How to Buy

FRESH FRUITS

United States Department of Agriculture

PREPARED BY Agricultural Marketing Service

Home and Garden Bulletin Number 260

Walk into today’s food store and you’ll

see fresh fruits available in fairly con-

stant supply during the entire year. Fresh

fruits add color and variety to any meal.

Because of their natural sweetness, they

are great for dessert and are a good low-

fat snack alternative.

How to Buy

FRESHFRUITS

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in itsprograms on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability,political beliefs, and marital or familial status. (Not all prohibited bases apply toall programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communica-tion of program information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact theUSDA Office of Communications at (202) 720-5881 (voice) or (202) 720-7808(TDD).

To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department ofAgriculture, Washington, D.C., 20250, or call (202) 720-7327 (voice) or(202) 720-1127 (TDD). USDA is an equal employment opportunity employer.

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Points to ConsiderWholesomeness...quality...nutritive value...convenience...methods of use...and informativelabeling are some of the points to consider whenpurchasing fresh fruits.

WholesomenessDo it yourself. There is no substitute for your ownexperience in choosing the right quality of fresh fruitfor different uses. Tips in this booklet can help youachieve satisfaction and save money.

Don’t buy just because of low price. It seldom pays tobuy perishable fruits merely because the price is low.Unless the lower price is a result of overabundance ofthe fruit at the time, the so-called bargain may beundesirable.

Buy only what you need. Home refrigeration makes itpossible to keep an adequate supply of most perish-able fruits on hand, but never buy more than you canproperly refrigerate and use without waste — even ifthe product is cheaper in quantity.

Keep on the lookout for deterioration. Even with themost modern handling methods, product quality candecline rapidly on display. Sometimes, this off-qualityfruit can be bought for less money, but the waste inpreparation may offset the price reduction.

Appearance and quality are closely associated inmany respects, but fine appearance does not alwaysdenote fine quality. Often a very attractive fruit maynot taste good because of a varietal characteristic, orbecause of some internal condition such asovermaturity. On the other hand, a fruit with poorappearance due to poor color or superficial blemishesmay be delicious.

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Buy in season. Quality is usually higher and prices aremore reasonable when fruit is in season. Out-of-season produce is generally more expensive.

When you must handle a fruit to judge its quality, usethoughtful care to prevent injury. Rough handlingcauses spoilage and waste. The consumer pays forcarelessness in the long run.

Nutritive ValueFresh fruits and fruit juices contain many vitaminsand minerals, they are low in fat (except avocados)and sodium, and they provide dietary fiber. USDAnutritionists recommend 2 to 4 servings from the fruitgroup each day. Count as a serving an individual unit(one medium apple, pear, banana, orange), a fractionof a unit (grapefruit half, melon wedge), 1/2 cupberries, 1/2 cup chopped or cooked fruit, or 3/4 cupfruit juice. Whole, unpeeled fruit is higher in fiberthan peeled fruit or fruit juice.

LabelingUnder federal guidelines, a substantial number ofretailers must provide nutrition information for the 20most frequently eaten raw fruits. These fruits are:bananas, apples, watermelons, oranges, cantaloupes,grapes, grapefruit, strawberries, peaches, pears,nectarines, honeydew melons, plums, avocados,lemons, pineapples, tangerines, sweet cherries,kiwifruit, and limes. Information about other fruitsmay also be provided. The nutritional informationmay appear on posters, brochures, leaflets, or stickersnear the fruit display. It may include serving size;calories per serving; amount of protein, total carbohy-drates, total fat, and sodium per serving; and percentof the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowances for iron,calcium, and vitamins A and C per serving.

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QualitySome fruits are labeled with a USDA quality grade.The quality of most fresh fruits can be judged reason-ably well by their external appearance. Therefore, byfollowing the guide provided in this booklet, consum-ers usually can make a good selection of fresh fruitsfrom retail display counters even without the help of agrade mark or other identification of quality.

Quality Grades For Fresh FruitThe U.S. Department of Agriculture has establishedgrade standards for most fresh fruits. The grades areused extensively as a basis for trading among grow-ers, shippers, wholesalers, and retailers. Gradestandards are used to a limited extent in sales fromretailers to consumers.

Use of U.S. grade standards is voluntary. In mostcases, however, some State laws and Federal market-ing programs require grading and grade labeling ofcertain fruits.

