Limes favor tropical climates. It is thought that limes originally came from Southeast Asia, where Arab traders obtained them and returned them to Egypt and Africa in the 900s. Moors introduced limes to Spain in the 1200s, and then the fruit was disseminated throughout Europe during the Crusades. Columbus brought limes to the Caribbean on his second voyage to the New World. They were subsequently cultivated in the Florida region by Spanish explorers. Today, the leading lime producers include the United States, India, Italy, Mexico, and Spain.

Limes are available year round, although they are in their peak season from May through October. The two varieties of limes used most prevalently are the larger Persian (known also as Tahitian or Bearss) and the smaller Key (known also as Mexican or bartender’s).

When selecting a lime, look for one that is brightly colored, glossy, blemish-free, and glossy. It should be heavy for its size, and firm but springy to the touch.

Limes will keep their fresh flavor if kept at room temperature for up to one week, or loosely wrapped in the refrigerator for up to one month.

If you are juicing the lime, bring it to room temperature first; a warmer lime will produce more juice. Then, applying moderate pressure with your hand, roll it on the counter prior to juicing; this will release even more juice. If you want to store the juice for future use, you can freeze it in ice cube trays, and keep them in zip-loc baggies for up to four months.

One interesting bit of trivia is that the nickname “limey” originated from the 1800s, when British sailors were issued a daily ration of limes because the fruit’s high concentration of vitamin C prevented scurvy. (They didn’t actually know why or how it worked until 1923, when the health benefits of vitamin C were discovered.) In addition to their antioxidant-rich abundance of vitamin C, limes also contain cancer-fighting limonins.

Lime juice is popular in many beverages, including nonalcoholic drinks such as limeade, as well as cocktails such as margaritas. Many commercial carbonated beverages feature lime as the predominant flavor. Limes are also a popular garnish, either as a twist (as in a gin and tonic) or as a wedge (often served as an accompaniment to Mexican beer).

Like the juice of lemons, lime juice prevent oxidation and therefore can be sprinkled on fresh-cut fruit to prevent it from browning. Its chemical properties also make it a valuable addition to marinades. Lime juice serves as a wonderful salt substitute for people who are regulating their sodium intake. Its piquancy enhances the flavor of many foods.

Of the myriad lime recipes enjoyed around the globe, one of the most popular desserts is Key Lime Pie, which was developed after sweetened condensed milk was introduced to the Floridian Keys in the 1850s.

Key Lime Pie

For crust:
1 ¼ cup Nilla Wafer crumbs
1/3 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted

For filling:
4 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup key lime juice
½ teaspoon cream of tartar

For meringue:
4 egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
pinch of salt
½ cup granulated sugar

Directions

• Combine crust ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Press firmly into a pie plate to form a crust.
• Bake crust at 350 degrees for 10 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack.
• Beat the egg yolks until they appear pale yellow.
• Stir in the sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and cream of tartar.
• Spoon into crust and bake at 325 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, until filling is set.
• Cool 15 minutes on a wire rack.
• Freeze for at least three hours.
• Beat egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, and sugar until stiff peaks form.
• Spread meringue over pie, creating peaks and sealing edges to crust.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until meringue is golden.

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Furthermore, lemon is one of the most recognizable smells in the world. In fact, more cleaning products are scented with lemon than any other fragrance because most individuals recognize it as a clean, pure smell.

The History of the Lemon

Lemons most likely originated in India or China, where they have been grown for nearly 2,500 years. They are a cross between the lime and the citron, an old citrus fruit that is more often found in its preserved form rather than its natural form.

It’s believed that the Arabs first brought the fruit to Europe – Spain, in particular – in the 11th century. Lemons arrived in South Africa around the same time, and The Crusaders are credited with spreading the love of lemons throughout the rest of the European continent.

Like many foods from Europe, Christopher Columbus brought lemons to the New World on his second voyage in 1493. Historians believe that lemons have been growing in Florida since the 16th century.

