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Ultimate Guide to Fresh Fruits and Veggies

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Istockphoto
By Lia Huber
From Health magazine

If you’re clueless when it comes to picking out produce, use our how-to guide for choosing the freshest fruits and veggies at your local farmers market or grocery.

Apricots, Peaches, Plums

  • Pick: Fruit that is firm, with a taut, unblemished skin and no signs of bruising or wrinkles.
  • Store: Ripen at room temperature, until tender. Apricots can be kept for 2 days, maximum. Once plums are ripe, refrigerate up to 3 days.
  • Use: Cook with sugar (1 pound of fruit per 2 cups sugar) on the stove until thickened for a delicious jam.
  • Tip: Vitamin A–rich stone fruits work with savory dishes; try sautéing, grilling, or roasting them to serve with duck, chicken, or pork.

Blackberries and Raspberries

  • Pick: Plump, juicy berries with a shine (blackberries) or luster (raspberries), without any trace of mold or discoloration.
  • Store: If eating within 24 hours, store at room temperature; otherwise, wrap loosely in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Wash just before using.
  • Use: Blackberries and raspberries are delicious raw or in baked goods, but they’re also a great addition to savory dishes.
  • Tip: To freeze antioxidant-packed blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, or cherries, wash and let dry completely, then place them in a single layer on a tray in the freezer until solid. Transfer to a zip-top bag and store in the freezer.

Next: Cherries


Last Updated: July 17, 2009
Filed Under: Shop Smarter
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Comments (5)

The following content represents the opinions of Health.com users. It is not editorially reviewed for medical or factual accuracy. It does not constitute medical advice. See your doctor for medical advice.
  • l

    I can never seem to pick out ripe Canteloupe or Honey Dew Melons.. What is the trick here?

  • andrea

    very good benificial site ..i love the information they provided me with

  • TexasGal

    For cantaloupe, my mother always said to smell the butt of the fruit, the sweeter it smells the juicer it will be. Hasn’t let me down so far.

  • shalum

    for honeydew … run your hand lightly over the fruit. If the melon is ripe it will be slightly sticky and will smell of honeydew. I can choose a melon with my eyes closed using this trick that my dad taught me … I don’t know where he learned it but it hasn’t failed me yet! I find that if honeydews are picked too green they will not ripen on the kitchen counter.

  • edna

    Please inform me the nutrietns in ripe papayas and in apricots…. also mangoes , how good are they?

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