# Please identify these fruits **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 18, 2017, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235 "2017-10-18T16:55:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/1 "2017-10-18T16:55:46Z")
[These fruits. Right here.](https://imgur.com/a/Q6PkN) Not sixty minutes ago, there came a knock on my front door. I went to put on a bathrobe, and opened it. There was nobody there, but I found a supermarket grocery bag hanging from the knob. Inside the bag I found the bag of fruits shown in the link. The bag has a fairly robust aroma, somewhat lemony, or at least citrus-y. The fruits inside range from the size of a ping pong ball to the size of a tennis ball. A _small_ tennis ball. Maybe a hacky sack. Cutting one in half, I found that the bright yellow rind is tender, thicker than one would see on a pear or a peach, but not quite as thick as a lemon, and with no noticeable pithy layer. The flesh is a pale pink, with multiple yellowish seeds. Close examination suggests that the pulp is formed in six wedge-shaped sections, like those of a tomato of a pomegranate. Can anyone tell me what this fruit is? If edible\*, how is it generally eaten? Do you cut it in half and scoop the pulp out with a spoon? I can see dicing it and turning it into a preserve, marmalade or chutney (although I can’t see _me_ doing that). TIA. \*I’m about 99% certain that it’s edible. We live in an apartment complex of about 100 units, and while we are not particularly social with any of our neighbors, neither is there any hostility, so I don’t think a prank is likely. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/2 "2017-10-18T16:57:21Z")
[Guava](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guava) ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/3 "2017-10-18T16:58:07Z")
They look kinda like persimmons. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/4 "2017-10-18T17:01:51Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > They look kinda like persimmons. Persimmons are fuzzy, aren’t they? How about [pears](https://juicing-for-health.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ya-pears.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/5 "2017-10-18T17:07:31Z")
I agree that they appear to be guava. If so, then the entire thing is edible - rind, flesh, seeds, and all. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/6 "2017-10-18T17:07:41Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > If edible\*, how is it generally eaten? Do you cut it in half and scoop the pulp out with a spoon? If it’s ripe enough you can eat the whole thing. If not, you can scoop out the flesh. Some find the seeds (which are generally swallowed with the flesh) a drawback. > [@](#): > > I can see dicing it and turning it into a preserve, marmalade or chutney (although I can’t see _me_ doing that). Guava jelly is very popular. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/7 "2017-10-18T17:09:35Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Persimmons are fuzzy, aren’t they? > > How about [pears](https://juicing-for-health.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ya-pears.jpg)? Look at the sliced cross section. Nothing like persimmons or pears. They’re unquestionably guavas. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/8 "2017-10-18T17:16:40Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Persimmons are fuzzy, aren’t they? Nope. Smooth skinned, similar to tomatoes. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/9 "2017-10-18T17:20:08Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Guava jelly is very popular. Yes, some people rub it on their belly. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/10 "2017-10-18T17:22:45Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > If it’s ripe enough you can eat the whole thing. If not, you can scoop out the flesh. Some find the seeds (which are generally swallowed with the flesh) a drawback. “Drawback” is a good word for it. I just tried scooping a bit out with a spoon. It tastes pretty good, but there sure are a lot of seeds. Can I wash and roast these, like sesame seeds? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/11 "2017-10-18T17:29:09Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Guava jelly is very popular. We’re kinda partial to [Guava Jam](https://www.amazon.com/Guava-Jam-Sunday-Manoa/dp/B001KQB6LU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1508347471&sr=8-1&keywords=guava+jam+sunday+manoa) around _chez_ **99**. Huh. Just noticed that album cover shows a guava fruit. I guess somebody gave us a bag of guavas. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/12 "2017-10-18T17:30:40Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > “Drawback” is a good word for it. I just tried scooping a bit out with a spoon. It tastes pretty good, but there sure are a lot of seeds. > > Can I wash and roast these, like sesame seeds? I’ve never heard of that. I’m not a big fan of guava exactly because of the seeds. I think most people who eat guava regularly just swallow them. ---
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/13 "2017-10-18T17:32:41Z")
Sorry, but I have to ask: Is it normal for you to eat food that appears at your door? Do you have even a remote idea of who put it there or why? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/14 "2017-10-18T17:50:04Z")
> [@jerez](#): > > Sorry, but I have to ask: Is it normal for you to eat food that appears at your door? Do you have even a remote idea of who put it there or why? That thought struck me, too. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/15 "2017-10-18T18:04:34Z")
> [@jerez](#): > > Sorry, but I have to ask: Is it normal for you to eat food that appears at your door? Do you have even a remote idea of who put it there or why? > [@carnivorousplant](#): > > That thought struck me, too. I have a _remote_ idea, not of _who_, but of _why_. One of the dwellers in my complex has a guava tree in their backyard; it produced a crop of fruits which exceeded their capacity to store/consume. Not wanting to either let them rot on the ground or to throw them in the dumpster, they bagged them and brought them around as a gift. The fact that they knocked on the door suggests that they wished to present them personally, rather than leave them as a prank. The fact that they were no longer at the door when I opened it suggests that they didn’t have unlimited time to wait for me to answer. As for the first part of the question, it isn’t exactly NORMAL for me to FIND food appearing at my door. I’m familiar enough with the concept of home-grown produce yielding far more than the grower can handle that the appearance of these on my door didn’t strike me as particularly odd. ---
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/16 "2017-10-18T18:10:20Z")
Ah, thanks for the explanation; it was just curiosity. Sounds about right. Enjoy! > [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **carnivorousplant** > _That thought struck me, too._ Username/post 🙂 I thought you guys didn’t care. ---
**Author:** ![pudytat72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@pudytat72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pudytat72)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/17 "2017-10-18T19:21:38Z")
I bought some guavas the other day. I had heard about guava jelly, but had never tasted the jelly or the fruit. I was not happy with the seed quantity and the risk of getting those seeds stuck in the diverticuli in my intestines. So I put 2 guava, cut up but unpeeled, in my small blender with some pineapple juice (didn’t occur to me until now why I didn’t just use water) and let it run. Then I poured the liquid through a wire mesh strainer and threw away the seeds. Tasty drink ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/18 "2017-10-18T19:56:21Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > As for the first part of the question, it isn’t exactly NORMAL for me to FIND food appearing at my door. I’m familiar enough with the concept of home-grown produce yielding far more than the grower can handle that the appearance of these on my door didn’t strike me as particularly odd. Mama Plant used to distribute around her neighborhood fig preserves made from the fruit of her tree… ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/19 "2017-10-18T20:56:16Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Mama Plant used to distribute around her neighborhood fig preserves made from the fruit of her tree… Carnivorous figs? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2017, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-identify-these-fruits/799235/20 "2017-10-18T21:20:42Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Carnivorous figs? A green tree frog survived hanging out on the window next to the tree; probably not carnivorous figs.