Lemons and other vitamin C-laden fruits were crucial in 19th century America, particularly for the miners during the California Gold Rush. The fruit served to protect miners and others from developing scurvy. Records show that this fruit was so highly regarded that individuals would pay as much as $1 per lemon to obtain this healthy fruit.

Selecting Lemons

Not everyone is well-versed in how to choose the perfect lemon, and indeed, it can be tricky.

For people, being thin-skinned isn’t a good thing. For lemons, it’s preferred. Lemons with thin skins, because they have more flesh, will be juicier. That means the lemons you choose should be heavy and have peels with a finely-grained texture.

Lemons should also be bright yellow in color with no green tint. Shades of green indicate that the lemon is not fully ripe and, as a result, will not be terribly juicy. It’s also possible for lemons to be overripe. A lemon that’s no longer usable may have a dull color, be overly wrinkled, or have soft or hard patches on its skin.

Storing a Lemon

If you’re storing lemons outside the refrigerator, they can be kept at room temperature for about a week. Be sure to keep them out of direct sunlight.

Refrigerated lemons can last quite a long time, so it’s okay to buy a full bag of lemons, even if you don’t plan on using them immediately. Most will keep in your vegetable crisper for up to a month.

If you have favorite recipes that call for lemon zest (the scrapings from the outer skin of the lemon), you should know that the zest can be stored for later use by putting it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. You can do the same with pre-squeezed lemon juice by putting it in ice cube trays and then placing the tray in a large zipper-lock bag.

Preparing the Lemon

You’ll find that most recipes requiring lemon call for lemon juice. That’s why it’s important to find the juiciest lemons to get the most out of each one.

Lemons should be at room temperature before being juiced. If you’ve just removed them from the refrigerator, place them in a bowl of warm water for about 2 minutes before you slice and squeeze. Rolling them on a table under the palm of your hand will also help to get the juices flowing.

If your recipe calls for lemon zest, try to find organically grown lemons, whose peels will be free of pesticides. Wash the lemon thoroughly, then use a specially designed “zester” or potato peeler to get the zest. Don’t peel too far down, as you’ll reach the bitter white pithy section of the skin.

Nutritional Value

Lemons, like other citrus fruits, are an excellent source of Vitamin C. They’re also high in Vitamin A, potassium, calcium, and folate. Lemons have about 15 calories each and contain no fat.

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Watermelon is the most common variety of melon, with approximately 50 sub-types available. It originated in Africa, and evidence suggests its cultivation dates back to the Bronze Age. China is the leading producer of watermelon today, though several regions in the United States also grow watermelons commercially. With the highest water content of any fruit, watermelon’s juicy red flesh has become synonymous with summer fun and refreshment.

Cantaloupes are the most nutritious of all melon varieties, packed with vitamin C, beta-carotene, and potassium. They have a netted cream and green skin with sweet orange flesh. Other melons with netted skin include the Persian melon (rounder and larger than the cantaloupe, with firmer flesh) and the Santa Claus or Christmas melon (with dark green and yellow striped skin, and a flavor similar to Casaba but not as sweet). Cantaloupes are in peak season during the summer.

Choosing and Storing Melons

Honeydew is a smoother-skinned melon, with light yellow skin and pale green flesh. It has the sweetest flavor of any melon. Other smooth-skinned melons include the Crenshaw (a cross between Casaba and Persian, with lightly spicy flesh) and the Casaba (round with yellow skin and green, sweet flesh).

While watermelons closely resemble their cucumber cousins, with seeds scattered throughout the fruit, other melons tend to resemble squash with seeds gathered in a cavity at the center.

Although melons come in a wide range of varieties and sub-types, they all require similar shopping guidelines. When selecting a melon, look for one that is heavy for its size, as a hefty weight typically indicates plenty of flavorful juice. Also, check for a strong fragrance, as fragrance often equals flavor. The melon should be firm but slightly springy when you apply gentle pressure with your fingers. The skin should be whole, free of bruises, cracks, or shriveling. Avoid any melon that feels mushy.

