Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Fruits (part 3)

Science and modern technology, including improved transportation methods and better refrigeration, have made many popular varieties of fruit available year round. Exotic and tropical fruits also appear routinely in supermarkets. The best choices, however, are local, seasonal varieties, which offer good flavor and high nutrient value at a low cost.

Most fruits are rich sources of natural sugar, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. With the exception of olives and avocados, fruits are virtually fat-free. Fruits, which are composed of a high percentage of water, provide little protein to the diet.

Vitamin C is found in varying quantities in all fresh fruit, but citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit are the richest sources of this important vitamin. Also, citrus fruits, as well as strawberries and figs, supply limited amounts of calcium. Yellow fruits such as cantaloupes and peaches provide some vitamin A, and figs, plums, and dried fruits supply B vitamins, especially thiamin. Dried fruits, bananas, grapes, berries, peaches and apricots contain some iron. All fruit provides varying amounts of potassium and magnesium.

Below is a list of fruits with tips on selecting the best of the batch.

Apples(Baldwin, Cortland, Yellow and Red Delicious, Granny Smith, Gravenstein, Grimes Golden, Jonathan, Mclntosh, Melrose, Newtown Pippin, Northern Spy, Rhode Island Greening, Rome Beauty, Russet, Spitzenberg, Stayman, Wealthy, Winesap, York Imperial): Apple season is late summer and fall, but many varieties are available year round. Look for firm, brightly colored fruit. Some apples, such as Granny Smiths and Rhode Island Greenings, are green when ripe. A few varieties, such as Golden Delicious apples, should be bright yellow. Red apples, such as Jonathan, Red Delicious, and Winesap, should be bright scarlet ; others, such as McIntosh, Newtown Pippin, and Gravenstein are best with a greenish-red background. Too greenish a tinge, however, may mean that the apple is hard, starchy, and flavorless. Fruit that is too yellow may be soft and mealy. Smaller varieties tend to be less mealy. Avoid apples that are bruised or shriveled. Local tree-ripened varieties usually are tastiest for eating raw and best for cooking and baking.

Apricots: Apricot season is June and July. Select fruit that is small, firm, and plump with an orange-yellow color. Ripe apricots should yield slightly when pressed gently. Avoid shriveled apricots, as they may lack flavor.

Avocados: Avocado season is November through May. Two varieties are available – a smooth green-skinned fruit, and a darker fruit with rough skin. Most avocados are sold slightly underripe, but they ripen within a few days if unrefrigerated. Ripe avocados should yield slightly to gentle pressure but not be too soft.

Bananas: Bananas are available year round. Often the bananas sold in the produce department are underripe – hard and slightly green at the ends. These will ripen quickly. Ripe bananas are bright yellow with brown flecks, and firm but not hard. Remember that these will become overripe quickly at home. Red bananas are
brown-red in color and slightly softer than the common yellow banana.

Blueberries: Wild blueberries are available in midsummer; cultivated berries are in season from spring to fall. Buy blueberries that are plump, dry firm, and bright blue with a slight frostlike coating. Cultivated berries are fatter and fleshier than the wild variety, and less intense in flavor.

Cantaloupes: Cantaloupes are in season from June through November. Look for a smooth, shallow depression at the stem end (which means it was ripened on the vine). No part of the stem should remain on the fruit. Netting on the skin should be thick, coarse, and raised over a yellow-beige rind. Ripe cantaloupes will have a pleasant smell, and the skin will yield slightly to pressure on the end. Avoid green, bright yellow, or soft rinds.

Cherries: Cherries are in season during the summer months. The most common types – Bing, Black Tartarian, and Napoleon – should be deep red, and plump to the point of near bursting. Sour cherries, which are used primarily in baking, are smaller and pale red.

Cranberries: Peak season for cranberries is September through January. Look for firm, plump berries that bounce like rubber ball when dropped on a hard surface. Color differences generally do not affect taste.

Grapes: Green and local varieties of grapes are available in the summer and fall. Most red, purple, and black grape varieties are in season in the late summer, fall, and winter. (Seedless varieties are better for young children. For older children and adults, the seeds provide a boost of fiber.) Select grape bunches with plump, unblemished, brightly colored grapes. The clusters should be firmly attached to the stems. Avoid bunches that are off-color or have deteriorating stems.

