Fruits Tips

So do you know how to prepare fresh fruits and vegetables? Did you know that you should wash a cantaloupe before you slice it? Or that there are two kinds of peaches, and only one kind you should buy to serve fresh? This list of some popular fruits and vegetables will give you tips about buying, storing, and preparing them so you can easily add them to your daily diet.

* APPLES
Apples should be firm and heavy for their size, with no soft or brown spots or indentations. Wash them well and just eat out of hand. To core them, cut in half, then in quarters, and using a knife make a circular cut around the seeds and seed casings. Make sure you get those little transparent seed casings out, because if you're cooking the apples in a pie or other recipe, the casings won't soften much and are unpleasant to bite.

* APRICOTS
Cut in half and remove the pit. Apricots may be eaten skin and all. To peel, blanch for 10-20 seconds in boiling water and plunge immediately into cold water. The peel will slip right off.

* AVOCADO
Yes, avocado is a fruit! This is the way I prepare them. Wash, then cut in half lengthwise, going around the pit. Twist the two halves gently to separate. Some people then hit the pit with a knife to remove it, but I like to cut the avocado in half lengthwise again and gently pry out the pit. I find the fruit bruises less this way. Then just pull off the skin with your fingers and slice. Sprinkle with lemon juice if you aren't serving it immediately to stop enzymatic browning.

* BERRIES
Blackberries, raspberries, boysenberries, gooseberries, and loganberries are all extremely perishable. Use them the day you buy them for best quality. Wash them very gently in cool water, sort them and place them on paper towels to drain. Use right away after they have been washed.

* BLUEBERRIES
Blueberries are not as perishable. They are usually sold in 1 pint containers. Sort them carefully and make sure to pull off any attached stems. Wash and dry on paper towels, then eat or use in recipes.

* CANTALOUPE
To check for ripeness, gently press against the vine end of the melon (larger indentation). The melon should give gently, and should smell sweet. Make sure to wash the cantaloupe before you cut it, to prevent food poisoning from spreading with the knife. Gently scoop out seeds with a spoon and cut the fruit into wedges or use a melon baller.

* CHERRIES
I feel that a cherry pitter is a wonderful tool. Be sure to pit the cherries over a bowl so you can make hear the pit click into the bowl and be sure that each cherry is successfully pitted. Look for heavy, firm cherries with a tight skin.

* GRAPES
Be sure to wash grapes very thoroughly before using. Look for bunches with the grapes held tightly to the stems. Make sure to buy seedless varieties and store covered in the refrigerator.

* HONEYDEW MELON
The melons should be heavy for their size and give slightly when pressed with your fingers. They should also smell sweet and, well, like honey. Wash them well before slicing and gently scoop out the seeds.

* KIWI FRUIT
Kiwis taste like a combination of strawberries and melon and are a delicious source of Vitamin C. The black seeds are edible. Peel the skin and slice to serve.

* LEMONS AND LIMES
Lemons should feel heavy for their size. To get the most juice, gently roll them on the countertop to break down the cell structure. Or you can prick them with a knife and microwave them for 30 seconds on high, then juice.

* MANGOES
This luscious fruit tastes like a wild peach. They should smell sweet and be soft when pressed with the fingers, but not wrinkled. Color isn't a reliable indicator of ripeness. To prepare mangoes, hold them upright and cut down along one of the fat sides, curving your knife to avoid the large oval pit. Repeat on the other side. Then score the flesh with a knife in a crisscross pattern. Gently press the scored halves to turn inside out and cut off the chunks of fruit from the peel. Trim the rest of the fruit off the pit, peel, and use in the recipes.

* PAPAYAS
The large black papaya seeds are edible, although I've never really enjoyed the peppery taste. Simply test the fruit to make sure it gives slightly with pressure from your palm, then wash, peel, scoop out the seeds, and slice.

* PASSION FRUIT
These strange looking exotic fruits are delicious. A wrinkled skin is a sign of ripeness. Just wash them, cut them in half and scoop out the soft, sweet flesh with a spoon.

* PEACHES
Ripe peaches are a wonderful treat. They should be firm, yellow with a red or pink blush, smell sweet, and give slightly to palm pressure. Unless you are canning them, be sure to select freestone peaches, not cling. I bought a case of cling peaches once and was driven to tears trying to remove the pit, or stone. Peaches can be blanched for 30 seconds in boiling water, then plunged into cold water. The skins will slip right off.

* PINEAPPLE
Fresh pineapple is a wonderful treat. The ripe fruit should smell ripe and give very slightly when pressed at the bottom. To prepare, wash, then firmly grasp the leaves and twist off. Cut the pineapple into four sections, and using a curved knife, cut the flesh away from the prickly peel. Remove the hard core and slice the fruit or cut it into chunks.

* POMEGRANATES
These strange fruits are in season during the winter months. They are hard shelled fruits with tiny edible seeds coated with a red fruity glaze. The seeds are the part you eat. To easily remove the seeds, cut the pomegranate in half and, using a spoon, whack the back of the fruit so the seeds come out in a shower. Then squeeze the empty halves to juice.

* RASPBERRIES
Raspberries need no preparation - just wash gently and quickly and serve. Be sure to carefully check packages before you buy so there are no squished or moldy fruits in the bottom of the container.

* STARFRUIT
Starfruit are ripe when yellow and give slightly to pressure. The entire lemony fruit is edible. Just wash and slice - and the slices will look like stars!

* STRAWBERRIES
Fresh strawberries should be red, firm and plump. The best are harvested yourself from pick-your-own farms, or from farmer's markets. To prepare, wash thoroughly, then cut out the leaves (hull) and any white part at the top, or shoulder, of the strawberry. Then slice or chop.

* WATERMELON
Seedless varieties of watermelon aren't really seedless, but have very small, tender, edible seeds. Watermelon is best cut into large wedges, then sliced. When ripe, the watermelon will give a hollow thud when thumped and will smell sweet. Watermelon rind is a popular ingredient for people who love to pickle fruits.

Hope you enjoy the fruit tips and information!