Tart, firm and refreshing - this is the apple for those that love tangy flavors for salads and snacks. The Granny Smith is most often used for cooking - in pies and salads. It has a crisp, juicy, and acidic taste, which mellows when ripe. It has tough skin, which allows it to be a good storage apple. Their tangy flavor comes through when baked and sauteed.
These apples are the most famous and widely grown apples in America. The Red Delicious looks very appealing, although its flavor at times can seem a bit bland. It is very mild, almost having the hint of a soft melon flavor.
Creamy, rich, and sweet, bananas are a favorite food for everyone from infants to elders. Bananas are one of our best sources of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. Since the average banana contains 467 mg of potassium and only 1 mg of sodium, a banana a day may help to prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis. The effectiveness of potassium-rich foods such as bananas in lowering blood pressure has been demonstrated by a number of studies.
Blueberries should be firm and plump with uniform size and color. The coloring of fresh berries should be deep purple to nearly black with a silver to white frost on the skin. They should also be dry and free from leaves and stems.
Good-quality Red Raspberries will be firm, plump and dry. Store in refrigeration unwashed.
Good-quality Strawberries should be firm (but not rock-hard) and evenly shaped. Their coloring should be even and bright red. Berries with more than a touch of green or white around the caps do not ripen well after they are picked.
The major difference indicated by the color of the fruit flesh is nutritional: the pink or red varieties have not only more pigmentation, but also more vitamins than white grapefruit. This difference, however, has no impact on flavor. The flesh of the Grapefruit is sweet and juicy with a sour cherry aroma. Valued for their juice and their fresh flesh, their unique balance of sweetness and tang are what make grapefruit unique. Since they contain no fat, no cholesterol, and no sodium and are rich in vitamins A and C, they are often considered an excellent choice for those who are dieting.
White grapefruit varieties seem to have gotten a bad rap as more bitter than pink or red grapefruit, but the flesh of the Grapefruit is sweet and juicy with a sour cherry aroma. Valued for their juice and their fresh flesh, their unique balance of sweetness and tang are what make grapefruit unique. Since they contain no fat, no cholesterol, and no sodium and they are rich in vitamins A and C, they are often considered an excellent choice for those who are dieting.
Lemons have a very tart finish and act as a flavor catalyst for your taste buds. Although lemons and limes may not be what you would choose for an afternoon snack, they are considered essentials when we want to bring out the flavor of other foods. While most lemons are tart, acidic and astringent, they are also surprisingly refreshing. One of the tricks to finding a good quality lemon is to find one that is rather thin-skinned since those with thicker peels will have less flesh and therefore be less juicy. Therefore, choose lemons that are heavy for their size. They should be fully yellow in color as those that have green tinges will be more acidic due to the fact that they have not fully ripened.
Limes are the most acidic of all citrus. Although lemons and limes may not be what you would choose for an afternoon snack, they are considered essentials when we want to bring out the flavor of other foods. Choose limes that are firm and heavy for their size, free of decay and mold. They should have a glossy skin that is deep green in color; although limes turn more yellow as they ripen. The greener their color - the more tart their flavor. Limes that are mostly brownish in color should be avoided since this may be an indication that they have "scald" which may cause them to have an undesirable moldy taste. Limes are a staple in the cuisines of Latin America, Southeast Asia, India, Africa and the West Indies. Limes have thin skin, few seeds and are an excellent source of vitamin C.
Juice oranges, as their name implies are excellent for making juice, but also eat well out of hand. Their early ripening, and balance of acidic and sweet flavor make it the perfect choice for a tall cool glass of juice.
Considered the worlds finest orange for eating, navels are seedless, they peel and segment easily and they have no seeds. A good-quality Navel orange should be firm and heavy for their size. Select thin-skinned oranges with smooth, finely textured skin.
Valencia oranges - often called summer oranges - are actually available from February through October, with peak supplies in May, June and July. Valencia oranges may have a few seeds and are usually thin-skinned. Even though the fruit is deliciously sweet and completely ripe, Valencia oranges may occasionally "re-green" in warm weather. When the fruit ripens on the tree, it turns a bright orange color, as usual. But the warm temperatures of the season may make the skin reabsorb chlorophyll as it hangs on the tree, causing a ripe orange to look partly green. A “re-greened” Valencia is typically very sweet.
Dates are one of, if not the sweetest fruits in the world. If you have never had a date, they are worth trying just for how sweet they taste. Their texture is so soft and their flavor is very caramel-like. It’s OK if they are wrinkled, but you don’t want them to be hard. They should be plump, with a slight glossiness to their skin. Avoid the ones that have crystallized sugar on their skins. It’s perhaps the one fruit that should be eaten alone, and just enjoyed one at a time as they scrumptiously go into your mouth.