Most packers grade their fruits, and some markconsumer packages with the grade. If a packagecarries a grade, the packer is legally obligated to makethe contents measure up to official grade require-ments. Some shippers, wholesalers, and distributorsuse USDA or State grading services.

Grade designations are most often seen on packagesof pears and apples. Other fruits occasionally carrythe grade designations.

U.S. Fancy Fancy means premium quality. Only asmall percentage of fruits are packed in this grade.

U.S. No. 1 U.S. No. 1 means good quality and is themost commonly used grade for most fruits.

U.S. No. 2 and U.S. No. 3 U.S. No. 2 is noticeablysuperior to U.S. No. 3 which is the lowest gradepractical to pack under normal commercial condi-tions.

A Consumer’s Guide to Buying FruitThe following alphabetical list of fruits is designed asa reference to help you shop more intelligently. Someof the terms used (such as “mature” and “ripe”) havespecial meanings in the produce field. A brief glos-sary in the back of this booklet will help you under-stand these terms.

ApplesThe many varieties of apples differ widely in appear-ance, flesh characteristics, seasonal availability, andsuitability for different uses.

For good eating as fresh fruit, the commonly availablevarieties are: Red Delicious, McIntosh, Granny Smith,Empire, and Golden Delicious. For making pies andapplesauce, use tart or slightly acid varieties such asGravenstein, Grimes Golden, Jonathan, andNewtown.

For baking, the firmer fleshed varieties — RomeBeauty, Northern Spy, Rhode Island Greening,Winesap, and York Imperial — are widely used.

Look for: Firm, crisp, well-colored apples. Flavorvaries in apples, and depends on the stage of maturityat the time that the fruit is picked. Apples must bemature when picked to have a good flavor, texture,and storing ability. Immature apples lack color andare usually poor in flavor. They may have a shriveledappearance after being held in storage.

Most apples are marketed by grade, and consumerpackages show the variety, the grade, and the size.U.S. grades for apples are: U.S. Extra Fancy, U.S.Fancy, U.S. No. 1, and combinations of these grades.U.S. Utility is a less desirable grade. Apples from thefar Western States are usually marketed under Stategrades which are similar to the U.S. grades.

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Avoid: Overripe apples (indicated by a yielding toslight pressure on the skin, and soft, mealy flesh) andapples affected by freeze (indicated by internalbreakdown and bruised areas). Scald on apples(irregularly shaped tan or brown areas) may notseriously affect the taste.

ApricotsMost fresh apricots are marketed in June and July, buta limited supply of imported apricots is available inlarge cities during December and January. Domesticapricots are grown principally in California, Washing-ton, and Utah.

Apricots develop their flavor and sweetness on thetree, and should be mature but firm at the time thatthey are picked.

Look for: Apricots that are plump and juicy looking,with a uniform, golden-orange color. Ripe apricotswill yield to gentle pressure on the skin.

Avoid: Dull-looking, soft, or mushy fruit, and veryfirm, pale yellow, or greenish-yellow fruit. Theseindicate overmaturity or immaturity, respectively.

AvocadosAvocados, grown in California and Florida, areavailable all year. Two general types, and a number ofvarieties of each, are grown. Depending upon typeand variety, avocados vary greatly in shape, size, andcolor. Most tend to be pear-shaped, but some arealmost spherical. Fruits weighing under 1/2 pound aremost commonly available. Some have rough orleathery textured skin, while others have smooth skin.The skin color of most varieties is some shade ofgreen, but certain varieties turn maroon, brown, orpurplish-black as they ripen.

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Despite this variation in appearance, avocados are ofgood eating quality when they are properly ripened,becoming slightly soft. This ripening process nor-mally takes from 3 to 5 days at room temperature forthe quite firm avocados usually found in food stores.Ripening can be slowed by refrigeration.

Look for: For immediate use, select slightly softavocados which yield to gentle pressure on the skin.For use in a few days, buy firm fruits that do not yieldto the squeeze test. Leave them at room temperatureto ripen.

Irregular light-brown markings are sometimes foundon the outside skin. These markings generally have noeffect on the flesh of the avocado.

Avoid: Avocados with dark sunken spots in irregularpatches or cracked or broken surfaces. These are signsof decay.

