New and unusual

New and unusual

Fresh produce shelves across the country are brimming with an array of fruit and vegetable hybrids, offering improved flavour, convenience, nutrition and that all important novelty appeal.

Most of the fruit we consume nowadays has long outlived its initial classification as 'exotic'. But recently a new generation has arrived on the scene.
A classic example is the brown hairy kiwifruit from New Zealand that rocketed in popularity in the seventies - although the edible emerald green, black seeded flesh had been a favourite among chefs as a garnish many years before. In the last decade it has been joined by a softer, golden, hairless variety, and in the last few months we have seen the arrival of a red fleshed kind from China, where the parent fruit originated.

The desire to be different has led to the introduction of entirely new products in their own right. Probably the best example in the vegetable industry is the arrival of trademark registered Tenderstem broccoli. And there are now numerous stone fruit crosses creating commercially grown variants such as pluots, a combination of plum and apricot.

Some idea of the scale of change can be illustrated by recent events in the tomato sector. The first tasting competition for tomatoes held by the British Tomato Growers' Association at the National Fruit Show recently, attracted around 40 different varieties of plum, cherry, beefsteak, on the vine and salad tomatoes. The winner was a baby plum newcomer grown by Wight Salads called Bon Bon, which had been hastily named as it was still in the trial stage.

Kieran Devine, responsible for new product development at Wight Salads, says this one nursery alone tests as many as 250 potential new types every year.
Many of course never make the grade, but the initial success of some stand out, often due to their novelty value. For example Marks & Spencer has introduced the striking tiger tomato with its red and green stripes and the sweet tasting, heart-shaped strawmato, while Sainsbury's has trialled the black skinned kumato.

Colour plays a big part in creating the novelty appeal and we've seen everything from purple carrots to red bananas. In the run up to Halloween this year, black was definitely the 'in' colour, especially at Waitrose. This trend led to the
rediscovery of a giant culinary pear called Black Worcester which, despite being able to trace its history back at least 300 years and could even have been scion from Roman times, is still available in limited quantities from Kent grower Clive Baxter.

On the same tack, there has been the arrival of Cavolo Negro, a black cabbage which originated in Italy, and is now being grown in East Anglia by Marshalls. "The key that opened the door was the ability of the variety to adapt to specific conditions, namely a combination of weather, soil types, disease resistance as well as initially fitting into a niche market," explains joint managing director Nigel Clare, whose company unveiled a new sweet red pointed cabbage earlier in the year that can be eaten raw as well as cooked.

This improved hybrid, the result of trials with a Dutch breeder that have lasted for more than five years, has the added advantage of not bleeding when cut and also keeps its colour when cooked.

Building on this 'new and improved' approach to fruit and vegetables, growers have succeeded in creating seedless, mini watermelons. Known as Solinda, the melons weigh around 2kg-3kg and offer great portion control and are said to have sweet, crunchy and juicy flesh.

To tackle oxidisation, which is responsible for turning fresh apples brown when cut, a new variety called Greenstar is being grown exclusively by Adrian Scripps in Kent. The apple, which is a Granny Smith cross, first came to chairman Richard Scripps' attention some five years ago on a visit to Belgium and this year his orchards in Kent will produce nearly 1,000 tonnes. It is not regarded as a winter substitute to Granny Smith however because of its own attributes.

"Sugar levels are good, particularly after storage and it has an excellent retail shelf life," explains managing director James Simpson. "But what will really appeal to the foodservice industry is that after cutting, the flesh remains white due to the high levels of vitamin C."

Potato revival

Recently, there has also been a resurgence in traditional and heritage varieties, especially when it comes to potatoes.

Shetland Blacks for example were discovered in 1923. The kidney shaped tuber has an inky blue/black skin while the flesh is yellow with a unique purple internal ring. When cooked it has a very fluffy, floury texture, with an exceptionally sweet, buttery flavour. It can be used in salads or served simply with butter, however it has to be handled very carefully due to its floury consistency. It can also be mashed with the purple ring adding a blue/grey tinge to the mash.

Forty Fold is one of the oldest varieties of potato still in existence, originally from Lancashire and mentioned in Victorian literature for its high yields. It has irregularly shaped tubers with deep eyes, vivid purple skin splashed with white, creamy flesh.

Highland Burgundy Red is said to have been served at a special dinner at the Savoy in 1936 in honour of the Duke of Burgundy. The tubers have a bright red skin, which tends to russet when mature, and a spectacular burgundy red central flesh colour with a narrow band of white on the outer edge. The flesh retains most of its colour when cooked and has a lovely floury texture and mild, often slightly sweet flavour. The colour is due to the presence of anthocyanin pigments similar to those found in raspberries and other fruit.

Salad Blue is another reintroduction and was possibly a Victorian kitchen garden novelty with links to the Lost Gardens of Heligan. It has a vibrant blue skin with a similar flesh colour, which is retained during cooking. The cooked texture is very floury and can be used to make excellent novelty blue chips, crisps and mash.

Convenient creations

Further expanding the already diverse salad leaf category, Bedfordshire Growers has developed a multi coloured leaf lettuce called Crest, which it says reduces preparation time for a mixed salad. Another target of the company is to find a leaf sturdy enough to wrap around food to be used as an alternative to prepared tortilla wraps - something which is making an appearance on US retail shelves.

Convenience has also played a part in the development of mini squashes by breeder Tozer Seeds. These squashes contain far higher sugar readings than normal and the grower says their size will appeal to the foodservice sector. "Ideal for growers developing contacts with the foodservice industry, these squashes can be microwaved or cooked as single portions," explains technical manager Jim Juby.

Perhaps one of the most exciting areas of development in this increasingly health conscious era is the vitamin enhanced varieties.
For example, carrots are now available in the US with 40% more beta carotene, and in New Zealand work is already underway on apples that have a high level of phlorizin, known to be beneficial in the control of blood sugars.

Text David Shapley, Kirsty Davis Photography Marks & Spencer, Bedfordshire Growers