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Fruits
Vegetables
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Fruits...
The scientific definition of a fruit is an organ
that develops from the ovary of a flowering plant
and contains one or more seeds. The culinary
definition, however, limits fruits to those foods
containing a high sugar content.
The sweetness of fruits comes from a natural form
of sugar called fructose. Fruit is very
versatile, appropriate for puddings, pies, and
jellies, salads, appetizers, eaten as snacks, and
served in soups. Fruits can cut the richness of
meats like pork and duck, and enhances the
delicate flavors of fish and veal.
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Types of fruits...
Fruits are classified by growing season and
location. The 3 main groups of fruit are summer,
winter, and tropical.
Winter fruits include citrus fruits and apples.
Citrus fruits are characterized by thick skins,
aromatic oils, and segmented flesh. They are
abundant in vitamin C. The most common citrus
fruits are oranges, grapefruits (white and
sweeter pink varieties), lemons, limes, tangelos,
and tangerines. The flavor of citrus fruits range
from very sweet oranges to very tart, sour
lemons.
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Types of fruits...
Apples are a widely available winter fruit, and
among the most commonly used of all the fruits.
The sweet and semi-firm textures of the Red and
Golden Delicious apples are best for eating.
The crisp and tart apples like the Jonathan and
Granny Smith are best for baking, as they hold
their shape well during cooking. The semi-tart
McIntosh, Rome, and Winesap apples are excellent
for applesauce.
Carpels are semi-transparent pods that contain
seeds near the core. They do not soften during
cooking.
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Types of fruits...
Summer fruits include berries, cherries, grapes,
melons, peaches, nectarines, plums, and pears.
Berries are highly perishable, tender, and
fragile. Handle them as little as possible and
serve them as soon as possible. Varieties include
blueberries, raspberries, blackberries,
boysenberries, and strawberries.
Cherries range in color from the light red of the
Queen Anne to the very dark, almost black Bing
cherry. Flavors range from very tart cherries,
best for baking, to the very sweet and usually
darker cherries best for eating fresh. Cherries
can be served fresh or cooked they can be
frozen or canned or pickled and candied, like the
maraschino cherry.
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Cherries, along with plums, peaches, nectarines,
and apricots are called DRUPES. Drupes all have
a central pit enclosing a single seed.
Types of fruits...
Peaches have a distinctive fuzzy skin. There are
two categories of peaches In CLINGSTONE
peaches, the pit sits tightly against the meat
and is tougher to remove, but the meat is
sweeter, darker in color and juicier. It is
mostly used in the making of jellies and jams,
and is not commonly found in groceries or
markets. In FREESTONE peaches the pit sits
loosely against the meat and is much easier to
remove. Grown in the southern states, like
Georgia, they are lighter in color, firmer in
texture, and tend to be larger than clingstone.
Apricots have fuzzy skin like peaches, but are
usually smaller, slightly drier and more orange
in color. Nectarines are also similar to peaches,
but with a smooth skin and flesh the same texture
of plums.
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Types of fruits...
Popular sweet melons are honeydew and cantaloupe
(muskmelon). Characterized by their tan, green,
or yellow skin, the rind is tough and the flesh
is flavorful. The network of seeds in the middle
are taken out before eating. Unlike sweet
melons, watermelons have a smooth, thick green
skin and are often much larger in size. The seeds
are scattered throughout the melon.
Plums have a firm flesh and range in shades of
green, red, and purple. There are two categories
dessert and cooking. Cooking plums are generally
drier and more acidic than dessert plums. Some
cooking plums grow wild.
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Types of fruits...
Grapes are technically berries that grow in
clusters on vines, but because they come in so
many varieties with so many uses, they are
grouped separately. They are available with or
without seeds. We eat them, cook with them, and
make wine with them. California Seedless and
Napoleon Red are two common varieties. White
wines complement the flavor of fish and poultry
red wines complement the flavor of beef.
Pears have a sweet taste and a smooth juicy
flesh. Common varieties are Bartlett, Bosc, or
dAnjou (small dark red or green). Pears are
often picked early, while the flesh is still very
firm and grainy. Place them in a paper bag and
allow them to ripen at room temperature.
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Tropical fruits are named for the climatic
conditions under which they grow, and include
figs, dates, kiwis (fuzzy skin with bright
green-colored flesh and tiny edible seeds),
mangos (thick-skinned with a light yellow flesh
and spicy-sweet flavor), bananas, papayas (their
vitamin C content increases as they ripen),
pomegranates, passion fruit, pineapple, and
coconuts (coconut milk is not the juice from the
center, but a simmered mixture of water and
coconut meat).
