Fruits

• General

• Apples

• Bananas

• Berries

• Cherries

• Citrus

• Exotic

• Grapes

• Melons

• Peaches

• Pears

• Pineapple

• Tomatoes

General

• Wash fresh fruit under cold tap water even if you plan to peel it. Dirt and bacteria from the skins can be transferred to the flesh during preparation
   
• Cut away any damaged or bruised areas of the fruit where contamination may occur
   
• Once cut, fruit should be stored in the refrigerator
   
• To enhance the flavor of fruit, serve at room temperature
   
• For safety purposes, cut round fruits in half first; then lay them flat before slicing
   
• A few drops of lemon juice in the water will brighten fruits
   
• Before cutting up dried fruit, spray the knife blade with a thin coat of vegetable oil to keep the fruit from sticking
   

Apples

• Select firm apples with good color and tight, smooth skin free of bruises
   
• Keep apples in a cool, dark place or store in a plastic bag in the produce drawer of the refrigerator
   
• Apples will stay fresh longer if they aren¿t touching each other during storage
   
• Spritz apple slices with a mixture of 1½ tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 cups of cold water to prevent them from browning
   
• Two large or three medium apples yield 2 to 2½ cups sliced apples
   
• Choose apple varieties based on how they will be used. Good all-purpose apples include McIntosh, Cortland, Northern Spy, Granny Smith, Empire, Jona-gold and Fuji
   
• When baking apples, keep the skin from cracking by cutting several shallow slits on the sides of the apple
   

Bananas

• Select plump bananas with even colored yellow skin free of bruises. Bananas with a green tinge are slightly underripe. Black or brown spots indicate the banana is fully ripe.
   
• To ripen bananas, store them at room temperature. Place them near ripe bananas to speed the process
   
• Ripe bananas can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed plastic bag. The peel will turn brown but the fruit will not ripen any further
   
• Overripe bananas can be peeled and frozen in a plastic container until you¿re ready to use them
   
• Use an egg slicer to cut uniform pieces of banana
   

Berries

• Look at the container when purchasing fresh berries. Stains on the sides or bottom indicate crushed or moldy berries
   
• Remove bruised or damaged berries from the container. Spoiled berries cause good berries to turn bad
   
• To prevent mushy berries, wash them just before using. Never soak them in water or they can become waterlogged
   
• Keep berries fresh for up to one week by refrigerating them, unwashed, in an airtight container (Leave caps on strawberries)
   
• Select brightly colored, plump strawberries with fresh looking green caps. Strawberries without caps may be overripe
   
• The size of a strawberry does not affect its potential to be sweet and juicy
   
• Push a plastic drinking straw up through the bottom of a fresh strawberry and out through the top to remove the core and hull in one easy motion
   
• To eliminate flat spots on chocolate dipped strawberries, place berries dipped-side up in the holes of an egg carton
   
• Use frozen strawberries instead of ice cubes to keep drinks cold
   
• Choose plump, firm blueberries that are deep indigo with a silver-frost. Those with a red or green tint indicate underripe berries
   
• Blueberries can be stored in the freezer for up to a year
   
• Do not thaw frozen blueberries before using them in a recipe. Thawed berries will leave a blue streak of juice in the batter
   
• Look for brightly-colored, plump raspberries that are round without flat spots or bruises
   
• Raspberries with the hulls attached were picked too early and will most likely be tart. Once picked, they will not continue to ripen
   
• One-half pint of raspberries yields 1 cup
   
• Select plump, brightly colored cranberries with smooth skin. Avoid those with shriveled, wrinkled skin
   
• Store cranberries in the freezer for up to a year
   
• When simmering cranberries, add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to the water to keep them from boiling over
   

Cherries

• Choose plump, firm, shiny cherries that are dark red to purplish-black
   
• Cherries with stems last longer than those without stems
   
• Avoid washing cherries until just before using
   
• Refrigerate cherries in a plastic bag for up to five days
   
• Remove bruised or damaged cherries from the bag before storing. Spoiled cherries cause good cherries to turn bad
   
• Cherries can be frozen with or without pits
   
• Do not thaw cherries before using them for cooking or baking. The thawing process causes them to lose some of their juice
   
• To remove cherry stains from your hands, squeeze fresh lemon juice into your palms and gently rub your hands together. Wash thoroughly with soap and water

Citrus

• Avoid citrus fruits with withered skin and soft spots
   
• Choose oranges, grapefruit and lemons that are heavy for their size. Those with smooth, thin skins usually yield more juice
   
• One lemon yields about ¼ cup juice; 1 orange yields about ⅓ cup juice
   
• To get more juice from a lemon or lime, soak it in hot water for a few minutes; then roll it firmly on a table or counter with the palm of your hand for a few seconds
   
• Before grating citrus peel, cover your grater with plastic wrap to make cleanup a snap
   
• The finer the grated zest, the more flavor it adds
   
• Most skin markings on citrus fruits do not affect its quality
   
• Light or greenish-yellow lemons are more tart than deep yellow ones
   
• To easily remove the peel from oranges, immerse them in a bowl of boiling water. Let stand ten minutes, and the peels will come right off

