Fruits

Chapter 16

Objectives

• List the five factors that affect a fruit’s flavor and texture

• Explain the buying and storing of fruits

• Discuss and identify berries, melons, grapes, citrus, stone fruits, pome fruits and tropical and exotic fruits, and provide examples of different varieties

Global Sourcing

• Fruits produced in U.S. come from: – Indigenous stock – Imports from European settlers

• Fruits may be categorized by climatic growing region– Temperate, subtropical, and tropical

Buying and Storing

• Factors that can affect flavor and texture– Genetics– Environment– Farming practices– Harvest maturity– Post-harvest handling

Berries

• Small, thin-skinned fruits with sweet-tart flesh– Some are made of clusters of tiny sacs– Others have seed-speckled skin

• Tartness varies between varieties– Blueberries and strawberries are sweetest– Gooseberries, cranberries, currants are tart

Buying and Storing

• Select vividly colored berries that are uniform in size– Avoid any signs of mold

• Berries should not be washed until just before use

• Frozen berries are widely available

• Store delicate berries two to three days

16.3 Cranberries

16.4a Red Raspberries

16.2 Blueberries16.1 Blackberries

16.4b Golden raspberries 16.5 Strawberries

16.3 and 16.4b courtesy of Robert Garlough; all others © Randy Van Dam 2008

Melons

• Widely available– Grown in many parts of the world– Grow on long vines on the ground– Related to cucumber, pumpkin, and squash

• Skin thickness varies

• Seeds in the middle, with wide band of flesh surrounding seeds

Buying and Storing

• Hundreds of melon varieties

• Peak season: May to September

• Avoid melons with hard or unevenly colored stalk end

• End opposite the stalk should have a delicate aroma if fruit is ripe– Should also sound hollow when tapped

16.6 Bitter melon 16.8 Casaba 16.9 Crenshaw

16.13 Pepino16.12 Kiwano

© Randy Van Dam 2008

Grapes

• Uses of grapes– Seeds are used to make oil– Vines used as fuel to flavor grilled foods– Leaves are used for wrapping savory filling– The fermented juices become wine

• Classified by color, seeded or seedless, and table or wine

Buying and Storing

• Look for firm grapes that are plump and fragrant

• Picked ripe– They do not ripen once removed from vine

• Avoid shriveled or discolored fruit

• Store unwashed in perforated plastic bags or bins for up to 10 days

16.17 Champagne 16.18 Common black seedless

16.19 Common green seedless

16.21a Green globe16.20 Common red seedless

16.22b Red muscato

© Randy Van Dam 2008

Citrus Fruits

• Notable for their fragrance and juice content– High in citric acid

• Many citrus fruits picked while partially green– Color changes while in transit to markets

Global Sourcing• Citrus trees need sunny, humid

environments with sufficient moisture

• Fruit begins to ripen in fall or early winter

• Major commercial growing areas– Southern China, the Mediterranean,

Australia, South Africa, parts of South America, California, Florida, and Texas

Buying and Storing• Citrus does not continue to ripen after it

has been picked• Choose fruit that is firm and heavy for its

size• Store under refrigeration or in a cool,

dark place– Can be maintained unbagged six-eight

weeks

16.24 Kumquat 16.25a Lisbon lemon 16.26 Persian lime

16.29 Blood orange16.28 Limequat 16.34 Clementine© Randy Van Dam 2008

Stone Fruits

• Stone fruits have pits in the center

• Category includes peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, cherries, and newer hybrids

• Nonhybrids are native to China

• California is largest grower of stone fruits

Buying and Storing

• Summer is stone fruit season

• Often picked and shipped before fully ripe to keep fruit from bruising

• Plums ripen after picking and may be refrigerated without losing flavor

• Choose heavy, unblemished fruit with a deep color

16.39 Apricots 16.40 Bing cherries 16.41 Nectarines

16.44a Assorted pluots16.43 Black and red plums

16.44b Plumcot

© Randy Van Dam 2008

Pome Fruits

• Pome fruits are tree fruits that include:– Apples– Pears– Quince

• Named for their pome shape

Apples

• Important food in cooler climates

• Can be stored for months

• Many varieties of apples– Different types are bred for eating, cooking,

or cider– Cider apples too tart for eating

16.49 Golden delicious16.53 MacIntosh16.50 Granny Smith

16.46 Empire16.45 Braeburn 16.47 Fuji

© Randy Van Dam 2008

Pears

• Pears are picked mature but not fully ripe– Will ripen at room temperature– Need to refrigerate once they ripen

• Choose unblemished fruit without bruises

• Hundreds of varieties

16.61 Comice 16.64 Taylor’s gold16.63 Starkrimson (red)

16.58 Asian16.57 D’Anjou 16.60 Bosc

© Randy Van Dam 2008

Quince

• Has yellowish skin and yellowish-white flesh– Looks and tastes like an apple-pear cross,

but drier and more tart than either

• Choose fruit that is large, firm and brightly-colored

Tropical and Exotic Fruits

• Native to tropical and subtropical climates

• Can be eating fresh without cooking

• Once referred to as exotics because of limited availability– Now more commonplace due to improved

systems for cultivating, harvesting, and transporting

Buying and Storing

• Many varieties continue to soften or ripen after harvest

• Most should be kept at room temperature until ripe and then later refrigerated

16.71 Star fruit 16.72 Cherimoya

16.69 Plantain banana16.67 Baby banana 16.70 Red banana

© Randy Van Dam 2008

16.81a Kent mango 16.82b Caribbean red papaya

16.78a Green kiwi16.75c Black mission figs

16.79 Lychee

© Randy Van Dam 2008

16.83 Passionfruit

Summary

• A wide variety of fruits exists – Grown in different climates and world

regions

• Classifications of fruits– Citrus, pome fruits, berries, melons,

grapes, stone fruits, and tropical and exotic fruits

Summary (cont’d.)

• Most fruits do not ripen after harvesting, though some do

• Choose unblemished fruit with no sign of mold

• Most fruits may be refrigerated once ripe