An extra tip: When preparing avocados, to avoid thebrowning of avocado flesh when exposed to air,immediately place the peeled fruit in lemon juice untilready for use.

BananasUnlike most other fruits, bananas develop their besteating quality after they are harvested. This allowsbananas to be shipped great distances. Almost ourentire supply of bananas, available year-round, isimported from Central and South America. Bananasare sensitive to cool temperatures and will be injuredin temperatures below 55 °F. For this reason, theyshould never be kept in the refrigerator. The idealtemperature for ripening bananas is between 60 and70 °F. Higher temperatures cause them to ripen toorapidly.

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Look for: Bananas which are firm, bright in appear-ance, and free from bruises or other injury. The stateof ripeness is indicated by skin color. Best eatingquality has been reached when the solid yellow coloris specked with brown. At this stage, the flesh ismellow and the flavor is fully developed. Bananaswith green tips or with practically no yellow colorhave not developed their full flavor potential.

Avoid: Bruised fruit (indicating rapid deteriorationand waste); discolored skins (a sign of decay); a dull,grayish, aged appearance (showing that the bananashave been exposed to cold and will not ripen prop-erly).

Occasionally, the skin may be entirely brown and yetthe flesh will still be in prime condition.

BlueberriesFresh blueberries are on the market from May throughSeptember. Generally, the large berries are cultivatedvarieties and the smaller berries are wild varieties.

Look for: A dark blue color with a silvery bloom isthe best indication of quality. This silvery bloom is anatural, protective, waxy coating. Buy blueberries thatare plump, firm, uniform in size, dry, and free fromstems or leaves.

Avoid: Soft, mushy, or leaking berries.

CherriesExcellent as dessert fruit, most sweet cherries foundin the food store are produced in the Western Statesand are available from May through August. Red tartcherries, also called sour or pie cherries and usedmainly in cooked desserts, have a softer flesh, lighterred color, and a tart flavor. They generally are shippedto processing plants and are sold frozen or canned.

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Look for: A very dark color is your most importantindication of good flavor and maturity in sweetcherries. Bing, Black Tartarian, Schmidt, Chapman,and Republican varieties should range from deepmaroon or mahogany red to black for richest flavor.Lambert cherries should be dark red. Rainier cherriesshould be straw-colored. Good cherries have bright,glossy, plump-looking surfaces and fresh-lookingstems.

Avoid: Overmature cherries lacking in flavor, indi-cated by shrivelling, dried stems, and a generally dullappearance. Decay is fairly common at times on sweetcherries, but because of the normal dark color,decayed areas are often inconspicuous. Soft, leakingflesh, brown discoloration, and mold growth areindications of decay.

CranberriesA number of varieties of fresh cranberries are mar-keted in large volume from September throughJanuary. They differ considerably in size and color,but are not identified by variety names in your foodstore.

Look for: Plump, firm berries with a lustrous colorprovide the best quality. Duller varieties should atleast have some red color.

Avoid: Brown or dark, discolored berries and soft,spongy, or leaky berries should be sorted out beforecooking, because they may produce an off-flavor.

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GrapefruitGrapefruit is available all year, with most abundantsupplies from January through May. While Florida isthe major source of fresh grapefruit, there also issubstantial production in Texas, California, andArizona. Several varieties are marketed, but theprincipal distinction at retail is between those whichare “seedless” (having few or no seeds) and the“seeded” type. Another distinction is color of flesh.Pink- or red-fleshed fruit is most common, but white-fleshed varieties are also available.

Grapefruit is picked “tree ripe” and is ready to eatwhen you buy it in the store.

Look for: Firm fruits, heavy for their size, are usuallythe best eating. Thin-skinned fruits have more juicethan coarse-skinned ones. If a grapefruit is pointed atthe stem end, it is likely to be thick-skinned. Rough,ridged, or wrinkled skin can also be an indication ofthick skin, pulpiness, and lack of juice.

Grapefruit often have skin defects such as scale, scars,thorn scratches, or discoloration. This usually doesnot affect how the fruit tastes.

Avoid: Soft, water-soaked areas, lack of bright color,and soft, tender peel that breaks easily with fingerpressure are symptoms of decay.

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GrapesMost table grapes available in food stores are of theEuropean type, grown principally in California andArizona. Only small quantities of Eastern-grownAmerican-type grapes are sold for table use.

