banana
# 3 ice cubes
# Mint leaves or thin orange slices, for garnish, optional


Method:

In a blender, whip the orange juice, pineapple, yogurt, milk and banana until smooth. Serve in tall glasses, garnished with an orange slice and mint leaf, if desired.

Orange juice is a a vital element of your breakfast and a popular beverage made by extraction from the fresh fruit, by desiccation and subsequent reconstitution of dried juice, or by concentration of the juice and the subsequent addition of water to the concentrate. Orange juice containing pulp seems to be more nutritious than other varieties due to the flavonoids contained in the pulp. Orange juice should always be fresh squeezed to get the best out of it.

. . .

Pineapple Express

The word pineapple in English was first recorded in 1398, when it was originally used to describe the reproductive organs of pine cones. Besides being produced for consumption, it can be grown as an ornamental or houseplant, obtained from the crown of a supermarket fruit.

For a natural and tasty way to improve your health and boost your healing capacity, add fresh pineapple and pineapple juice to your diet. Pineapples are nutritionally packed members of the bromeliad family. This delightful tropical fruit is high in the enzyme bromelain and the antioxidant Vitamin C, both of which play a major role in the body's healing process.

When choosing a fresh pineapple, do not judge ripeness solely based upon color. There are several varieties on the market that range from green to golden yellow. The most important factor in determining ripeness is smell; let your nose help you decide.

Ripe pineapples give off a sweet, fresh tropical smell. Avoid pineapples that give off an unpleasant odor or have any soft spots or areas of dark discoloration.Once home, let the pineapple sit on your counter at room temperature until ready to use. This will preserve its sweet and tangy flavor.

Here is a recipe of Pineapple Juice:

Ingredients:

# 1 Whole Cleaned And Skinless Pineapple
# 2 Tbsps Sugar
# 1 Cup Of Crushed Ice (Optional Garnish)
# 1 Large Fresh Mint Sprig (Optional Garnish)
# Honey- for topping (optional)


Method:

1.  Trim the skin off of the pineapple, Cut off the head portion and sides and then proceed to remove the stem/hard core at it's center.

2. Chop the pineapple into pieces that can fit into your blender, and then turn the machine on and begin feeding each piece into it one by one. Add sugar and then blend them until smooth. No need to strain it and keep all the fiber.

3. Pure pineapple juice can be really sweet, so you may want to garnish it with a cup of crushed iced, which will dilute it's sweetness slightly.

4. Drizzle some honey on top and decorate your glass with an optional fresh mint sprig.

Pineapple juice helps uplift your mood naturally and helps the body experience pleasure.

. . .

Melon Nights

Originally from southern Africa, Watermelons are commonly used to make a variety of salads, most notably fruit salad. In Vietnamese culture, watermelon seeds are consumed during the Vietnamese New Year's holiday, Tết, as a snack. No other fruit says summer like the subtly crunchy, thirst quenching watermelon. Although watermelons can now be found in the markets throughout the year, the season for watermelon is in the summer when they are sweet and of the best quality.

It is not known when the plant was first cultivated, but evidence of its cultivation in the Nile Valley could be found from at least as early as the second millennium B.C. in the form of characteristically large seeds in Twelfth dynasty sites; numerous watermelon seeds were recovered from the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Here is a recipe for the Watermelon Juice:

Ingredients:
(Servings: 1)

# 2 cups chopped seeded watermelon
# 1 cup crushed ice
# 2 tsp honey
# 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
# fresh mint (optional garnish)

Method:

1. Combine watermelon, ice, honey, and black pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth.

2. Pour the mixture in a glass. Garnish with mint. Serve chilled.

Sweet, juicy watermelon is actually packed with some of the most important antioxidants in nature. The citrulline which exists in watermelon (especially in the rind) is a known stimulator of nitric oxide.

. . .

Lychee Time

Lychee is a a tropical fruit tree native to China and now cultivated in many parts of the world. The lychee has a history of cultivation going back as far as 2000 BC according to records in China. 

There are many stories of the fruit's use as a delicacy in the Chinese Imperial Court. In the 1st century, fresh lychees were in such demand at the Imperial Court, that a special courier service with fast horses would bring the fresh fruit. It was first described and introduced to the west in 1782.

The fresh fruit has a delicate, whitish pulp with a perfume flavour that is lost in canning, so the fruit is mostly eaten fresh. Lychees are eaten in many different dessert dishes.

Here is a recipe of the Lychee Cream Puree:



Ingredients:

# 2 tsp powdered gelatin 
# 1/3 cup milk 
# 3/4 cup sugar 
# 2 cups heavy cream 
# 40 pieces fresh lychees 



Method: 


1. Mix the gelatin powder with the milk. Bring the sugar and the heavy cream to a boil, and pour over the milk mixture. Let the mixture cool.


2. Peel of the lychees and take out the hard seeds and then crush them in a blender until smooth.


3. Add the lychee purée to the milk mixture and pour into serving cups or dishes. 


4. Places the cups in the refrigerator until they have set, 3 hours or overnight. Garnish the puree with some fresh lychees; Serve 

. . .