Many of you might have seen and tasted the sweetness of pineapple – a large juicy fruit consisting of edible flesh in yellow color surrounded by a tough as well as segmented skin and also topped with a tuft of leaves.
The fruit, said to have been first grown in South America in the ancient past, is now grown all over the world, especially in the tropical areas. The fruit is available throughout the year in many places, but the months of June and July seem to be the peak season for this sweet fruit. Ironically, most of this fruit is available in either frozen form or in dried form. The majority of this fruit is primarily reserved for delicious preparations in canned varieties such as juices, fresh fruit and / or other forms of canned delicacies.
What makes pineapple so special among other fruits? Well. It is nothing but the unique flavor that is both sweet and also tangy at the same time. The utility value of pineapple also catches the eye of the people. Pineapple would be an ideal fruit in a plate of fruit salads. Pineapples can also be cooked, grilled and / or baked with any type of meat such as ham, poultry and sea-foods.
Pineapple is a good source for a number of vitamins and minerals including Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, thiamine, iron and manganese. According to nutrition experts, a cup containing chunks of a fresh pineapple provides as much as 75 calories, 25 milligrams of Vitamin C, 0.17 milligrams of thiamines, 16 micrograms of folate, 0.15 milligrams of Vitamin B6, 0.6 milligrams of iron and 2.6 milligrams of manganese.
The interesting feature of pineapples is that canning the fruit does not alter the content of Vitamin C in the fruit. A cup of pineapple juice retains 25 milligrams of Vitamin C, same as the fresh fruit offers, but a cup of heavy syrup made of pineapples offers about 20 milligrams of Vitamin C. It has been found that the calorie content nearly doubles in the case of a normal syrup containing pineapple chunks to about 150 calories and more than doubles in the case of heavy syrup to as much as 200 calories.
Pineapple contains a number of healing properties. It has been found that an enzyme called bromelain is present in the fruit which helps in dissolving proteins. The anti-inflammatory enzyme, Bromelain, has been discovered to be effective in reducing the risk of blood clots in the body , thus reducing to a great extent the risk of heart attack and / or stroke. Research reveals that pineapple also contains ferulic acid, that helps in preventing the formation of substances that can cause cancer.
One should exercise caution while purchasing this fruit from the market. You should ensure that the fruit has a fragrant odor and also has flesh that is either yellow or white in color. Also ensure that there are no brown patches in the skin of the fruit as it indicates spoilage.