If your melon isn’t ripe when you purchase it, you can ripen it at home. To speed up the process, place the melon in a paper bag with an apple, banana, pear, or tomato. These fruits emit ethylene gas, which hastens ripening. This process may take up to four days, so check your fruit frequently to prevent over-ripening.

Uncut melons can keep for up to two weeks at room temperature. However, once you cut them, wrap and refrigerate the melon. Cut melon will keep for up to three days in the refrigerator, but it tastes best if allowed to reach room temperature before serving.

Most melons are perfectly delicious when served fresh. You can slice them, cube them, serve them as halves with seeds scooped out, or shape them into balls with a melon baller. A scooped-out melon shell makes a lovely bowl for fruit salad. A particularly crafty cook can carve a handle from the top half of the melon while preserving the bottom as the bowl.

Here’s a recipe for a simple yet elegant appetizer. Feel free to experiment by adding other fruits or drizzling with a balsamic vinegar reduction.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Melon

– 1 melon, cut into 6 wedges – 18 paper-thin prosciutto slices
Wrap one melon wedge in three slices of prosciutto.
Repeat with the remaining melon wedges and prosciutto slices.
If desired, garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley or other garden green.

Breakfast shakes are usually the domain of berries or citrus, but here’s something new to try. The result is a refreshingly delicious and nutritious drink.

Summer Melon Smoothie

– ¼ cantaloupe – ¼ honeydew – Juice of 1 lime – Optional garnish: lime wedges or mint sprigs
Peel and seed the melons.
Cut them into 1-inch cubes.
If time allows, freeze the melon cubes. Otherwise, use them fresh. (Freezing the melon will make your smoothie thicker.)
Combine the melon and lime juice in a blender.
Blend until smooth.
Pour into a tall glass. If desired, garnish with a lime wedge or mint sprig before serving.

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Originally native to Southeast Asia, the orange is referred to as the “Chinese apple” in many languages. As with many citrus fruits, the orange traveled with traders across Asia and Europe, eventually reaching the New World during Christopher Columbus’ voyages. Key figures in the history of North American orange cultivation include William Wilfskill, who planted the first orange tree in Los Angeles in 1841, and Eliza Tibbets, who established the navel orange industry in California thirty years later. One of her original trees continues to produce fruit today.

Oranges flourish in semitropical and subtropical regions. The top orange producers are Brazil and the United States—specifically, Florida. California also produces a significant portion of the world’s oranges. Florida’s oranges tend to produce sweeter juice, while California’s oranges are known for their more aesthetically pleasing appearance. Other major orange producers include China, India, Mexico, and Spain.

Various types of oranges are enjoyed for their unique properties and characteristics.

Valencia oranges are the most common variety. They typically have few seeds and produce a high quantity and quality of juice. As a late-season variety, they fill the market when navel oranges are no longer available. Occasionally, Valencia oranges will “regreen” during ripening, causing chlorophyll to return to the peel, but this does not affect the fruit’s quality.

Navel oranges are ideal for eating fresh. They have no seeds, and their easy-to-peel skin makes them perfect for immediate consumption rather than juicing. Among the many varieties of navel oranges, the Washington is perhaps the most popular.

Seville oranges are highly valued as the primary ingredient in marmalade. Originally from Spain, Seville oranges are also grown in Florida.

Blood oranges, also called Moro oranges, are prized for their beautiful, rich red flesh and mildly berry-infused flavor. Their intense color comes from anthocyanin, an antioxidant known for its cancer-fighting and anti-aging properties.

Mandarin oranges are smaller than other varieties. Their sweet fruit is a favorite in many recipes and also makes for a delicious snack when eaten fresh.

When shopping for oranges, regardless of variety, look for one that feels heavy for its size, as this indicates a good supply of juice. Lighter fruit tends to be drier inside. The skin should be shiny, and a navel orange should have a small navel, indicating it was not too ripe when picked.

