Fruits & Veggies
A:
Oranges are ripe when the fruit feels firm and heavy for its size. Skin color is not a sign of ripeness in oranges. Oranges grown in the summer or in very warm climates still have green patches when they are ripe.
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Q: What Are Some of the Benefits of Red Onions?
A: Eating red onions may help reduce risk of stroke, heart disease and a variety of cancers, including prostate, colorectal and stomach cancers, according to HealWithFood.org and SFGate. For maximum health benefits, retain as much of the fleshy, edible portion of the onion as possible when removing the onion's outermost layer. -
Q: Where Do Strawberries Come From?
A: Strawberries are native to North America and Europe, having grown wild in both areas for centuries. Related to roses, they grow on thin stems, in clusters of leaves, fruit and flowers. The plants also produce runners, which causes the plants to spread. -
Q: Where Do Peaches Grow?
A: The majority of peaches grown in the United States come from California, although peaches are grown elsewhere, including Georgia, South Carolina, Washington, Pennsylvania, Louisiana and New Jersey. Peach trees require soil that is moderately fertile and well-drained as well as plenty of sunlight. -
Q: How Do Bananas Reproduce?
A: Bananas reproduce asexually and multiply via small bulbs that grow out of the plant's rhizome underground called the corm. These small bulbs growing out of the rhizomes are also called suckers and they grow to become bananas. -
Q: How Many Different Types of Vegetables Are There?
A: There are different categories of vegetables, such as bud, bulb, flowers, leafy, root, stem, tuber, vegetable fruit and vegetable seed. Vegetables are a recommended part of a person's daily dietary intake, and the amount depends on a person's gender, age and level of physical activity. For example, a 25-year-old man who is physically active for 30 to 60 minutes per day should have at least 3.5 cups of vegetables. -
Q: What Are the Differences Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams?
A: Sweet potatoes, which are root vegetables, and yams, which are tubers, are two types of herbaceous perennial vines that come from two different plant families native to different locations. Sweet potatoes and yams differ in size, taste, texture and nutritional content. -
Q: Does Avocado Contain Protein?
A: Avocado contains protein in various amounts, depending on the variety of avocado considered. Data from USDA's SuperTracker program indicates that one cup of mashed or pureed avocado contains 5 grams of protein. Apart from protein, avocado also contains carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals such as potassium, calcium and phosphorous. -
Q: What Is the Main Difference Between Red and Green New Mexico Chili Peppers?
A: The main difference between red and green New Mexico chili peppers is the time they are allowed to grow before they are harvested. They both start out green, and those that are not harvested while green turn red as they ripen. The red ones are sometimes roasted but more often ground into chili powder. -
Q: What Is the Difference Between Chives and Scallions?
A: Scallions are a larger species of bunching onions, while chives are a smaller type of onion. They are very similar and are often used in soups, baked potatoes and egg dishes. -
Q: Where Does Pineapple Come From?
A: Pineapples originated in South America in the region of Paraguay and southern Brazil. By the time Columbus discovered the Americas, the fruit had spread northward into Central America. By 1720, pineapples were being grown in greenhouses in Europe. -
Q: Where Do Cherries Grow?
A: Cherries grow on trees in most temperate climates, such as North America, Canada's British Colombia, Australia, New Zealand, southern Europe, and the United Kingdom. In North America and southern Europe, they ripen in June, in the U.K. and British Colombia they ripen in July to August, and in New Zealand and Australia, they ripen in December. -
Q: Why Are Raspberries Hairy?
A: The tiny hairs on raspberries are called pistils, and it is these pistils that help turn the berries into an edible fruit. Raspberries are actually clusters of aggregate fruit, meaning one fruit grows onto a single pistil. Each berry is the result of pollinated white flowers that contain numerous hair-like pistils. After the berries mature, the visible hairs are what remain of the original pistils. -
Q: What Is Maize?
A: Maize is corn. Although maize is the name of the many types of a tall grass called zea mays, North Americans know it as the sweet corn grown as food. -
Q: What Percentage of an Apple Is Water?
A: The water content in a medium-sized apple is 84 percent, according to WebMD. Fruits with higher levels include watermelon, which has a 92 percent water content. -
Q: What Are the Health Benefits of Beets?
A: Beets have many health benefits; they are high in vitamins and minerals like the B vitamin folate, manganese, potassium and copper. They're also high in dietary fiber. Beets contain healthy amounts of magnesium, phosphorous, vitamin C, iron and vitamin B6. -
Q: What Are Some Names of Gourds?
A: Types of gourds include banana, canteen, basketball, cannonball, kettle and sennari gourds. Other types of gourds include bushel, bottle, penguin, egg, Italian snake, dipper, speckled swan and maranka gourds. A gourd is defined as a fleshy fruit with hard skin that comes from a calabash tree. A majority of gourds are inedible. -
Q: Where Does Dragon Fruit Come From?
A: Dragon fruit, otherwise known as pitaya, are native to Mexico. The plant is now cultivated in locales as diverse as Cambodia, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Indonesia and Bangladesh. -
Q: How Do You Ripen Strawberries?
A: Unfortunately, once strawberries are picked off the vine, they will not ripen further. When picking strawberries, it is important to choose ones that are red in color, since these will be the most ripe. Similarly, try not to pick berries that are too big because they may have less flavor. -
Q: What Are Examples of Root Vegetables?
A: The most commonly consumed root vegetables include carrots, beets, garlic, turnips, potatoes, rutabaga, onions and sweet potatoes. Called root vegetables because the part of the plant being eaten is actually the plant's root, these are nutritional powerhouses that pack in vitamins and minerals. The starchy tubers and taproots of plants, root vegetables can be prepared in countless ways to complete a meal. -
Q: Where Do Yams Come From?
A: Yams are native plants of Africa and Asia and belong to the Dioscoreaceae family of roots and tubers. There are more than 600 varieties of yams, and 95 percent of them grow in Africa. These starchy vegetables are often confused with sweet potatoes in the United States. -
Q: What Happens If You Eat Too Many Blueberries?
A: Researchers at Kansas State University have found that eating too many antioxidant-rich foods, such as blueberries, causes stress on the body. Antioxidants are usually beneficial because they stabilize free radicals, which help cells age.