European types are firm-fleshed and generally havehigh sugar content. Common varieties are Thompsonseedless (an early, green grape), Red seedless (anearly, red grape), Tokay and Cardinal (early, bright-red, seeded grapes), and Emperor (late, deep-red,seeded grapes). These all have excellent flavor whenwell-matured.

American-type grapes have softer flesh and are juicierthan European types. The outstanding variety forflavor is the Concord, which is blue-black when fullymatured. Delaware and Catawba are also popular.

Look for: Well-colored, plump grapes that are firmlyattached to the stem. White or green grapes aresweetest when the color has a yellowish cast or strawcolor, with a tinge of amber. Red varieties are betterwhen good red predominates on all or most of theberries. Bunches are more likely to hold together ifthe stems are predominantly green and pliable.

Avoid: Soft or wrinkled grapes, or bunches of grapeswith stems that are brown and brittle; these are theeffects of freezing or drying. Also avoid grapes withbleached areas around the stem ends (indicating injuryand poor quality), and leaking berries (a sign ofdecay).

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KiwifruitThe kiwifruit is a relatively small, ellipsoid-shapedfruit with a bright green, slightly acid-tasting pulpsurrounding many small, black, edible seeds, which inturn surround a pale heart. The exterior of the kiwi-fruit is unappealing to some, being somewhat “furry”and light to medium brown in color. (While the furryskin is edible, some prefer to peel the fruit beforeeating.) Domestic kiwifruit is produced primarily inCalifornia, but imported kiwifruit is also commonlymarketed.

Look for: Plump, unwrinkled fruit, either firm orslightly yielding. Kiwifruit is fully ripe when it isyielding to the touch but not soft. Firm kiwifruit canbe ripened at home in a few days by leaving it at roomtemperature. Use of a ripening bag or bowl will speedthe process.

Avoid: Fruit that shows signs of shriveling, mold, orexcessive softening, all of which indicate spoilage.Some kiwifruit may appear to have a “water-stained”exterior. This is perfectly normal for the fruit anddoes not affect interior quality in any way.

Note: Kiwifruit contains an enzyme, actinidin, similarto papain in papayas, that reacts chemically to breakdown proteins. (It has been used as a “secret ingredi-ent” to tenderize meat.) Actinidin prevents gelatinfrom setting, so if you are going to serve kiwifruit in agelatin dish, cook the fruit for a few minutes beforeadding it to the gelatin.

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LemonsMost of the Nation’s commercial lemon supply comesfrom California and Arizona, and is available year-round.

Look for: Lemons with a rich yellow color, reason-ably smooth-textured skin with a slight gloss, andthose which are firm and heavy. A pale or greenish-yellow color means very fresh fruit with slightlyhigher acidity. Coarse or rough skin texture is a signof thick skin and not much flesh.

Avoid: Lemons with a darker yellow or dull color, orwith hardened or shriveled skin (signs of age), andthose with soft spots, mold on the surface, andpunctures of the skin (signs of decay).

LimesMost limes sold at retail are produced in Florida orimported from Mexico, and are marketed whenmature. Imported limes are mostly the smaller“seeded” lime.

Look for: Limes with glossy skin and heavy weightfor the size.

Avoid: Limes with dull, dry skin (a sign of aging andloss of acid flavor), and those showing evidence ofdecay (soft spots, mold, and skin punctures.)

MelonsSelection of melons for quality and flavor is difficult,challenging the skill of even the most experiencedbuyer. Although no absolute formula exists, consider-ing several factors when judging a melon will in-crease the likelihood of success.

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Cantaloupe (Muskmelons)Cantaloupe, generally available from May throughSeptember, are produced principally in California,Arizona, and Texas. Some are also imported early inthe season.

Look for: There are three major signs of full matu-rity. First, the stem should be gone, leaving a smoothsymmetrical, shallow base called a “full slip.” If all orpart of the stem base remains, or if the stem scar isjagged or torn, the melon is probably not fully ma-tured. Second, the netting, or veining, should be thick,coarse, and corky, and should stand out in bold reliefover some part of the surface. Third, the skin color(ground color) between the netting should havechanged from green to yellowish-buff, yellowish-gray, or pale yellow.

