I am always on the look out for any kind of edible fruit. This season I came across these tiny little citrus fruits known as “calamansi”.

Calamansi are like a good mixture of orange and lime. A little sweet but mostly sour. Just like kumquats, their skin is edible and not bitter at all.

These tiny fruits are much smaller than Key limes. Despite their size, they pack a very sour punch! And the skin is the most fragrant citrus peel I’ve ever come across.

Calamansi are native to Asia and very popular in The Philippines. Many of the calamansi juice we have here in the U.S. were processed in the Philippines.

Calamansi (or kalamansi) are also known by various names, such as limonsito, calamandarin, calamondin.

The Philippines Department of Science and Technology had these interesting uses for calamansi:

“The fruit juice is also applied to the scalp after shampooing to eliminate itching and promote hair growth.

Rubbing calamansi juice on insect bites banishes itching and irritation.

It bleaches freckles and helps to clear up acne.

The most popular medicinal use of calamansi is when taken orally as a cough remedy.

Aside from the food and medicinal uses of calamansi, the fruit juice is used to bleach ink stains from fabrics and serve as a body deodorant. ”

Wow! I think this will become my new favorite citrus. So far I’ve only used it for making herbal tea. Just squeeze 1 small fruit, along with the skin & pulp into a glass of hot water. Mix with a few drops of honey. It makes a warm and refreshing winter tea.

A recent study by the The Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry noted six scents that helps soothe away stress.

The scents include lavender, lemon, orange, grape, mango, and basil.  Each of these fruits and herbs contain linalool, which is a chemical that appeared to offset the effects of stress. Linalool provides a calming effect on the limbic center of the brain, which is involved in processing emotions.

I’m surprise peppermint didn’t make it on the list. Peppermint is great at relieving headaches and also very uplifting. I always feel more relaxed and calm after being around peppermint.

The scent of any fruit makes me happy. Especially guava, but mangoes come out second. There is actually a tree that grows in my mom’s yard with leaves that smell very much like green mango. The young leaves are edible and taste just like tangy green mango! I don’t know the name of it, but will have to take a picture of it when spring arrives.

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Pomelos (sometimes refer to as pummelos) must in season this time of year, just like many other citrus fruits such as mandarins and tangerines. It’s a nice treat to find such bright orange and yellow fruits in the drab of winter. Plus the extra Vitamin C is good to have around to stay healthy.

Pomelos can easily be found at many Asian grocery stores, usually priced at $3 each.  The Chinese like to have pomelos around for their new year celebration.  It symbolizes abundance and prosperity.  Must be due to the size of this fruit!

I thought I had seen my share of giant pomelo, until I came across this one shaped like a bowling pin.

According to Purdue University horticulture department, there are many different cultivars of pomelo grown in Thailand. This one is call “Kao Phuang or Khao Phoang” meaning ‘White tassel’. This may be the only commercial cultivar of Thailand that is in great demand. As large amounts are usually exported to Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. Although many are also grown in Indio, California.

The pummelo is native to southeastern Asia and all of Malaysia; grows wild on river banks in the Fiji and Friendly Islands. It may have been introduced into China around 100 B.C. It is much cultivated in southern China (Kwang-tung, Kwangsi and Fukien Provinces) and especially in southern Thailand on the banks to the Tha Chine River; also in Taiwan and southernmost Japan, southern India, Malaya, Indonesia, New Guinea and Tahiti. - Julia F. Morton, Purdue University

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Since I’m on the topic of grapes this week, I went out and got a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and Concord grape juice too.

I may not be able to finish the wine since I’m not a big fan of it.  Yet I do love vineyards!

So I will probably use the wine to make Sangria and also the rest to make “Wine soap”. I also found two soap companies that inspired me to make wine soap. They are the Napa Soap Company and the Grapeseed Company from Santa Barbara. And both of these places mention there may be some botanical benefits to adding wine to soap.

Pretty bar of soap from Napa Soap.  6 oz for $7.95 each.  “Cabernet Soapignon”

Here is a list of their ingredients:

“intoxicating blend of grapeseed, olive, coconut, palm & sweet almond oils, cocoa butter and a healthy dose of Napa Valley red wine. The delightful combination of ingredients and the fruity scent, makes this a Napa Valley favorite!”

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Pomegranates are amongst one of the most popular superfruits. These superfruits are classified as fruits with very high antioxidant levels. They include blueberries, Acai berries, and goji berries. I remember years ago not many people heard of this fruit, let alone knew how to eat them. One summer I bought a huge pomegranate for my friend as a treat and she didn’t know how to eat it. The fruit ended up being part of her home decor.

Now you can find just the seeds (packaged in plastic containers) at the super market. It is commonly used in salads. The fruit itself consist of many small seeds. The colors range from white to deep red, and are called arils. I have found that the deeper the color, the more tangy the seeds. The ones my mom grows in her garden are very sweet. The skin is light red and the seeds are almost white to pink. It gets even sweeter when it ripes and the skin starts to crack a bit.

Just like the loquat fruit I mentioned earlier, the leaves of the pomegranate can also be used to make tea. The pomegranate leaf is narrow and glossy. You can use fresh leaves to make tea as well. Drinking tea made from the leaves also help with stomach disorder and digestive problems. A study came out in 2007 and was published in the International Journal of Obesity suggesting that the leaves of the pomegranate may also be a novel appetite suppressant. The same can be said for green tea as well. But you may have to drink at least 3 cups per day to get all the benefit of the tea.

This photo is taken from Mighty Leaf Tea of “Acai Pomegranate Black Tea” $9 for 4 oz. I think it’s very pricey, but it is premium whole leaf tea. Which many claim to have a fuller and better tasting cup of tea. I have yet to tell the difference!

“Made with black tea and superfruit Acai, this fruity and decaffeinated black tea blend combines antioxidant-rich pomegranate and Brazilian Açai (ah-sigh-ee) berries with rich black tea leaves. The tart notes of pomegranate are balanced by the slightly blueberry and chocolate notes of açai for a rejuvenating infusion. Açai berries, hailing from Brazil are known for possessing more antioxidants than pomegranates or blueberries and are also rich in omega fats.” - Mighty Leaf Tea Read the rest of this entry »