Best North American Fruits (types and products) Types
Honeycrisp are American native apples originating from the University of Minnesota. They're also the state's official fruit. The apples were bred solely for their flavor, not for easy storing, shipping, or growing. They have a balanced sweet-tart flavor, and a crisp and juicy texture.
When you bite into one, the refreshing sweetness shatters in your mouth because these apples have large cells that fracture cleanly and release the juice when bitten, which is a unique trait of Honeycrisp. It's recommended to consume the apples raw as a snack, pair them with cheese, or use them in fresh salads, just don't bake them because Honeycrisp apples are not intended for the oven.
Tangelo is an evergreen tree with dense foliage that was first cultivated in Florida and southern California in 1897 as a cross between the Mandarin orange or a tangerine and either the pomelo or the grapefruit. Nowadays, it’s cultivated in tropical and subtropical climates.
The fruit is deep orange in color, with juicy and aromatic pulp that’s subacid to sweet in flavor. When ripe, fresh tangelo is usually eaten out of hand or used in fruit salads. It can also be used to make marmalades, desserts, juices, and sauces.
Mission figs are varieties of figs that were introduced to the United States in 1768, when Franciscan missionaries cultivated it in San Diego, hence their other name, Franciscana. They're dark-skinned, which is why they're also called black Mission figs.
When fully ripe, the figs have a dark pink flesh and a pleasant honey flavor. They're also available in dried versions, when the figs are still relatively moist and sweet. The first crop is available in early summer, while the second one is available from late summer through October.
Oranges are a key part of Florida's state identity, and they have been commercially grown in Florida groves since the middle of the 19th century. It is believed that Ponce de Leon, a Spanish explorer, planted the first orange tree in St. Augustine in the 16th century.
Today, it is an industry that employs a lot of people, provides a habitat for wildlife, and creates a buffer from urban development. Florida oranges have five primary varieties: Hamlin, Pineapple, Navel, Ambersweet, and Valencia, and their season typically lasts from October through June.
Ambrosia is an apple variety originating from British Columbia, Canada, when it was discovered in the early 1990s. It's believed to be a cross between Golden Delicious and Jonagold. The apples are medium to large in size, while the skin is golden-yellow with pink and red blushes.
The flesh is light yellow in color and its texture is crisp, tender, and juicy. The flavors are sweet with low acidity and notes of honey. Available in the fall, Ambrosia apples are usually used in the preparation of cakes, muffins, pies, and tarts, but they're also often used raw, sliced thinly and added to salads or burgers.
Huckleberries are indigenous North American berries that grow wild throughout the mountainous areas of the northwestern United States and Canada. The berries vary in size and color depending on the species and may come in bright red, blue, dark purple, black, or even yellow to white color.
Often compared to their cultivated cousins, blueberries, the wild huckleberry species are part of the Vaccinium genus and Gaylussacia genus, and they are distinguished by a robust and sweet-tart flavor, thick skin, and a slightly crunchy texture coming from the seeds contained in the berries.
Antigua Black is the world's sweetest pineapple, grown primarily on the southwest coast of the island. Its sweet flavor is a result of a specific type of soil and the right amount of rainfall, allowing the sugar content to be higher than in other pineapples.
The fruit is low in fiber and acidity, its texture is crisp, the core is edible, and the flesh is characterized by its golden-yellow color.
McIntosh is an apple variety with origins in Dundela, Upper Canada in 1811, when it was discovered by John McIntosh, hence the name. Commercial production started in 1870. These apples have a vivid red color brushed with bright green blushes and often white spots.
The flavor varies depending on when the apples have been picked – those picked in early winter will be slightly sweeter than those picked in fall, which have a strong sweet and tart flavor with hints of spice. The texture of the flesh is crisp and juicy.
Eureka is a lemon variety that originates from Los Angeles, California, 1858, as a descendant of the Italian Lunario lemon. It was introduced to the public by Thomas Garey in 1877. The lemons are large and elongated, with a vibrant yellow skin and a rind that's loaded with essential oils and an intensely fragrant aroma.
The flesh is juicy with few to no seeds, while the flavors are tangy, tart, and acidic. It's recommended to use them in sweet and savory dishes such as lemon meringue pie, marmalades, dressings, and marinades. They pair well with seafood, poultry, and tea.
SweeTango is a brand of apples that's been developed in Minnesota in 2000. These apples are a hybrid of Zestar and Honeycrisp breeds, and they've been commercially sold since 2009. They are characterized by their loud crunch, and they even hold the Guinness World Record for the loudest crunch of an apple.
The flavor is intense, rich, sweet, and tangy, while the apples themselves are red in color with a yellow background.
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