Types of fruits...
Bananas are high in nutrients and are picked
green and allowed to ripen during transport.
Green bananas can be cooked very overripe
bananas can be used in baking.
POMEGRANATE PAPAYA MANGO
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The parts of the vegetable plants we eat include
the leaves, fruit, stems, roots, tubers, seeds,
and flowers. They are eaten cooked more often
than fruits are, and have a lower sugar content.
Flower Vegetables...
In flower vegetables, the flower or FLORET part
of the plant and the stems are eaten.
Only the tender flesh at the base of each globe
artichoke outer leaf is eaten, scraped off on the
teeth.
Then the thistle-type choke is removed and the
heart of the artichoke is exposed. Artichokes
are sometimes considered a stem vegetable.
Cut broccoli stems lengthwise to ensure
cooking times for stems and florets are the same.
The thick, waxy leaves of the cabbage plant stand
up well in stir-frying and in soups.
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Cruciferous vegetables...
It is believed that cruciferous vegetables may
lower the risk of certain kinds of cancer. These
vegetables are from the cabbage family and
include cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts,
kale, broccoli, mustard greens, collards,
rutabagas and turnips.
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Fruit Vegetables...
Avocados have leathery green or black skin with a
buttery flavor. They should be served with lime
or lemon juice to prevent the flesh from turning
brown. Guacamole (gwak-ah-MOE-lee) is a
traditional Mexican dip using mashed avocados as
the main ingredient.
Slicing cucumbers have
smooth skins and are long,
round cylinders with a
high water content.
Pickling cucumbers
(prickly skin)are best used
for making sweet or
dill
pickles. Ones that feel heavy for their size
are likely to be crisper. Smaller cukes have
fewer seeds.
Eggplant is a tear-shaped, purple-black vegetable
with a glossy skin and firm flesh, sometimes used
as a good replacement for meat. Asian eggplant, a
more slender variety, is typically sweeter. It is
always served cooked. Babaganoush
(BAH-bah-gahn-OOSH) is a Middle Eastern dip using
eggplant as the main ingredient.
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Fruit Vegetables...
Bell or sweet peppers are named for their shape.
All varieties start out green, and change colors
to red, green, yellow, cream, or purple as they
ripen. Chili peppers are smaller and hotter.
The seeds are the hottest part.
Butternut, acorn, spaghetti, banana, hubbard, and
pumpkin are types of winter squash. Crookneck,
and zucchini are types of summer squash with soft
skin and smaller seeds that can both be eaten.
Tomatoes are a type of berry, ranging in color
from green, to yellow, to bright red. Large,
green tomatoes can be fried. Vine-ripened
tomatoes have the best flavor.
Tomato products include sauce, paste, and ketchup.
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Green, Leafy Vegetables...
The light-green leaves of iceberg lettuce are
tightly packed together the heaviest heads being
the most compact. Remove the core before storage
for a longer shelf life. Both romaine and leaf
lettuce are loosely packed the leaves grow
upward in bunches and their edges are slightly
ruffled.
Escarole ?
Romaine
Red green leaf lettuce
There are several types of greens used in
cooking, including mustard greens, escarole, and
spinach. They usually have a more bitter,
stronger flavor than the lettuces and are very
high in nutrients.
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Once the seed vegetables are picked, they begin
to convert their natural sugars to starch. They
lose their sweetness.
Seed Vegetables...
Peas
Green beans Haricot verts
Fresh beans include green beans, yellow wax
beans, and French haricot verts
(HAIR-ee-ko VAIR). They are all eaten in the pod
or long, outer shell.
Corn and popcorn, grown for its small ears and
pointed kernels that explode when heated.
Fava Beans Lima Beans Broad beans are
removed from the pod before cooking. They are
toxic when raw.
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Root Vegetables...
Root vegetables are plants that have a single,
large edible root that extends down into the
ground and provides nutrients to the part of the
plant above ground.
Carrots contain a large amount of carotene, a
pigment easily convertible to vitamin A.
The leaves and root of beets are both edible.
Large beets may have a woody texture. Pickled
beets are zesty.
Peppery-flavored radishes range in color from
bright reds to pale cream, making them a good
garnish.
When young and fresh, half-white, half-purple
turnips range in flavor from very sweet to a
little peppery older ones can be hot and bitter.
The flesh is white the greens are edible.
