Fall not only brings forth bright colors in the leaves, but also brings forth bright colored fruits. Bright, tasty and healthy fruits that I for one neglect. Eating foods during their peak season allows the nutritional values to be at their highest peak. Five fruits that peak in the fall are apples, cranberries, kumquats, persimmons, and starfruit.

1. I have never eaten a STARFRUIT. Starfruit is a bright yellow, waxy and a fall fruit. It is shaped like a 5 point star. The whole fruit is edible including the seed. This fruit is not a native of America. However, it is being grown in Florida. This cute little fruit is full of nutrients and health benefits. Helping lower cholesterol and helping fight infections such as staph and e-coli are health benefits this fruit offers. There are actually two varieties; one sweet and one tart. Both of these varieties have vitamin C, potassium and are high in fiber. I plan on trying starfruit before its peak season passes.

2. PERSIMMON is a fruit that brings childhood memories to my mind. I grew up in the country. My dad was a hunter of most wildlife. He would go possum hunting at night. On an occasion or two I went along with him. He would always go to a persimmon tree because he said possums liked persimmons. The two things I remember about the fruit’s taste itself was that if you got one that was not ripe it was very bitter, and if you got a soft ripe one it was very sweet. My dad would carefully slice the persimmon in half from top to bottom so that he could find and show me the seeds. The seeds of the persimmon are very unique. Persimmon seeds are shaped perfectly like eating utensils. You will find 2 utensils in each piece of fruit. You will find a combination of a spoon, fork or knife. I hope you will have an opportunity to show your children. They will love it. This small orange colored fruit gives your immune system a boost. Since it is a fall fruit it gives you a boost just in time to fight off those winter colds.

3. I really enjoy the not so sweet taste of the CRANBERRY. What would Thanksgiving be without cranberry relish or cranberry sauce. The tiny cranberry can fight against cancer, aging and inflammation. The cranberry is loaded with antioxidants, especially October thru December when cranberries are at their peak. Please keep in mind juices and sugared versions will not offer the health benefits of fresh or dried fruit.

4. APPLES are probably the most popular fall fruit. There are over 7500 varieties of this fruit. They offer a healthy dose of vitamin C. They are rich in antioxidants, fiber and B-complex.

5. KUMQUAT is another fruit I have to confess I have never tried. A kumquat is a citrus fruit and looks like a small oval shaped orange. Eating the peel and the tangy fruit gives you a vitamin-C, vitamin-A and fiber. This is another fall fruit I am going to try this fall season.

All fruits and vegetables have their own season. I seem to have forgotten to take advantage of all the fall fruits and their benefits. I hope this encourages everyone to add these 5 fall fruits to your diet. Remember the most nutritional value is found in a fresh organically grown piece of fruit. Follow the link below for more information on these fruits.

http://www.naturalnews.com/037712_fall_fruits_cranberries_health_benefits.html