You can store oranges in the refrigerator, but they will keep best in a cool area of your kitchen. Oranges taste best when eaten within several days, and their juice should be consumed as soon as possible after juicing to preserve both taste and vitamin content.

Oranges are a flavorful addition to many food and beverage recipes. This cake makes a lovely addition to any brunch table.

Orange Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

For the cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
¼ cup grated orange zest
5 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup orange juice
½ cup poppy seeds
For the syrup:

¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare the Bundt pan by greasing and lightly flouring it or spraying it with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and orange zest; set aside.

In another bowl, combine the eggs and sugar. Beat on high until light and fluffy. Add the oil and vanilla, mixing until well-blended.

Alternate adding the flour mixture and orange juice to the egg mixture, incorporating about a third of each at a time. Mix well but avoid overmixing to prevent overworking the batter.

Stir in the poppy seeds gently.

Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake for 1 hour at 350°F. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted midway between the center and edge of the pan comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan to continue cooling.

In a small pan, combine the syrup ingredients and heat for 5 minutes, or until the mixture thickens.

Use a skewer to prick small holes all over the surface of the cake, then gradually pour the syrup over the top and sides. Pour slowly so the cake absorbs the syrup.

Allow the cake to cool completely.

Here is another recipe that’s perfect for brunch. Serve this flavored butter with bran muffins, cranberry bread, or pancakes. For a special touch, use a melon baller to shape the butter into butterballs after the mixture has chilled.

Whipped Orange Butter

6 tablespoons butter, softened
Zest of one orange
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
Place the butter and zest in a small bowl and mix until well combined. Add the confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, and orange juice, stirring until smooth.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour until firm.

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Apples are a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Pectin is the primary soluble fiber found in apples and it’s known to bind to cholesterol, thus helping prevent heart disease and even hardening of the arteries. The insoluble fiber in apples is a delight to your intestinal tract because it will provide bulk. The more bulk you have in your diet, the more your body can rid itself of harmful chemical substances and the better you feel!

Homemade applesauce is fun to make and can release wonderful aromas in your kitchen. If you’re an applesauce lover, you may already know that applesauce has evolved from the plain old apples, water and sugar recipe of the past. Now, there are exciting twists to the standard recipe that makes eating a bowl of applesauce fun!

Applesauce is somewhat like peanut butter it can be chunky or smooth. To make a chunky applesauce, you simply mash the apples with a potato masher after cooking. To make the homemade applesauce smooth, simply blend the finished mixture in the blender. Cooking homemade applesauce can’t get much easier than that!

Below is your basic recipe for delicious homemade applesauce:

1. Peel your apples. Then core them, and cut into slivers or cubes.
2. In a 2-quart sauce pot, add the apples, water, sweetener (if any), and spices.
3. Simmer, covered on low heat for 20 minutes or until apples are softened.
4. Remove from heat and remove the spices, if large pieces were used. Mash with a potato masher or blend until smooth.

Now, assemble your ingredients and equipment. Below are three variations of homemade applesauce, with the recipe ingredients listed.

Apple Apricot Homemade Applesauce

4 apples, Golden Delicious or Fuji
3/4 cup to one cup purified water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or
1/2 teaspoon lemon peel
1 cinnamon stick
Dash of nutmeg

Apple Strawberry Homemade Applesauce

1-1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples
2 large handfuls strawberries (remove stem)
3/4 cup water
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or
1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid crystals

Apple Peach Homemade Applesauce

8 small home-grown farmstand apples
3 ripe peaches, with pit and fuzz removed
1/3 cup honey
3/4 cup water

As you can see, it’s easy to create new ideas on your own. Basically you need fruit and water. The fruit should be ripe. The riper the fruit, the less sugar or sweetener you’ll need to add.