Signs of ripeness: A cantaloupe might be mature, butnot ripe. A ripe cantaloupe will have a yellowish castto the rind, have a pleasant cantaloupe aroma, andyield slightly to light thumb pressure on the blossomend of the melon.

Most cantaloupe are quite firm when freshly dis-played in retail stores. While some may be ripe, mosthave not yet reached their best eating stage. Holdthem for 2 to 4 days at room temperature to allowcompletion of ripening. After conditioning themelons, some people like to place them in the refrig-erator for a few hours before serving.

Avoid: Overripeness is indicated by a pronouncedyellow rind color, a softening over the entire rind, andsoft, watery, and insipid flesh. Small bruises normallywill not hurt the fruit, but large bruised areas shouldbe avoided, since they generally cause soft, water-soaked areas underneath the rind. Mold growth on thecantaloupe (particularly in the stem scar, or if thetissue under the mold is soft and wet) is a sign ofdecay.

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CasabaThis sweet, juicy melon is normally pumpkin-shapedwith a very slight tendency to be pointed at the stemend. It is not netted, but has shallow, irregular furrowsrunning from the stem end toward the blossom end.The rind is hard with light green or yellow color. Thestem does not separate from the melon, and must becut in harvesting. The casaba melon season is fromJuly to November. Casabas are produced in Californiaand Arizona.

Look for: Ripe melons with a gold-yellow rind colorand a slight softening at the blossom end. Casabashave no aroma.

Avoid: Dark, sunken, water-soaked spots whichindicate decay.

CrenshawIts large size and distinctive shape make this meloneasy to identify. It is rounded at the blossom end andtends to be pointed at the stem end. The rind isrelatively smooth with only very shallow lengthwisefurrowing. The flesh is pale orange, juicy, and deli-cious; and generally considered outstanding in themelon family. Crenshaws are grown in Californiafrom July through October, with peak shipments inAugust and September.

Look for: There are three signs of ripeness. First, therind should be generally a deep golden yellow,sometimes with small areas having a lighter shade ofyellow. Second, the surface should yield slightly tomoderate pressure, particularly at the blossom end.Third, the melon should have a pleasant aroma.

Avoid: Slightly sunken, water-soaked areas on therind are signs of decay.

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Honey BallThe honey ball melon is very similar to the honeydew melon, except that it is much smaller, very round,and slightly and irregularly netted over the surface.Use the same buying tips for this melon as for thehoney dew melon.

Honey DewThe outstanding flavor characteristics of honey dewsmake them highly prized as a dessert fruit. The melonis large (4 to 8 lb.), bluntly oval in shape, and gener-ally very smooth with only occasional traces ofsurface netting. The rind is firm and ranges fromcreamy white to creamy yellow, depending on thestage of ripeness. The stem does not separate from thefruit, and must be cut for harvesting.

Honey dews are available to some extent almost allyear round, due in part to imports during the winterand spring. Chief sources, however, are California,Arizona, and Texas. The most abundant supplies areavailable from July through October.

Look for: A soft, velvety texture indicates maturity.Slight softening at the blossom end, a faint pleasantfruit aroma, and yellowish-white to creamy rind colorindicate ripeness.

Avoid: Dead-white or greenish-white color and ahard, smooth feel are signs of immaturity. Large,water-soaked, bruised areas are signs of injury; andcuts or punctures through the rind usually lead todecay. Small, superficial, sunken spots do not damagethe melon for immediate use, but large decayed spotswill.

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PersianPersian melons resemble cantaloupe, but are morenearly round, have finer netting, and are about thesame size as honey dews. The flesh is thick, fine-textured, and orange-colored. Grown primarily inCalifornia, they are available in fair supply in Augustand September.

Look for: The same quality and ripeness factorslisted for cantaloupe apply to Persian melons.

WatermelonsAlthough watermelons are available to some degreefrom early May through September, peak suppliescome in June, July, and August. Judging the quality ofa watermelon is very difficult unless it is cut in half orquartered.

Look for: Firm, juicy flesh with good red color that isfree from white streaks; and seeds which are darkbrown or black. Seedless watermelons often containsmall white, immature seeds, which are normal forthis type.

Avoid: Melons with pale-colored flesh, white streaks(or “white heart”), and whitish seeds (indicatingimmaturity). Dry, mealy flesh, or watery stringy fleshare signs of overmaturity or aging after harvest.

