Fruitaholic

As most everyone who knows me knows, I don’t care for chocolate, but give me some fruit!  I love summer fruit best, but I have to admit that as fall approaches, (approaches as I live in the southwest). I love the beautiful selection of apples.  Here are some tips for picking some delicious fruit and what to do with it.

• Store apples separately as they can absorb other flavors from foods (i.e. onions) and can also admit a gas that can ripen your other fruit (good to know if you are trying to ripen your other fruit though).
• Wash fruit before you eat not after you purchased.  The moisture will encourage spoiling/bacteria.
• You can put bananas in the fridge to keep longer.  The skin will brown but the banana will be just fine. 
• If your bananas have gotten too ripe, make sure to put them in the freezer to keep until you are ready to make banana bread.
• Kiwi fruit is the way to go.  It has almost twice the vitamin of an orange, eight times the nutrients of an apple, and an excellent source of fiber (per tasteforlife).
• Oh, the best winter fruit, in my opinion, is POMEGRANATES!  I liked them before they became the “it” fruit!   They are very good for you and help keep cells and tissues fighting off all kinds of yuck!  They are good from Sept - Dec.  Buy one that is heavy for it’s size (which is true in picking most fruit) and without cracks.  It should be smooth and nice in color.  To eat, cut in half and place in water.  Break apart in sections removing the white part.  Eat the yummy, juicy, and “sweetisous” seeds!
• Have you ever tried a kumquat?  They are very interesting.  See if your market has some and try one for an adventure.  I like them, but I know some people don’t.  You eat the whole thing.  It’s sweet and tart at the same time!
• You don’t need special soap to wash your fruit per Federal Food Safety Officials (Associated Press).  Just use water and scrub.  If your fruit is coming from the ground. Make sure you really get all the dirt.    Did you know to wash a banana?