Mangoes are an excellent source of Vitamins A and C, as well as a good source of Potassium and contain beta carotene. Selecting the ripeness of mangoes can be determined by either smelling or squeezing. Mangoes can be considered ready to eat when slightly soft to the touch and yielding to gentle pressure, like a ripe peach. The best-flavored fruit will typically have a yellow tinge when ripe; however, color may be red, yellow, green, orange or any combination. The best way to ripen a mango is at room temperature, on the kitchen counter. Once ripened the mango can be refrigerated for a few days, but should be used shortly thereafter. Mangoes are excellent eaten alone out-of-hand, or combined with other fruits in salads or smoothies. Mango pickles and mango chutney are some other delicious ways to get the benefits of raw mangoes.
Good-quality watermelons will be firm, evenly shaped, heavy for their size and have a deep-pitched tone when slapped with an open palm. One of the easiest methods for selecting a ready-to-eat watermelon is to simply turn the melon over. If the underside is yellow, and the rind overall has a healthy sheen, the melon is most likely ripe. Watermelons do not ripen any further once they are cut from the vine.
To ensure that you choose the juiciest, sweetest yellow peach, look for these qualities: - An even background color of golden yellow. Keep in mind that the strength of red blush does not indicate ripeness - it has more to do with the actual peach variety. - A slight give to the flesh—neither rock-hard nor mushy. - Avoid fruit with green around the stem (they aren’t fully ripe) or that have shriveled skin (they’re old). - Most importantly, find fruit that smells how you hope it will taste. Ripe fruit has a sweet fragrance.
The Bartlett pear is unique in that its color turns from bright green to golden yellow as it ripens. Its creamy, sweet and aromatic flesh is perfect for eating fresh, as well as for canning or adding to salads or desserts. The Bartlett has the quintessential pear flavor and is considered the sweetest and juiciest of all the pears. The Bartlett is perfect to eat out of hand, in salads, or for canning and cooking. The Bartlett pear ripens at room temperature, turning from green to yellow as the pear becomes softer, sweeter and ready to eat.
Bosc Pears have distinctive characteristics that set them apart from other pears. They have a crunchy yet tender flesh with a sweet-spicy flavor. A common misconception is that Bosc pears need to be peeled or cooked before being eaten, and that’s simply not true. Beneath the russet skin is a sweet-spicy flesh that is both tender and crunchy. Bosc pears are ideal for baking, poaching and cooking as well as excellent for simply eating out of hand. The pear's white flesh is sweet, crisp, and firm to the touch. If a recipe calls for poaching, Bosc pears are a good choice since they will keep their shape and not turn to mush. As it ripens, the Bosc's skin remains brown, showing no sign of change. Look instead at the stem end, which will be a little shriveled when the pear is fully ripe.
Comice are among the sweetest and juiciest of all varieties of pears, and are a favorite in holiday gift boxes and baskets. Their flesh can best be described as creamy in texture, full of juice, and very sweet. For many pear lovers, Comice is the pinnacle variety of pears. With the highest sugar content of all pears, the Comice is sweet and juicy, with a rich buttery flavor and a smooth, fine texture. The juiciness of the Comice keeps it from being a good cooking pear. These pears aren't ideal for poaching because of their relatively delicate nature and juiciness, but they're great for baking. During ripening, the greenish-yellow color of the Comice changes very little. Instead, it will yield to pressure and soften around the stem when fully ripe.
Once the fresh pineapple is cut from the plant, it will not ripen any further, so forget about letting it ripen on the counter. Storing at room temperature will increase the acidity level of the pineapple, but will not improve sweetness. Fresh ripe pineapples should have green, fresh looking leaves in a small, compact crown. The fruit should be plump, feel heavy and have a strong sweet, but not fermented, pineapple aroma. Coloring may be green or yellow-gold, depending on the variety. A ready-to-eat pineapple should yield to medium pressure, have no indication of mold, and the eyes should be bright, shiny and flat. Pineapples have exceptional juiciness and a vibrant tropical flavor that balances the tastes of sweet and tart. They are second only to bananas as America's favorite tropical fruit. The area closer to the base of the fruit has more sugar content and therefore a sweeter taste and more tender texture.
Pomegranates are great for eating out of handy as well as a great addition to salads and other dishes. The edible part of a pomegranate is the seeds. Separating the seeds from the peel and internal white membrane is a bit of a task, but well worth the effort: Although the pulp of the pomegranate is edible, it is the seeds that provide the real treat. Each seed is individually encased in crimson colored sac. The juice of this sac is what provides the tart taste and the deep red color that consumers find in the variety of juices and pomegranate-based products currently on the market. Overall, the seeds and their encasing count for about half of the pomegranate’s weight. The recent explosion of interest in the pomegranate is due in large part to its recent classification as a “superfruit.” By definition, superfruits are exotic fruits with higher than average levels of antioxidants and nutritional content. The pomegranate fulfills each of these categories and has even been featured in a number of scientific studies for its ability to combat the aging process. The pomegranate has become so popular of late that it has even surpassed the blueberry, America’s once-favorite superfruit, in terms of popularity. Pomegranates have become the poster fruit for healthy eating.