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White onions have the sharpest, cleanest flavor,
best for slicing
Root Vegetables...
on hamburgers. Flattened yellow onions are the
most common and the least expensive. Use these
for most recipes and for onion rings. Very round
yellow, red, and white onions are less hot,
somewhat sweeter and crisper. All varieties have
a pungent flavor and aroma and are used as
seasonings. Pearl onions have very small bulbs.
Green onions, also called scallions, are common
onions pulled when immature.
Leeks look like large
green onions. They have the mildest flavor of all
onions.
Vidalia onions sweet onions only from South
Georgia
Mild-flavored shallots are shaped like small bulb
onions, but separate into cloves when broken
apart.
Garlic is separated into cloves and peeled. Some
believe garlic has medicinal qualities.
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Tubers are enlarged,
bulbous roots capable of
generating a new plant. They are actually fat,
underground stems. Like several of the seed
vegetables, these are high in starch.
Tuber Vegetables...
Potatoes are the most popular vegetable and very
versatile, able to be prepared by baking,
boiling, frying, deep-frying, and microwaving.
There are several varieties of potatoes, served
daily in over 60 of U.S. households.
Sweet potatoes have a darker flesh than a white
potato due to a higher sugar content. The thick
skin is not usually eaten. Yams are similar to
sweet potatoes, but not as sweet. Its flesh
ranges in color from deep red to creamy white.
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Baking Boiling
Potatoes
White oval-shaped potatoes, a variety called
Russets, are grown for baking. As they become
tender, the flesh of the potato becomes mealy.
The skin is the only thing that helps this potato
maintain its shape. They are the most expensive
potato.
Red potatoes hold their shape well when cooked,
so are best prepared by boiling. These can be
boiled, and then sliced for frying or diced for
potato salad.
Round white potatoes can be prepared by either
baking or boiling.
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Mushrooms are a family of fungi. Purchase from
reliable sources to avoid poisonous varieties.
Stem Vegetables...
Celery has a high water content and is very
crisp. The bunch is called a STALK. An
individual piece is called a RIB. Celery is often
served stuffed with cheese or peanut butter.
Morel resembles truffle with earthy nutty flavor
Shitake 10 cap
Portabella largest mushroom with meaty flavor
Asparagus
Enoki resembles bean sprouts and fruity flavor
Inexpensive Button
Chanterelle with nutty flavor
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Buying produce...
The USDA (United States Dept. of Agriculture) has
a grading system for fruits and vegetables to
indicate quality, but it is not mandatory in all
cases. USDA grades, from highest to lowest, are
U.S. Extra Fancy, U.S. Fancy, U.S. No. 1, U.S.
No. 2, and U.S. No. 3. Higher qualities are
indicative of excellent colors and flavors and
uniformity of shapes and sizes.
Produce grown by
hydroponic farming methods (grown in
nutrient-enriched water under regulated light and
temperatures) is not as flavorful.
When purchasing canned fruits, you may select
from those packed in their own juice (no sugar
added), those packed in light syrup (a small
amount of sugar added), or those packed in heavy
syrup (a larger amount of sugar added).
Purchasing produce in the off-season is more
expensive.
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Storing produce...
DO NOT wash vegetables until you are ready to use
them. Moisture causes spoilage. Certain fruits
(incl. apples, bananas, melons, and avocados)
emit ethylene gas which causes fruits to ripen.
These should be stored in a sealed container.
Unripe produce will continue to ripen in cool,
dry places. Refrigerate ripened fruits and
vegetables in ventilated plastic or paper bags or
in the crisper section. Refrigerating bananas
will darken the skins, but delay the ripening of
the fruit.
Wash produce before using.
Refrigerate Yukon Gold potatoes, which are used
like other round potatoes, but have a yellow
flesh and buttery flavor.
Do not refrigerate other potatoes, as the starch
will turn to sugar. Store potatoes and onions in
a cool, dry place. Unpeeled. Potatoes exposed
to light turn a green color, and develop a bitter
taste.
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Enzymatic browning (oxidation)...
Some fruits and vegetables naturally contain the
enzyme polyphenoloxidase (pol-lee-fen-il-OX-ee-day
s) that, when combined with oxygen in the air
react to cause discoloration. This process
begins as soon as the skin or peel of the produce
is removed.
Apples, pears, bananas, grapes, potatoes,
lettuce, and avocadoes are all fruits and
vegetables that will turn brown as the flesh of
the produce is exposed to oxygen. Lemon juice,
vinegar, powdered ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)all
used full strength or diluted with water, will
delay and/or slow the enzymatic browning. Even
adding salt and/or covering them with water will
help.