Exotic

• To easily peel kiwifruit, trim off both ends of the fruit; then slide a teaspoon under the skin following the shape of the fruit until the skin is loosened all the way around
   
• Use an egg slicer to cut uniform pieces of kiwifruit
   
• Select firm mangoes with unblemished, yellow skin and a pale red blush. Avoid those with soft spots
   
• To ripen slightly green mangoes, place them in a brown paper bag and store at room temperature
   
• Store ripe mangoes in a plastic bag and refrigerate for up to five days
   
• A few spots on the skin of a papaya are fine. Those with bruises and cracks should be avoided
   
• To quickly ripen slightly green papayas, place them in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana
   
• Papayas are ripe when the skin is golden-yellow and the flesh yields to soft pressure
   
• Ripe papayas can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week

Grapes

• Choose full-colored, plump grapes that are firmly attached to their stem. The stem should be green and pliable
   
• Green grapes should be light green with a pale yellow hue
   
• Red grapes should be light red to deep purple with no sign of green
   
• Avoid washing grapes until just before using
   
• Refrigerate grapes in a plastic bag for up to one week
   
• Frozen, seedless grapes are a delicious, healthy snack
   
• Use frozen grapes as ice cubes in drinks
   
• Grapes are best when served at room temperature. To enhance the flavor, remove them from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving

Melons

• Cantaloupes are ripe when the stem scar is smooth and the space between the netting is yellow or yellow-green
   
• Choose cantaloupes with thick, close netting on the rind
   
• Avoid melons with soft spots or a very strong smell
   
• If the seeds rattle when the cantaloupe is shaken, it is most likely overripe
   
• Store underripe cantaloupes at room temperature. Once ripe, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for up to two days
   
• For the best flavor, serve melon at room temperature or slightly chilled
   
• Hollow out half of a cantaloupe and use it as an attractive serving dish for fruit salad
   
• Ripe honeydews have wrinkled creamy-yellow skin and a velvety texture. A whitish-green color indicates immature fruit
   
• Use an ice cream scoop to remove the seeds from honeydew and cantaloupe
   
• Ripe watermelons sound hollow when you knock on them and have a yellow spot on one side. If the spot is white or pale green, the watermelon is underripe
   
• Whole watermelon should be stored in the refrigerator or kept in a cool, dark place for up to a week. Cut watermelon should be covered tightly, refrigerated and used within one to two days

Peaches

• Look for brightly colored peaches free of bruises and spots
   
• The flesh of a ripe peach should yield slightly to gentle pressure
   
• Greenish peaches were picked too early and will not taste sweet
   
• To ripen peaches, place them in a brown paper bag and store them at room temperature away from direct sunlight
   
• Ripe peaches can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week
   
• To peel peaches quickly, immerse in boiling water for 30 to 45 seconds then quickly plunge them into a bowl of cold water. Remove the peaches with a slotted spoon and slide the skins off with your fingers or a paring knife
   
• Pit a peach by cutting it horizontally and twisting the halves apart; then use a paring knife to remove the pit that is wedged into one half of the peach
   
• For less mess, refrigerate soft peaches for 20 minutes before slicing

Pears

• Pears are best when picked early and left to ripen at room temperature
   
• Pears are perfect to eat when they¿re slightly soft at the stem end
   
• To prepare pears for cooking, remove the skin, cut them in half lengthwise and use a melon ball scoop to remove the core
   
• Three medium-sized pears yield 1 pound or 2 cups of sliced pears
   
• Always remove the skins from pears before using them in cooked dishes, as they become dark and tough when heated

Pineapple

• Look for plump pineapples with firmly attached crisp green leaves and a sweet fruity fragrance
   
• Ripe pineapples are slightly soft to the touch with no signs of greening
   
• Avoid pineapples with soft spots or brown patches
   
• Store cut pineapple in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days
   
• To peel a pineapple, cut off the top and base and stand it upright on a cutting board. Cut the skin in vertical strips from top to bottom following the contour of the pineapple. Remove any remaining eyes with the tip of a vegetable peeler
   
• Use a small, round cookie cutter to remove the core from sliced pineapple rings
   
• One medium-sized pineapple yields about 3 cups of chunks
   
• When making a gelatin recipe that calls for pineapple, make sure to use canned, not fresh or frozen pineapple. Fresh and frozen pineapple have an enzyme that prevents gelatin from setting
   
• Marinate pork in fresh pineapple juice. The enzyme contained in the juice is a natural meat tenderizer, and the pineapple flavor works great with pork
   
• When using only part of a pineapple, keep the rest fresh by leaving the top leafy section intact and slicing it from the bottom up

Tomatoes

• Select colorful, fragrant, well-shaped tomatoes that give slightly to palm pressure
   
• To ripen tomatoes, store them at room temperature for several days in a pierced paper bag with an apple
   
• Store tomatoes at room temperature to preserve their nutritional value and flavor
   
• Scooped out tomatoes make fun, creative holders for chilled chicken salad or tuna salad
   
• Tomatoes contain acid that breaks down meats. Add them to roasts for a natural tenderizer
   
• Blanch fresh, ripe tomatoes and remove the skins. Place whole tomatoes in a freezer bag and freeze. When ready to use, let partially thaw. Add to sauces, salads and other dishes for summer-fresh flavor all year long