If you want to buy an uncut watermelon, here are afew appearance factors which may be helpful (thoughnot totally reliable) in guiding you to a satisfactoryselection. The watermelon surface should be rela-tively smooth; the rind should have a slight dullness(neither shiny nor dull); the ends of the melon shouldbe filled out and rounded; and the underside, or“belly” of the melon should have a creamy color.

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NectarinesThis fruit, available from June through Septemberfrom California, combines characteristics of both thepeach and the plum.

Look for: Rich color and plumpness, and a slightsoftening along the “seam” of the nectarine. Mostvarieties have an orange-yellow background colorbetween the red areas, but some varieties have agreenish background color. Bright-looking fruitswhich are firm to moderately hard will probably ripennormally within 2 or 3 days at room temperature.

Avoid: Hard, dull fruits or slightly shriveled fruits(which may be immature — picked too soon — andof poor eating quality) and soft or overripe fruits orthose with cracked or punctured skin or other signs ofdecay.

Russeting or staining of the skin may affect theappearance but not detract from the internal quality ofthe nectarine.

OrangesCalifornia, Florida, Texas, and Arizona produce ouryear-round supply of oranges.

Leading varieties from California and Arizona are theWashington Navel and the Valencia, both character-ized by a rich orange skin color. The Navel orange,available from November until early May, has athicker, somewhat more pebbled skin than theValencia; the skin is more easily removed by hand,and the segments separate more readily. It is ideallysuited for eating as a whole fruit or in segments insalads. The western Valencia orange, available fromlate April through October, is excellent either forjuicing or for slicing in salads.

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Florida and Texas orange crops are marketed fromearly October until late June. Parson Brown andHamlin are early varieties, while the Pineapple orange— an important, high-quality orange for eating — isavailable from late November through March. Floridaand Texas Valencias are marketed from late Marchthrough June. The Florida Temple orange is availablefrom early December until early March. Somewhatlike the California Navel, it peels easily, separatesinto segments readily, and has excellent flavor.

Oranges are required by strict State regulations to bemature before being harvested and shipped out of theproducing State. Thus, skin color is not a reliableindex of quality, and a greenish cast or green spots donot mean that the orange is immature. Often fullymatured oranges will turn greenish (called“regreening”) late in the marketing season. Someoranges are artificially colored to improve theirappearance. This practice has no effect on eatingquality, but artificially colored fruits must be labeled“color added.”

“Discoloration” is often found on Florida and Texasoranges, but not on California oranges. This is a tan,brown, or blackish mottling or specking over the skin.It has no effect on eating quality, and in fact oftenoccurs on oranges with thin skin and superior eatingquality.

Look for: Firm and heavy oranges with fresh, bright-looking skin which is reasonably smooth for thevariety.

Avoid: Light-weight oranges, which are likely to lackflesh content and juice. Very rough skin textureindicates abnormally thick skin and less flesh. Dull,dry skin and spongy texture indicate aging anddeteriorated eating quality. Also avoid decay —shown by cuts or skin punctures, soft spots on thesurface, and discolored, weakened areas of skinaround the stem end or button.

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PeachesA great many varieties of peaches are grown, but onlyan expert can distinguish one from another. Thesevarieties, available May to November, fall into twogeneral types: freestone (flesh readily separates fromthe pit) and clingstone (flesh clings tightly to the pit).Freestones are usually preferred for eating fresh or forfreezing, while clingstones are used primarily forcanning, although they are sometimes sold fresh.

Look for: Peaches which are fairly firm or becominga trifle soft. The skin color between the red areas(ground color) should be yellow or at least creamy.

Avoid: Very firm or hard peaches with a distinctlygreen ground color, which are probably immature andwon’t ripen properly. Also avoid very soft fruitswhich are overripe. Don’t buy peaches with largeflattened bruises (they’ll have large areas of discol-ored flesh underneath) or peaches with any sign ofdecay. Decay starts as a pale tan spot which expandsin a circle and gradually turns darker in color.

PearsThe most popular variety of pear is the Bartlett, whichis produced in great quantities (in California, Wash-ington, and Oregon) both for canning and for sale as afresh fruit. With the aid of cold storage, Bartlett pearsare available from early August through November.