Grapefruit: This fruit usually is available year round, but it is best in the fall, winter, and spring. Choose firm, heavy, well-rounded fruits. The thinner the skin, the juicier the fruit. Grapefruit that narrows at the stem end may be less juicy and have less flavor. Scars on the rind will not hurt the fruit. Avoid soft or dented fruit.

Honeydews, casabas and Cranshaws: These melon varieties are in season in the late summer and fall. Look for ones without green rinds. When ripe, the blossom end should yield to pressure. Honeydews and Cranshaws should have a sweet smell.

Lemons: Lemons are available year round. Choose fruit that is heavy and firm – but not hard – with a bright yellow, shiny, thin rind. Avoid greenish lemons with rough, thick skins.

Limes: Limes are available year round. Look for full, heavy fruit with a bright green color, and shiny, thin skin. Avoid limes that are yellowish and thick-skinned.

Oranges, tangelos and tangerines: Most varieties of oranges are available year round, but they are best in the fall, winter, and spring. Tangerines and tangelos are in season in the winter. Look for heavy fruit with a glossy skin that is not too thick or coarse. Greenish tinges or skin blemishes usually do not affect the taste. Discoloration around the stem end, however, may be a sign that the fruit is overripe. Spoiled oranges develop soft spots and a dull white or green mold.

Papayas: This tropical fruit is in season in May and June. Papayas should be pear shaped with a smooth-textured surface. Ripe papayas are firm, yet should yield slightly to pressure. Medium-sized orange or yellow papayas are best.

Peaches and nectarines: These fruits are available from late spring through the fall, but they are at the peak of flavor in the summer. Peaches should be golden to orange, well rounded, fuzzy, and slightly soft when pressed. Nectarines should be orange-yellow with patches of red. The area along the seam should be soft. Avoid
fruits with tan or brown spots.

Pears: Bartlett pears are in season in the late summer and fall. Other varieties, such as the Anjou, Bosc, and comice, are available in the winter. Ripe pears will yield slightly to gentle Pressure. It may be better to buy them when they are firm and allow them to ripen at home. Bosc pears are best eaten while they are somewhat firm.
Color will vary with the variety. Blemishes on the skin usually will not affect taste. Avoid pears with soft brown spots.

Pineapples: Tropical pineapples are in season year round, but they are best in the spring months. Look for large, heavy fruit with no soft spots. A small, compact crown usually denotes good fruit. Ripe pineapples emit a dull, solid sound when thumped with the finger. Protruding eyes and a sweet, delicate aroma also indicate ripeness. Avoid those from which the leaves can be pulled off easily.

Plums: Plum season is July and August. Choose fruits that are of good color – whether purple, red, blue, yellow, or green – and even round or oval shape. Ripe plums should be plump and slightly soft with smooth, unshriveled skins. Choose medium-sized plums; larger ones generally have a blander taste.

Pomegranates: These fruits are available in the fall months. Choose pomegranates that are brightly colored – ranging from yellow-red to brilliant crimson – with slightly flattened ends. Ripe ones should be firm, plump, heavy, and about the size of a large orange. Avoid those that are blemished or shriveled.

Raspberries: Some types of raspberries are in season in June and July, and other varieties in the early fall. Look for fresh, clean berries that are shiny and brightly colored. Red raspberries should be bright red, and black raspberries are blackish-purple. Avoid berries with green spots, whitish fuzzy mold, or dampness.

Rhubarb: This fruit is available from January through June from warm climates, or in the late summer in cooler areas. Choose firm, thick bright reddish stalks that are not overly stringy or fibrous.

Strawberries: Hothouse berries or berries grown in warm climates are available year round, but strawberry season in most of the country is May, June, and sometimes in September. Select bright red, shiny, well-formed berries of medium size. Large berries may have less flavor. Avoid those that are soft, moldy, or damp.

Watermelon: The height of watermelon season is summer. Look for firm, well-shaped melons with bright green color. The surface of a ripe watermelon can be scraped off easily with a fingernail. The flesh should be juicy and deep pink with no white streaks, and the seeds should be dark and shiny.

Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food (part 1)
Tips on Finding and Preparing the Best Food – Vegetables (part 2)

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