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Apples
Available Year Round, Domestic And Imported.
The Original "Fast Food", The Simple Sugar Composition Of Apples Is Easily Absorbed By The Body And Converted To Energy.
Select Firm Fruit With Smooth Clean Skin And Good Color For The Variety.
Like Crisp Apples? Store Them In The Refrigerator For Maximum Crunch!
Keep That High Crust Pie From Falling, Mix Firm Varieties Into The Filling To Keep The Crust From Collapsing.
Bananas
One Of The Few Fruits That Continue To Ripen After Harvest
Do Not Refrigerate! Bananas Will Suffer Chill Damage If Stored Below 55 Deg. F.
Bananas Are Identified By Color "Stages" With Stage 1 Being All Green To Stage 7 Which Is Identified As Yellow With Brown Flecks
Which Stage Is Sweetest? Stage 7 Is The Point At Which The Conversion From Starch To Sugar Is Complete And The Fruit Is At It’s Sweetest.
Immature Or Green Fruit Will Taste Starchy Since The Conversion To Sugar Has Not Been Fully Developed.
Blueberries
Did You Know? The Origin Of The Commercially Cultivated Blueberry Is The Vineland New Jersey Area.
The Silver-White Frost Seen On Blueberries Is Called "Bloom" And Is An Indicator Of Freshness.
"Blues" Are An Excellent Fruit For Freezing And Later Use. Enjoy The Sweet Taste Of Summer All Year Long.
Avoid Soft Or Shriveled Fruit. Severe Bruising Will Cause The Internal Flesh To Appear Watery.
1 Cup Of Blueberries Contains 80 Calories
Cantaloupe
Two Main Varieties Found In Most Markets Are The "Western" And Local Summer Product Sometimes Identified As Muskmelons.
High In Both Vitamins A & C. Taste Great And Good For You Too!
Avoid Fruit That Is Shriveled Or Badly Bruised. Growth Cracks And Mold Are Also Indicators Of Poor Quality Fruit.
Always Wash The Fruit Prior To Cutting! This Precaution Will Eliminate Bacteria Which May Be On The Surface From Affecting The Inner Flesh.
Select Firm Fruit With A Yellowish-Gold Color Underneath The Netting. The Stem End Should Show A Smooth Clean Area Indicating That The Fruit Was
Ready For Harvest From The Vine.
Grapes
No Matter What Variety, Check The Stem As An Indicator Of Freshness. A Woody Dark Brown Stem Is A Sure Indication Of "Old" Or Tired Fruit.
Available Year Round, Domestic And Imported.
Thompson Seedless (Green) Grapes Are At Their Sweetest When The Color Is Yellow-Green To Gold.
Red Varieties Are Best When The Color Is Consistent Around The Fruit With No Hint Of Green.
To Avoid Excessive Moisture Loss, Serve Grapes In Little Bunchlets Cut From The Main Stem.
Oranges
High In Fiber And Vitamin C
Two Main Varieties, Navel And Valencia, That Assure Year Round Availability
The Term "Sunkist" Is Not A Particular Variety Of Orange But Rather A Trade Name Used By A Group Of California Grower / Shippers.
The Main Distinction Between Florida And California Oranges Is Skin Color. The Weather Conditions In California (And Also Arizona) Produces A Much More
"Orange" Colored Fruit
Tinges Of Green Are Often Found In Florida Oranges Especially During Periods Of Hot Weather. This Is Not An Indication Of Immature Fruit But Actually A
Condition Called "Regreening".
Pears
The Two Main Varieties Of Green Pears, Bartlett Pears Will Turn From Green To Yellow As They Ripen, While Anjou’s Will Remain Green As They Ripen.
Keep Pears At Room Temperature Until They Yield To Gentle Pressure To Ensure Ripeness.
Pears Ripen From The Seeds Out – So Don’t Wait Too Long To Enjoy The Peak Flavor Of These Juicy Treats.
1 Medium Size Pear Contains Approximately 100 Calories.
Bosc Pears Turn From Green To Brown As They Ripen And Are Excellent Dessert Pears.
Stone Fruit
Known Also As Summer Fruit, Peaches, Plums, And Nectarines Are Characterized By The Hard Seed Or "Stone" That Is Surrounded By The Meat.
Avoid Fruit That Is Shriveled, Wrinkled, Or Has A Dull Look.
Keep All Stone Fruit Out Of Refrigeration Until Ripe. Holding Fruit At Temperatures Below 50 Degrees Will Cause The Meat To Become Brown And Mealy.
Keep Cherries Clean And Dry. Moisture Will Cause Decay And Fermentation.
Nectarines Are Not A Cross Between A Peach And Anything Else. They Are Also Nearly Twice As Nutritious As Peaches.
Strawberries
What Are Those Yellow-Gold Specks On The Outside Of Strawberries? Strawberries Are The Only Fruit With It’s Seeds Outside The Flesh.
Remove Green Caps Of Strawberries Only After The Berries Have Been Washed. Otherwise, Water Gets Inside The Berries And Breaks Down The Flavor
And Texture.
Available Year-Round From California, Florida And Imported From South America And New Zealand During November And December.
Strawberries Do Not Store Well So Buy What You Need And Try Not To Handle Any More Than Necessary.
Look For Berries With Bright And Solid Red Coloring With Very Little Green Or White At The "Shoulder" Around The Stem End.
Watermelon
The Only Sure Way To Determine A Watermelon’s Ripeness Is To Cut It! Ask Your Produce Professional To Cut A Sample Piece For You To Taste.
While Basically A Water Food, Watermelon Is A Good Source Of Vitamins A And C.
Seedless Varieties Provide The Same Nutrition As Seeded – The Only Thing Missing Is The Seed-Spitting Contest.
The White Seeds In Seedless Watermelons Are Considered Edible. An Occasional Black Seed May Be Found.
Watermelons Do Not Ripen Once They Have Been Picked. However, When Stored At Warmer Temperatures, The Flesh Color Will Deepen.