Fruit for thought: June Plum or Golden Apple
June Plum, or Golden Apple as it is typically known across the Caribbean, is a tropical edible fruit with a fibrous pit. Its scientific name is Spondias dulcis (syn. Spondias cytherea), which is why it’s also sometimes called cythere in some areas.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this post is not medically verified, and should not be interpreted as medical advice, or used as a substitute to medical advice.
June Plum or Golden Apple
#caribbeanrecipes #juneplum #goldenapple #fruit #sweet #drink #caribbean #vegetarian #trinidad #jamaica #montserrat #dominica #stlucia #antigua #virginislands #barbados #stKitts #nevis #grenada #guadeloupe #stmartin #tobago #anguilla #bahamas #caymanislands #stvincent #tobago #barbuda #martinique #curacao #aruba #cuba #haiti
The June Plum fruit may be eaten raw, and the flesh is crunchy and a little sour when green. When it’s fully ripe it turns yellow or golden in colour, and takes on a pineapple-mango flavour.
The fruit is made into preserves and flavorings for sauces, soups, braised and stews. It can be eaten with salt or made into a drink sweetened with sugar and spiced with ginger.
In Trinidad and Tobago, it is curried, sweetened, salted, or flavored with pepper sauce and spices. In Suriname and Guyana, the fruit is dried and made into a spicy chutney, mixed with garlic and peppers. In Thai cuisine both the fruits and the tender leaves are eaten. June Plum is also widely grown and eaten across Asian countries such as Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, in a variety of ways.
June plum has a number of health benefits. It has a high source of Vitamin C which boosts the immune system and helps with wound healing, and slows down aging. A good immune system helps the body to fight against bacteria, viruses, and diseases.
It has antibiotic properties which helps the body to fight against bacteria and infections caused by bacteria. It is also a good source of Vitamin A, and K which are good natural antioxidants. Antioxidants reduce or neutralize free radicals that may damage the eye lens which leads to vision loss, arthritis (inflammation of the joints), and damage to nerve cells in the brain, activate cancer cells.
Recent studies has shown that it can reduce hypertension (high blood pressure), due to high concentration of nutrients and minerals like vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, and calcium present along with other compounds.
June plum contains iron and traces of Vitamin B1 which are important components for the formation of red blood cells that increases the flow of oxygen around the body. This means it can help prevent anaemia
Check out our recipe for making a delicious, refreshing June Plum juice drink