Tearing lettuce instead of cutting it with a
knife, deters browning.
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Cooking fruits vegetables...
Cooking fruits and vegetables results in
noticeable changes

1. COLOR of green vegetables, from the chlorophyll
   pigment, turns to dull olive green if overcooked
   or exposed to acid. A small amount of baking soda
   will brighten the green color, but destroys
   nutrients. A small amount of acid from lemon
   juice or vinegar added to red vegetables such as
   cabbage or beets that contain the carotenoid or
   anthocyanin (an-thoe-SIGH-ah-nin) pigments
   restores bright colors damaged by cooking these
   vegetables in water containing certain minerals.
   An alkali such as soda causes a blue-green color
   in red vegetables.

1. FLAVOR is released during cooking, making them
   more pronounced, but overcooking fades or causes
   unpleasant flavors. Fruits flavors mellow when
   heated, and become less acidic.

2. TEXTURE changes as heat softens cell walls,
making the fruit and vegetables more tender.
Overcooking them, however, may cause them to be
mushy.
MACEDOINE (mass-ee-dohn) mixture of fruits or
vegetables
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Protecting nutrients while cooking...

1. Use as little water as possible while cooking
   vegetables and fruits, and serve them with the
   liquid as many of the nutrients are dissolved in
   it. (All vitamins except A,D,E,K) Leftover
   liquids can be used in soups and mashed potatoes.
2. Cut the vegetables and fruits in large pieces
   rather than very small ones. Nutrients leave the
   food item through the cut surfaces.
3. Dont overcook! Nutrients are destroyed by
   exposure to heat, especially over long periods of
   time. Cook fruits and vegetables as quickly as
   possible.

Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of
vitamins ( like A C), minerals (such as
potassium), and fiber. They are low in fat and
sodium and have no cholesterol. Bananas are an
excellent source of potassiuma mineral needed to
prevent cramping of leg muscles.
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Cooking methods...
Pierce skins of whole potatoes before MICROWAVE
COOKING to avoid bursting.
FRYING is a popular
method of preparing vegetables.
Potatoes and onion rings can be deep fat fried.
STIR-FRYING requires a large,
hot surface, like a wok. Chopped onions,
garlic, or green pepper might be SAUTÉED in
butter.
BLANCHING or PARBOILING, partially cooks
vegetables or fruits in boiling water. This
allows the skins of produce such as peaches or
tomatoes to be easily removed.
Peppers, sweet corn, mushrooms, bananas,
tomatoes benefit with a flavor burst from being
GRILLED OR BROILED.
a la king served in cream sauce with vegetables

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More cooking methods...
SIMMERING is a method of slow-cooking in liquid.
Keep the temperature at or just under boiling.
STEAMING minimizes nutrient loss. It may take a
little longer than placing the food directly in a
liquid, however. There are a variety of steamers
available on the market.
BAKING is cooking in dry heat in an oven.
POACHING, also called stewing, is a method of
cooking in liquid. The goal is retention of
shape. Use just enough water to cover fruit, and
add water for a little sweetness and help in
retaining shape.
TEMPURA is a Japanese method of breading and
deep-frying vegetables.
GLAZING is a finishing technique. A small amount
of sugar or syrup is added to or brushed over the
vegetable to give it a glossy appearance as it
heats.
BOUQUETIERE a mix of fresh vegetables, in
season JARDINIERE diced, mixed vegetables
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Preparing fruit sauces...
Popular fruit sauces include applesauce or a
fresh berry coulis (cool-LEE) which is a sauce
made from a purée of vegetables or fruit that can
be served hot or cold. Begin by cooking the
fruit in liquid, such as water, until the fruit
has broken down. Add a sweetener such as sugar,
honey, or syrup. Once the sauce has cooled,
spices or other flavorings can be added as
desired. A purée will be smooth if put in a
blender or through a sieve.
Chutney is any relish type mixture made from
chopped fruits or vegetables.
A compote is stewed fresh or dried fruit, fruit
cooked in water and sugar (a syrup), and served
as a hot or cold dessert.
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Vegetables are often served raw...
The relish tray has become standard fare on
many tables and buffets. Raw vegetables
(including cucumbers that have been made into
sweet and dill pickles) and olives (black, green,
stuffed, etc.) are high in nutrients and very
colorful. Their crisp texture adds variety to any
meal. They make a low-calorie, high-fiber snack.
Crudités (croo-dee-TAY) A French term for raw
vegetables served as a relish.
Wasabi Japanese horseradish condiment
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The End