If you want to pack in some passion to your homemade applesauce, add some spices, usually a minimum of about 1 teaspoon per 2-quart pot. The spices to add can be from this list: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, pumpkin pie spices, lemon peel, vanilla, lavendar, basil (this gives a burst of unexpected flavor). Although flavors such as vanilla, almond, raspberry, strawberry, banana, or pineapple are not usually added to recipes, but imagine the wonderful bursts of flavor if you add any one of these! don’t go wild and add a lot; start with just 1/4 teaspoon per recipe and taste test before you add any more to the recipe.

To add a preservative, add ascorbic acid crystals or lemon juice. If you want to add a sweetener, add honey, sugar, or a sugar/brown sugar combination.

Homemade applesauce can be a very creative process! Develop your very own favorite recipe and keep its ingredients a secret for several decades. Make the process of eating a bowl of applesauce an amazing experience for your children and grandchildren.

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Breeding

To combat your enemy, you must know its habits. Fruit flies breed very quickly, going from egg to adult in about ten days. A female fly will lay up to 500 eggs on the substance attracting it. Attractants include beverages, decaying produce, garbage or the slime in drains. Note that some foods and beverages seem to entice more than others: bananas, grapes, peaches, pineapples, tomatoes, potatoes, beer, cider, vinegar and wine.

Sanitation Equals Prevention

To prevent fruit fly infestations, you must remove any sources of attraction. All it takes is one female and one piece of overripe fruit to start the whole breeding cycle. You can set out traps, but unless you get rid of the breeding site, the flies will continue to torment you. Even chemical sprays (not recommended by this author) will do nothing to prevent the emergence of new adults.

Here are some tips on where to look for fruit fly breeding sites. Keep these areas clean and you’ll go a long way towards eradicating these pests.

Ripe fruits and vegetables on counter tops provide the ideal breeding site. Clear your counters of all produce – eat it, throw it out or refrigerate it. Cut away damaged or cracked parts of fruit and vegetables in case fruit fly eggs or larvae are present.

Check for old produce in the back of cupboards.

Check under appliances for spills. A small amount of juice spilled under a refrigerator is very welcoming to fruit flies.

Make sure garbage cans have tight lids. If you suspect that your kitchen garbage is attracting the bugs, take it out regularly and clean around it.

Compost buckets are a major breeding ground, so take your compost out every day and thoroughly clean the bucket.

Any organic matter left in drains is an attractant to fruit flies. To check your drains for flies, tape a plastic food storage bag over your drain overnight. If they are breeding down there, the adults will get stuck in the bag, providing the proof you need. Clean the drain to get rid of the eggs.

Investigate other potential breeding grounds like recycling bins, dishwater and mop water, standing water around house plants, wet lint in the laundry room and cracks in tiles where moisture has seeped through.

Check the screens on your windows and doors. They should fit tightly and be made of 16 mesh.

Trapping fruit flies

After you have found and eliminated the source of the fruit flies, there will likely still be some around. You can purchase a fruit fly trap, but it’s just as easy (and probably cheaper) to make your own.

Take an empty jar and place a small amount of apple cider vinegar or a bit of banana in it. Tape some plastic wrap over the top of the jar and poke some small holes in it with a pen or toothpick. The fruit flies will go in, but will not be able to get out. You can also line the jar with a sticky substance, like honey. The fruit flies will be attracted to the honey and will get stuck to it.

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Although the mango is not native to North America, most well-stocked supermarket produce aisles carry at least a few mangos, regardless of the season. However, many people avoid them because they are uncertain about the taste and other specifics of this tropical fruit.

About the Mango

Unlike North Americans, people in other parts of the world have been enjoying mangoes for centuries. The mango is native to Asia, including eastern India, Burma, and the Andaman Islands. It is believed that Buddhist monks brought the mango to Malaysia and eastern Asia in the 5th century BC.
As the centuries passed, mango trees were planted throughout the tropics and subtropics, with botanists eventually recognizing that these regions were the best environments for the trees to thrive.

