Showing posts with label Fruits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fruits. Show all posts

06 January 2016

GRAPES FARM - 葡萄园

We visited the grape farm in Turpan and was treated to a feast of fresh fruits of water melon and honey dew.  They were sweet and juicy.


Entertainment of lovely dance performance by Uighur lass

Farmer introduced the variety of grapes he grows and the procession of dried raisins


Fresh grapes are processed into sun dried raisins.  At the end of the visit, there were raisins for sale. The price was higher than in the market. 

19 July 2014

APPLE BLUEBERRY JAM

What better way to turn old fruits into jam - apples with blueberries and some lemon juice 





Jam with lots of apple pulps


Thick gooey jam to spread onto light cake

03 April 2014

YANG MEI(杨梅)

Yumberry (杨梅) is also known as the Chinese bayberry, waxberry or Chinese strawberry. The outside of the fruit is completely bumpy, but it has the consistency of a seedless strawberry.





It is sweet and sourish tastes, which we dip it in salt before eating to cut out the tartness.  It is not cheap and you are luck if you manage to get your hands on some in Singapore, as the season only lasts one or two months from June to July.

05 January 2014

SALAD & SEAFOOD

A big bowl of mussels bathed in white wine, butter and garlic?  No, not with butter but olive oil.   It's both easy and quick for festive season.  

The "beard" is the fibrous hairy thing hanging from one side of the tasty bivalve. Pull it off with a side-to-side motion. soak the mussels in cold water and change every 20 minutes till ready to cook. This lets the bivalves expel any grit.  Finally, scrub them under the tap.


Fry garlic and fresh red chillies in olive oil till fragrant.  Add in mussels and give a quick stir.  Pour in white wine and seasonings.  Cover cook for 5 mins over high heat.




This watermelon salad is cool and refreshing, combining fresh mint, pickled artichokes and crumbled feta cheese in lime juice.  This salad is light and sweet, with a perfect balance between fruit and vegetables.

07 December 2013

AIYU

Aiyu Jelly or simply 愛玉, known as ice jelly in Singapore.  It is a jelly made from the seeds of the figs found in Taiwan and East Asian countries.  We were told from young that the jelly is made from banana but found out was not true.


Fruits of the plant resemble large fig fruits the size of small mangoes and are harvested from September through January just before the fruit ripens to a dark purple.  The fruits are then halved and turned inside out to dry over the course of several days.  The dry fruits can be sold as is, or as dried aiyu seeds (愛玉子, pinyin: aiyu zi) which are then be pulled off the skin and sold separately.


We bought many packets from Taiwan in the form of dried seeds.  1 bag can make numerous bowls of aiyu jelly.  Some places sold aiyu seeds sticked to the fruit skin.

The aiyu seeds are placed in a cheese cloth



The bag and its contents are submerged in cold water and rubbed.  A slimy gel will be extracted from the bag of aiyu seeds as it is squeezed and massaged.  This is known as "washing aiyu" (洗愛玉).  After several minutes of massaging and washing, no more of the yellowish tea-coloured gel will be extracted, and the contents of the bag are discarded.


The washed gel is then allowed to set into a jelly either in a cool location or in the refrigerator.

17 August 2013

POACH PEARS

Bought some European pears during marketing and used 2 to poach



Prepare syrup by heating sliced sugar candy, ginger, cinnamon stick and water till sugar melted



Slice pears and boil in sugar syrup till soft.  As these European pears are hard they need to boil longer

Boil till pear slices are soft and caramelized.  Put pear slices into a glass bottle


Pour syrup onto pears and bottle up

When cold tighten lid and refrigerate till use

07 July 2013

TAIWAN FRUITS

Taiwan is known as fruits paradise.  Everywhere there are fruits and fruit juice stalls on the street.  The best is they juiced right on the spot and cost less than a dollar for a tall cup.

Big and sweet custard apples



Juicy green oranges






21 December 2012

APPLE CRUMBLE

With some balance of cooked apples I baked apple crumble

125g sugar, 100g plain flour, 60g butter, 1 tbsp cinnamon powder and almond slivers :
Mix sugar, cinnamon and flour. Knead in cold butter and almonds till mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Sprinkle mixture on top of apple fillings in ramekin.  Bake in 150C till fruits bubble and mixture is brown.