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By: Linda K. Bowman, Ext. Agt. IV - Family
& Consumer Sciences
UF/IFAS
Telephone: 850/623-3868 or 934-5278
Summer
Treats: Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Whether
you grow them or purchase them, fresh fruits and vegetables are an important
part of the summer scene. Salads, fresh fruit smoothies, and cold veggie soups
are some of the flavors of summer. Health experts recommend eating five or more
servings a day of a palette of colorful fruits and vegetables.
The
following tips can help you enjoy fruits and vegetables at their most
flavorful:
1.
WHICH FRUITS CONTINUE TO RIPEN AFTER THEY'RE PICKED?
Apricots,
bananas, cantaloupe, kiwi, mangoes, nectarines, peaches, pears, plantains and
plums continue to ripen at room temperature after they're picked. To speed
their ripening, put them in a loosely closed brown paper bag or ripening bowl
at room temperature. (NOTE: Ripening bowls are sold at many stores that sell
home kitchen supplies.)
Plastic
bags don't work for ripening. Once fully ripened, fruits may be stored in the
refrigerator to lengthen their storage time.
Though
the outside skin of a refrigerated banana will turn dark brown, the inside will
remain light-colored.
Fruits
that should be picked or bought ripe and ready-to-eat include apples, cherries,
grapefruit, grapes, oranges, pineapple, strawberries, tangerines and
watermelon.
2.
HOW CAN I KEEP CUT FRUIT FROM TURNING BROWN?
Keep
cut fruits, such as apples, pears, bananas and peaches, from turning brown by
coating them with an acidic juice such as lemon, orange or pineapple juice. Or
use a commercial anti-darkening preparation, frequently called a "fruit
protector" such as Ever-Fresh (TM) or Fruit-Fresh (R). Follow the
manufacturer's directions.
Cut
fruits as close to serving time as possible. Cover and refrigerate cut fruit
until ready to serve. Avoid leaving cut fruit at room temperature for more than
two hours.
3.
SHOULD FRUITS AND VEGETABLES BE WASHED BEFORE THEY'RE PUT AWAY?
The
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises that we wash our fresh fruits and
vegetables when ready to eat them rather than when they're first purchased or
picked. Here are some FDA guidelines for safely handling fruits and vegetables:
>> Thoroughly rinse raw fruits
and vegetables under running water before eating them. Don't use soap,
detergents, or bleach solutions.
>> If necessary -- scrub firm
produce, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush to remove
surface dirt.
>> Try to cut away damaged or
bruised areas -- bacteria can thrive in these places.
>> Any bacteria on the outside of
fruits can be transferred to the inside when the fruit is peeled or cut. To
prevent this, thoroughly rinse fruits that require peeling or cutting -- such
as cantaloupe and other melons -- under running water before eating them.
>> If buying fresh, cut produce,
be sure it is refrigerated or surrounded by ice. After purchase, put produce
that needs refrigeration away promptly. (Fresh, whole produce such as bananas
and potatoes do not need refrigeration.) Fresh produce should be refrigerated
within two hours of peeling or cutting. Leftover cut produce should be
discarded if left at room temperature for more than two hours.
4.
WHAT IS THE
Don't
give tomatoes the cold shoulder. Store them at room temperature (above 55 F)
until they have fully ripened. This will allow them to ripen properly and
develop good flavor and aroma. A ripe tomato is red or reddish orange,
depending on variety, and yields to slight pressure.
The
Florida Tomato Committee recommends storing tomatoes with their stem end up.
According to the Tomato Committee, "The shoulders are the softest part of
the tomato; leaving them stem-side down will almost always result in bruising
of the product." Try to store tomatoes out of direct sunlight, because
sunlight will cause them to ripen unevenly.
For more information or if
you have a question, call
Extension Service programs
are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap or
national origin. The use of trade names
in this article is solely for the purpose of providing specific
information. It is not a guarantee,
warranty, or endorsement of the product name(s) and does not signify that they
are approved to the exclusion of others.