Mango trees are evergreen and can grow up to 60 feet tall. Once planted, a tree will begin producing fruit in 4 to 5 years. A good crop requires long periods of hot, dry weather.

Thanks to the advancements in botany, there are now more than 1,000 different varieties of mangoes grown worldwide, making the fruit a favorite in various climates, even in countries where mangoes wouldn’t naturally grow.

In the United States and Canada, most mangoes are imported from Mexico, South America, Haiti, and other Caribbean islands.

Selecting Mangos

Choosing a good mango that will be sweet and pleasant to eat is not a difficult task once you know what to look for.
An unripe mango is green and should still be hanging on the tree. However, the mangoes you find in the store could be a mix of light green, red, orange, and yellow, depending on the variety. This makes it challenging to determine ripeness just by looking at the mango.

Smell and softness are better indicators of whether a mango will be good. Like a peach, the ideal mango should be slightly soft to the touch but not squishy. It should yield to gentle pressure, but you should not be able to see finger indentations after you squeeze it. If you can, it means the mango is overripe.

Once you’ve assessed the texture, bring the stem end up to your nose and take a whiff. Unlike some other fruits, you should be able to smell the mango’s delightful fruity aroma. If you can’t, move on to the next mango.

If you end up with a slightly unripe mango, leave it out on the kitchen counter. For quicker ripening, place it in a paper bag at room temperature overnight. Once ripe, refrigerate it and eat it within a day or two.

Storing a Mango

Mangoes should not be refrigerated during the ripening process. However, once a mango is fully ripe, it can be placed in the fruit drawer of your fridge for up to a week. Experts recommend storing mangoes at 55°F (about 13°C) for optimal freshness.

Preparing the Mango

If you’re unfamiliar with mangoes, you might not know how to prepare them for consumption. Should you peel it? How do you slice it?
It’s actually quite easy to handle a mango. Start by cutting off each end, then peel the mango from top to bottom, following its natural curvature. Once peeled, the mango can be sliced lengthwise along the pit.

You can also cube the mango for a delightful and colorful addition to fruit salads.

Nutritional Value

Mangoes are quite low in calories—about 70 calories per average-sized mango—yet high in fiber. Many islanders eat a mango a day and rarely experience irregularity. The fruit is also rich in antioxidants, Vitamins C and A, and potassium. Additionally, mangoes contain an enzyme that aids in digestion and can be eaten in small portions to soothe a stomach ache.

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Long known only as an ingredient in muffins or pies, blueberries have, in the past few years, gained a new claim to fame. It turns out these little blue fruits are nutritional powerhouses. Their numerous health benefits have earned them a place atop many nutritionists’ lists of must-eat foods.

Antioxidants in Blueberries

Since about 2004, the word has been out that blueberries have high levels of antioxidants. Why is this important? The benefits of antioxidants are tied up in a complex chemical process in the body involving oxygen and free radicals, but the basic point is this: free radicals are bad and antioxidants neutralize their ill effects. And make no mistake, if free radicals are left unchecked they can lead to serious disease. Research is ongoing, but it is increasingly showing that antioxidants can combat certain cancers and neurodegenerative diseases, like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. And blueberries have been shown to contain the highest levels of antioxidants in any fruit.

So, what gives blueberries the edge over other fruit? Well, the fact that they’re blue, for one thing. Their rich purple-blue colour comes from the antioxidant anthocyanin, which is also the source of many of their health benefits. Preliminary research has shown that anthocyanin not only helps in disease prevention, as outlined earlier, but also improves eyesight. And blueberries contain yet another type of antioxidant, called stilbenes, which have been shown to lower cholesterol.

And what of Jamie Gold’s claim that blueberries are brain food? It’s those antioxidants again. The same properties that may prevent Alzheimer’s also work to protect the brain from various other stresses, and may influence the way brain cells communicate with each other.

