This citrus fruit is the smallest of the tangerines. The skin of clementines can be peeled away easily and the segments don’t contain pips, which makes them a lot less messy to eat than some other varieties. Citrus fruits are a good source of vitamin C.
Cherries grow from stalks in pairs and a tree can produce fruit for as long as 100 years! Sweet varieties such as the Bing cherry are nicest on their own or in a fruit salad. Sour cherries like Morello are tastier cooked.
Butternut squash is a large and pear-shaped fruit with a golden-brown to yellow skin. Because it contains seeds, it is actually a fruit rather than a vegetable. Once peeled and cooked, the flesh is soft and sweet. It can be roasted, pureed, mashed or used in soups or casseroles. It’s a good source of beta-carotene, which is turned into vitamin A in the body. Beta-carotene gives the flesh its bright orange colour. Bulk up a spaghetti bolognese by adding some butternut squash.
A great snack in a handy yellow skin! Bananas are a good source of energy and contain lots of vitamins and minerals, especially potassium, which is important for the health of cells, nerves and muscles, and helps to lower blood pressure. Bananas grow in hanging clusters, sometimes called hands, in tropical regions. You can eat them raw, baked, dried or in a smoothie. Or try mashed banana on wholegrain toast – it’s delicious!
Apricots can be eaten fresh or dried – both are packed with vitamins. Fresh apricots have a soft and slightly furry skin. They are high in beta-carotene, which keeps our eyes and skin healthy.
