LITTLE REGARDED WILD FRUITS 



glove or speared upon a fork, lay it upon a clean 

 board, and holding it down slice off each end; then 

 ^Bke a longitudinal cut through the rind from end 

 to end; lay open both flaps of the rind, which may 

 then be pressed back, separating along natural lines 

 from the pulp. If the gathered fruit is first placed 

 in water and stirred well, the spicules are to a con- 

 siderable extent washed off. (See illustration, page 

 174.) 



Eaten raw, tunas of the better sort are refresh- 

 ing and agreeable to most people, though the bony 

 seeds are an annoyance unless one swallows them 

 whole, after the Mexican fashion. The taste differs 

 somewhat with the species, those that I have eaten 

 possessing a flavor suggesting watermelon. The 

 sugar content is considerable, and a very good syrup 

 may be obtained by boiling the peeled fruits until 

 soft enough to strain out the seeds ; after which the 

 juice may be boiled down further. No sugar need 

 be added, unless a very sweet syrup is needed. Care 

 should be exercised to select fruit that is really ripe ; 

 in some sorts maturity is slow to follow coloration. 

 After all, though, it is Mexico where tuna raising and 

 consumption have become an art, and the tuna 

 market is an interesting feature in many Mexican 

 towns. During the time of the harvest whole 



109 