Other Health Benefits of Blueberries

Blueberries have been shown effective in preventing and treating common ailments, like urinary tract infections and childhood diarrhea. Treatment of the latter comes from substances called anthocyanosides which appear to have antibacterial properties. And initial research is showing that the presence of ellagic acid in blueberries may inhibit the growth of cancer.

Like all berries, blueberries are also very high in fibre and vitamins, like C and E. And if you are watching your weight, blueberries are the ideal treat: they satisfy your cravings for sweets without fat and with almost no calories.

Get Your Daily Dose of Blueberries

According to the North American Blueberry Council, consumers claim that blueberries are easy-to-use and versatile. And they are right. The nutritional benefits are present whether the berries are fresh, frozen or dried, so there are many fast and easy ways to add them to your diet.

Start your day with fresh or dried blueberries in your cereal. Fresh or frozen blueberries are a great addition to a fruit shake – just blend together some blueberries, milk, a banana and a bit of molasses and you have a healthy and filling breakfast drink. Toss some fresh blueberries in a container and keep them at your desk for snacks. Or, mix some fresh or frozen blueberries with yogurt for dessert. And you can always fall back on the classics (although not too often if you want to stay slim): blueberry pie or cobbler.

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These days, China is the world’s leading pineapple producer; although Hawaii holds the lion’s share of the market in the United States, that constitutes only 10 percent of the world market. (Florida also produces pineapples, but not enough to be considered a market leader.)

Named for its visual similarity to the pinecone, pineapple is available year-round, but its peak season is from March to July.

When shopping for pineapple, look for signs of freshness such as intensely green leaves, a pleasingly tropical smell, and firm flesh with no spots or mushiness. The eyes (the “thorns” scattered on the pineapple’s body) should not be dark or watery. The pineapple should be plump and heavy for its size.

Pineapples must be picked when fully ripened, so transportation is a huge issue. Now that they can be transported via air, their quality in mainland grocery stores has improved tremendously.

Their lack of starch means that pineapples will not ripen after they have been picked, so checking for ripeness is as important as checking for freshness. A ripe pineapple will have yellow breaking through its base, indicating that its natural sugar has sweetened the fruit.

Refrigerate whole ripe pineapples in a plastic bag. They will keep fresh for three to five days. Cut pineapple should also be refrigerated and tightly wrapped, but it will stay fresh for only a day or two. Pineapple can be frozen (after cubed and stored in an airtight container with its juices) for up to six months.

To prepare a pineapple for eating, use a sharp knife to trim the top and bottom down to the flesh. Next, hold the pineapple upright and slice off its skin in a downward vertical motion, slicing deeply enough to remove its eyes. The final step is to remove the center core. You can do this by slicing the pineapple into discs and then coring the cross-section, or you can slice the pineapple lengthwise around the core. You may want to prepare the pineapple on a plate so that you can capture all of the juices as you slice.

Serve pineapple as slices, wedges, strips, or cubes. You can plan ahead to hollow the pineapple shell and use it as a bowl for tropical fruit salad. The beauty of the pineapple makes it a lovely centerpiece.

Canned pineapple is especially useful in recipes. It is available in sugar syrup or natural juices, and comes crushed or in slices, strips, or chunks. You can store unopened canned pineapple up to one year in your pantry, but you should refrigerate and use it within one week after the can has been opened.

Fresh pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme which will prevent gelatin from setting and will cause dairy products to curdle. (You can use fresh pineapple with dairy if you do not combine them until immediately prior to serving.) The enzyme resembles gastric acids, so it also serves as a valuable aid in digestion. Bromelain’s chemical properties and pineapple’s sweet flavor combine to create a wonderful marinade and meat tenderizer.

