1. When possible, buy fruit grown organically. Select domestically raised fruit in its season. Fruit raised in your region is even better because nutrition is greatest when fruits have not traveled for long.
2. Choose healthy-looking fruitΓÇöbright, plump, and sound. Become familiar with which fruits have been waxed or sprayed and urge the produce manager to provide unwaxed, unsprayed fruits.
3. Do not wash fruit until serving time, then wash especially well any commercially raised fruits or fruits you suspect have been sprayed.
4. To Ripen Fruit: Underripe fruits can be ripened most efficiently in a brown paper bag. Do not crowd the fruits in the bag. Place the bag at room temperature out of the sun. Turn the bag over every day so fruits can ripen evenly. Adding an apple or banana will speed the process because these fruits emit a harmless gas that enhances ripening.
5. After ripening, most fruits keep best when stored in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper drawer. The exceptionsΓÇöavocados, bananas, citrus fruits, pineapples, and melonsΓÇöcan be refrigerated, but their quality is best preserved in a dark, cool (50┬░ to 65┬░ F) place.
6. Wherever you keep them, give fruits a quick check daily. When a piece shows any sign of spoilageΓÇömold or softness or oozingΓÇöremove it. Spoilage is infectious and will quickly ruin surrounding fruits.
7. Peeling Fruit: In general, do not peel fruit if you can avoid it. More often than not, the peel is a rich source of flavor, interesting texture, and valuable nutrients. However, in certain recipes or preparations, peeling is desirable. To peel fruits with loosely attached skin, dip them in boiling water for 20 to 60 seconds, transfer to a bowl of cold water to cool, then slip off the skin.
8. To Keep Fruits from Darkening: When preparing fruits whose flesh turns brown upon exposure to air, rub surfaces with the cut edge of a citrus fruitΓÇölemon, orange, mandarin, grapefruit, or lime. A quantity of fruit can be kept in a bowl of acidulated waterΓÇömix 1/2 to 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar into 1 quart water. Do not keep fruit in this bath for more than 20 minutes.
9. When cooking fruit, retain nutrients by cooking quickly and using as little liquid as possible. Save cooking liquids and turn them into a syrup or blend some into your breakfast fruit juice.
10. Because fruits are acidic, all tools and pans should be made of nonreactive materialsΓÇöstainless steel, enameled cast iron, or nonstick coated.
11. Dried fruits such as raisins, currants, and dried cherries benefit by being plumped before being added to a recipe. Plump them by soaking in warmed or boiling spirits, fruit juice, or any liquid in the recipe they are to be used in for 10 to 15 minutes before use.
