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TROPICAL FRUITS

VARIETIES

92. Besides the citrus fruits, which may also be regarded as tropical
fruits because they grow in tropical regions, there are a number of
other fruits that may be conveniently grouped under the heading Tropical
Fruits. The best known of these are bananas and pineapples, but numerous
others, such as avocados, guavas, nectarines, pomegranates, tamarinds,
and mangoes, are also raised in the tropical countries and should be
included in this class. The majority of these fruits stand shipment
well, but if they are to be shipped to far distant places they must be
picked before they become too ripe and must be packed well. As bananas
and pineapples are used more extensively than the other tropical fruits,
they are discussed here in greater detail; however, enough information
is given about the others to enable the housewife to become familiar
with them.


BANANAS

93. BANANAS are a tropical fruit that have become very popular with the
people in the North. As they are usually picked and shipped green and
then ripened by a process of heating when they are ready to be put on
the market, it is possible to obtain them in a very good condition. It
should be remembered, however, that they are not ripe enough to eat
until all the green color has left the skin. The stem of the bunch may