Here is a recipe for a rich, delicious dessert whose buttery goodness makes it the ideal comfort food.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Topping:
¼ cup butter, melted
2/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 can (approximately 1 pound) pineapple in its own juice
Cake:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9” round cake pan.
Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Set aside.
Mix the ¼ cup melted butter and brown sugar, then spread it evenly in the pan.
Distribute the pineapple evenly atop the brown sugar topping. (Crushed pineapple or tidbits work especially well, but sliced or chunks are also good.)
Set aside.
In large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
In another bowl, cream the ½ cup butter with granulated sugar and beat with electric mixer until fluffy.
Add eggs, beating well after each addition.
Add vanilla and reserved pineapple juice, mixing well.
Add the flour mixture and milk, alternating each in small batches and beating well after each addition.
Pour batter into pan, spreading evenly over pineapple and topping.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a skewer tests clean.
Cool upright on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
Run knife around edge, then invert on serving platter.
Cake is delicious warm or at room temperature as is or with whipped cream or ice cream.

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Early Native Americans prized cranberries for their myriad of versatile uses. They mixed mashed berries with dried deer meat to make long-lasting pemmican (the benzoic acid in cranberries makes them a natural preservative). They also found that cranberries provided a variety of medicinal uses and utilized the berries’ intensely colored juices as a natural red dye.

After the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, they too began incorporating cranberries into their daily life. To this day, the cranberry remains a New England culinary staple.

Dutch and German settlers called the bright red fruit “crane berries” because their flowers, when in bloom, resembled the head of a crane. Our modern name “cranberry” evolved from that earlier usage.

Growing and Harvesting Cranberries

Cranberries grow on low vines in marshes and sandy bogs. The common image of cranberries growing in water is actually based on the harvesting process. First, the berries are handpicked from their vines; in larger crops, special machinery is used for this purpose. Next, the bog is flooded with knee-high water, which allows the harvesting machinery to gather the rest of the berries more easily. The main difference is that dry-harvested cranberries are marketed as fresh berries, while wet-harvested cranberries are sold to processing plants for juices, sauces, and other food products.

Major cranberry producers include Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Washington, New Jersey, and Oregon, with their growing season spanning October through December.

When shopping for fresh cranberries, look for plump berries with bright, shiny skin. Their scarlet tone can range from light to dark red. Truly fresh cranberries will bounce; while bouncing berries in the supermarket is not realistic, it is good to keep in mind that the berry should be “bouncy” – firm, plump, and smooth.

Frozen cranberries are available year-round. Other popular cranberry products include cranberry juice and cranberry juice cocktails, which now include blends with apple, raspberry, or grape juices. Canned cranberry sauce comes in both whole-berry and jelled varieties.

Craisins, dried cranberries similar to raisins, have gained recent popularity. A simple yet beautiful salad idea is to toss craisins and sugared pecan halves with spring greens and a light vinaigrette, then top with a small round of goat cheese. Craisins are also delicious in muffins or other baked goods. To plump craisins, soak them in a cup of boiling or very hot water for 15 minutes.

When cooking cranberries, you can reduce some of their tartness by adding ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to 3 cups of berries. Only cook them until they pop, or they will taste bitter. Cooked cranberries will last up to a month if kept tightly covered. Adding a bit of liqueur will extend their shelf life.

Before storing cranberries, be sure to weed out any mushy berries. One bad cranberry can cause the entire bunch to spoil quickly. You can refrigerate fresh cranberries for up to two months in a zip-lock bag.

To freeze cranberries, wash and dry them first. Cranberries freeze well and can be kept for up to a year.

Here is a recipe for a traditional morning treat. To adapt it for a luncheon or brunch buffet, score each into eight smaller wedges.

Cranberry Scones

¾ cup yogurt (you can substitute buttermilk)
1 egg
2 ¾ cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter
1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen), coarsely chopped
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 tablespoon butter, melted
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a small bowl, beat yogurt and egg until well combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Cut in butter.
Mix in cranberries, sugar, and orange rind.
Stir in yogurt mixture.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and pat into a large ball.
Knead about 10 times.
Pat into two 1” thick circles.
Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Score both circles into quarters to make 4 wedges from each circle.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Move to a wire rack.
Brush tops with butter and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

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