Several fall and winter varieties of pears are grown inWashington, Oregon, and California, and shipped tofresh fruit markets. These varieties — Anjou, Bosc,Winter Nellis, and Comice — keep well in coldstorage and are available over a long period, fromNovember until May.

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Look for: Firm pears of all varieties. The colordepends on variety. For Bartletts, look for a paleyellow to rich yellow color; Anjou or Comice — lightgreen to yellowish-green; Bosc — greenish-yellow tobrownish-yellow (the brown cast is caused by skinrusseting, a characteristic of the Bosc pear); WinterNellis — medium to light green.

Pears which are hard when you find them in the foodstore will probably ripen if kept at room temperature,but it is wise to select pears that have already begun tosoften — to be reasonably sure that they will ripensatisfactorily.

Avoid: Wilted or shriveled pears with dull-appearingskin and slight weakening of the flesh near the stem,which indicates immaturity. These pears will notripen. Also avoid spots on the sides or blossom endsof the pear, which means that corky tissue may beunderneath.

PineapplesPineapples are available all year, but are most abun-dant from March through June. Hawaii, Puerto Rico,and Mexico are principal suppliers. Present marketingpractices, including air shipments, allow pineapples tobe harvested as nearly ripe as possible. They aredelivered to market near the peak of sweetness, withcolor ranging from green to orange and yellow. Amature green pineapple will normally turn yellow toorange within a few days at room temperature, butmany are already fully colored when you find them inthe food store.

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Look for: Bright color, fragrant pineapple aroma, anda very slight separation of the eyes or pips — theberry-like fruitlets patterned in a spiral on the fruitcore. At their mature stage, pineapples are usuallydark green, firm, plump, and heavy for their size. Thelarger the fruit, the greater the proportion of edibleflesh.

As the popular varieties ripen, the green color turns toorange and yellow. When fully colored, pineapplesare golden yellow, orange-yellow, or reddish brown,depending on the variety.

Avoid: Pineapples with sunken or slightly pointedpips, dull yellowish-green color, and dried appearance— all signs of immaturity. Also avoid bruised fruit,shown by discolored or soft spots, which are suscep-tible to decay. Other signs of decay are traces ofmold, unpleasant odor, and eyes which are dark andwatery.

Plums and PrunesQuality characteristics for both are very similar, andthe same buying tips apply to both.

Plums — A number of varieties of plums are pro-duced in California and are available from June toSeptember. Varieties differ slightly in appearance andflavor, so you should buy and taste one to see if thatvariety appeals to you.

Prunes — Only a few varieties of prunes are com-monly marketed, and they are all very similar. Prunesare purplish-black or bluish-black, with a moderatelyfirm flesh which separates freely from the pit. Mostcommercial production is in the Northwestern States.Fresh prunes are available in food stores from Augustthrough October.

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Look for: Plums and prunes with a good color for thevariety, in a fairly firm to slightly soft stage ofripeness.

Avoid: Fruits with skin breaks, punctures, or brown-ish discoloration. Also avoid immature fruits (rela-tively hard, poorly colored, very tart, sometimesshriveled) and overmature fruits (excessively soft,possibly leaking or decaying).

Raspberries, Boysenberries, etc.Blackberries, raspberries, dewberries, loganberries,and youngberries are similar in general structure.They differ from one another in shape or color, butquality factors are about the same for all.

Look for: A bright, clean appearance and a uniformgood color for the species. The individual small cellsmaking up the berry should be plump and tender butnot mushy. Look for berries that are fully ripened,with no attached stem caps.

Avoid: Leaky and moldy berries. You can usuallyspot them through the openings in the ventilatedplastic containers. Also look for wet or stained spotson wood or fiber containers, as possible signs of poorquality or spoiled berries.

StrawberriesFirst shipments of strawberries come from southernFlorida in January, and then production increases,gradually spreading north and west into many parts ofthe country before tapering off in the fall. Strawber-ries are in best supply in May and June.

Look for: Berries with a full red color and a brightluster, firm flesh, and the cap stem still attached. Theberries should be dry and clean, and usually mediumto small strawberries have better eating quality thanlarge ones.

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Avoid: Berries with large uncolored areas or withlarge seedy areas (poor in flavor and texture), a fullshrunken appearance or softness (signs ofoverripeness or decay), or those with mold, which canspread rapidly from one berry to another.

