Washing Trick -- Wash your fruits
in a large bowl of cool water to which you've added 2 to 3 tablespoons of baking soda. This helps remove pesticides as well as any dirt and wax.
A NEW CATEGORY OF FOODS is now known as the "FRUITS-VEGETABLES" and includes eggplant, squash, peppers and tomatoes. These are all the seed-bearing bodies of the plants they grow on.
Remove Fruit Stains from Your Hands -- To remove strawberry or other fruit stains from your hands, rub with a paste of cornmeal and lemon juice.
Due to a larger amount of ethylene gas in an Apple, never store an Apple near a Banana unless you wish to ripen the banana in a very short time. Apples will spoil 10 times faster at room temperature. After they are ripe, be sure to refrigerate them.
Never split open an apple seed, apricot pit or a peach pit while eating the fruit. They contain the poison cyanide (Won't put you at risk if you are healthy).
ASIAN PEARS -- This delicious fruit was first planted in the United States by Chinese prospectors during the Gold Rush, as they traveled through the Sierra Nevada. Asian pears can be smooth-skinned or speckled with a matte russeting. Unlike regular pears, they are low in acid and aroma, and quite hard even when ripe. This firm texture means that thin slices will hold up to tossing - making them perfect in salads. Asian pears can be stored in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks. Crunchy and juicy at the same time, delicate in flavor, they make a light, refreshing dessert and remain crisp even when cooked.
Never leave your Guacamole uncovered for more than 30 minutes. Left uncovered it will turn BLACK.
To RIPEN an Avocado, place it in a wool sock in the back of a dark closet for 2 days. OR
Place the avocado in a brown paper bag with a tomato or a banana peel. Close the bag and store it in a warmish place, but keep checking the avocado's firmness so you don't allow it to get overripe.
To TEST the RIPENESS of an Avocado, stick a toothpick in the fruit at the stem end. If it goes in and out easily, the fruit is ripe and ready to eat. If ripe, store avocados in the refrigerator.
To PIT an Avocado, cut the avocado in half lengthwise, through to the pit. Twist the halves and then pull them apart. EMBED the blade of the chef's knife into the pit and lift and pull it out.
Fruit-Salad Sauce -- Create a delicious fat-free dressing for summer fruits with only 3 ingredients: For 3 cups of fruit, combine ¼ cup lemon juice, ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup finely chopped mint leaves. Pour over fruit and refrigerate until chilled.
DATES -- These are one of the sweetest fruits and may contain up to 70% sugar. California and Arizona are the major suppliers for the United States, however, Africa and the Middle East have been growing them for 4,000 years.
Frozen Snack -- On a hot summer day.... try sucking on a FROZEN GRAPE -- one at a time is a cooling, low calorie treat. When buying fresh GRAPES, shake the bunch gently. If the grapes remain attached to the stem, they are fresh. If they fall off, they have passed their prime.
Never add fresh or frozen Kiwi fruit, Pineapple, Mango or Papaya to GELATIN -- An enzyme in these fruits keeps the gelatin from setting.
Fruit POPS -- For a great summer treat, remove the seeds from a big chunk of watermelon, then puree the melon in the blender. Pour the puréed pulp into children's Popsicle makers or ice-cube trays, then put them in the freezer. The results are a delicious natural treat for hot weather. They will be gone before you know it!
Get Some GREAT PEACH Recipes Here!
PEACHES -- Peak season is June to August, although peaches are widely available from May to October. Peaches won't sweeten after being picked, but you can ripen them at room temperature in a paper bag pierced in several places; add an apple to the bag to speed ripening somewhat or in a box covered in newspapers. Keep ripe peaches in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. For better flavor, bring them to room temperature before eating. If you like, peel the fuzzy skin with a paring knife or vegetable peeler. Or blanch peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds, then plunge them into ice water and slip off the skins. Sprinkle peeled or sliced peaches with diluted lemon juice (about 1 teaspoon lemon juice to 1 cup water). Full strength lemon juice may overpower the peach's flavor. A medium peach has about 40 calories and 1.5 grams of fiber. It's a good source of Vitamin C.
To PEEL Peaches and Tomatoes Easily -- Cover or immerse in boiling water for 1 minute.
Easy Core Pears -- Slice each pear in half and use a melon baller to scoop out the inedible center. It's quick, easy and efficient. Ripen pears quickly by placing them in a brown paper bag along with a ripe apple. Set in a cool, shady spot and make sure a few holes are punched into the bag. The ripe apple gives off a gas, ethylene, which stimulates the other fruit to ripen.
RAISINS -- Chopping raisins is easier to do if you put a thin film of butter on both sides of the chopping knife. Raisins won't stick to food chopper if they are soaked in cold water for a short time before grinding.
Rhubarb -- Though a vegetable, rhubarb is treated more like a fruit, and it's typically made into such things as pies, tarts, preserves, and wine. It's very tart, and at its best when combined with berries. Varieties includes cherry rhubarb and the more delicate strawberry rhubarb. Fresh rhubarb shows up in markets in the spring. If you can't find it fresh, frozen rhubarb is a fine substitute. Don't eat rhubarb leaves; they contain high levels of oxalic acid, a toxin. Cut down on the amount of sugar needed in rhubarb sauce by soaking the rhubarb in cold water and a pinch of baking soda prior to cooking. The water will turn black. Drain off this water, add fresh water and cook. The sauce gets sweet with less sugar because you've lowered the acidity of the rhubarb.
Ripe Ideas -- Instead of using a fruit ripening bowl, place green fruits in a perforated plastic bag. Exposure to direct sunlight softens tomatoes instead of ripening them. Leave tomatoes, stem-up, in any spot where they will be out of direct sunlight.
Ripen green bananas or green tomatoes by wrapping them in a wet dish towel and placing them in a paper bag.
To ripen Avocados, bury them in a bowl of flour.
Many of the FRUIT FACTS come from this great web site.
Cook's Thesaurus
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