Note: In most containers of strawberries you willlikely find a few that are less desirable than others.Try to look at some of berries lower in the containerto be sure that they are reasonably free from defectsor decay.

TangerinesFlorida is the chief source of tangerines. Considerablequantities of tangerines and similar types of orangesare produced in California and Arizona, some inTexas, and few are imported. Tangerines are availablefrom late November until early March, with peaksupplies in December and January. The Murcott, alarge, excellent variety of orange resembling thetangerine, is available from late February throughApril.

Look for: Deep yellow or orange color and a brightluster is your best sign of fresh, mature, good-flavoredtangerines. Because of the typically loose nature oftangerine skins, they will frequently not feel firm tothe touch.

Avoid: Very pale yellow or greenish fruits, which arelikely to be lacking in flavor (although small greenareas on otherwise high-colored fruit are not bad), andtangerines with cut or punctured skins or very softspots (all signs of decay, which spreads rapidly).

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A Consumer’s Glossary of Fruit TermsBlossom end — The opposite end from the stem end.The stem end will have a scar or remains of the stem.The blossom end is often more rounded.

Breakdown of tissue — Decomposition or breakingdown of cells due to pressure (bruise) or age (internalbreakdown).

Decay — Decomposition of the fruit due to bacteriaor fungus infection.

Ground Color — The basic or background color of afruit before the sun’s rays cause the skin to redden.The ground color may be seen beneath and betweenthe red blush of the fruit.

Degree of Ripeness — The terms “hard,” “firm,” and“soft” are subjective terms used to describe thedegrees of maturity or ripeness of a fruit. A “hard”texture will not give when pressed. A “firm” texturewill give slightly to pressure. A “soft” texture will besoft to the touch.

Mature — Describes a fruit that is ready to bepicked, whether or not it is ripe at this time. If a fruitis picked when mature, it can ripen properly, but ifpicked when immature, it cannot ripen properly.

Netting — The vein-like network of lines runningrandomly across the rinds of some melons.

Ripe — Describes a fruit that is ready to be eaten.

Russeting — A lacy, brownish, blemish-type coatingon top of the skin.

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Meat, Poultry, Fish,Dry Beans, Eggs,

& Nuts Group2-3 SERVINGS

FruitGroup

2-4 SERVINGS

Bread, Cereal,Rice, & Pasta

Group6-11

SERVINGS

Milk, Yogurt,& CheeseGroup2-3 SERVINGS

VegetableGroup3-5 SERVINGS

Food Guide PyramidA Guide to Daily Food Choices

Fats, Oils, & SweetsUSE SPARINGLY

KEY

These symbols show fat andadded sugars in foods.

Fat (naturally occurringand added)

Sugars(added)

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Use the Food Guide Pyramid to help you eat better every day...theDietary Guidelines way. Start with plenty of Breads, Cereals,Rice, and Pasta; Vegetables; and Fruits. Add two to threeservings from the Milk group and two to three servings from theMeat group. Each of these food groups provides some, but notall, of the nutrients you need. No one food group is moreimportant than another - for good health you need them all. Goeasy on the fats, oils, and sweets, the foods in the small tip of thePyramid.

The “Food Guide Pyramid” booklet (U.S. Department ofAgriculture, Human Nutrition Information Service, August 1992,Leaflet No. 572) can be purchased from the Consumer Informa-tion Center, Department 119-A, Pueblo, CO 81009. Make checkor money order payable to the Superintendent of Documents.

For information about nutrition, write:U.S. Department of Agriculture,Human Nutrition Information Service,6505 Belcrest Road,Hyattsville, MD 20782.

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HOW TO BUY FRESH FRUITS

Look For Signs of Good QualityRipeness, good color, and freedom from bruises, skinpunctures, and decay. Some packages carry a USDAgrade.

U.S. FANCYPremium Quality. Only a few fruitsare packed in this grade.

U.S. NO. 1Good quality. This is the mostcommonly used grade for most fruits.

Buy in SeasonQuality is better and prices are lower.

Shop CarefullyHandle fruits carefully — they bruise easily.

This pamphlet supersedes:HOW TO BUY FRESH FRUITSHome and Garden Bulletin No. 141Agricultural Marketing ServiceOctober 1967Issue date: January 1994