Fruits! Weatherford. Key Points The professional chef and food service manager must be able to select fruits that are high in quality, fresh, and appropriate.

Fruits!

Weatherford

Key Points

• The professional chef and food service manager must be able to select fruits that are high in quality, fresh, and appropriate for the recipe or dish.

• Because they are so perishable, fruits require extra care from selecting to receiving to storage to serving.

• Fruits derive their sweetness from fructose, a natural form of sugar.

• There are summer, winter, and tropical fruits.

Summer Fruits

• Berries• Cherries• Grapes• Melons• Peaches• Nectarines• Plums• Pears

• Berries are highly perishable and fragile, and include strawberries, blueberries, boysenberries, and blackberries.

Summer Fruits

Summer Fruits

• California seedless and Napoleon Red are two of the most popular varieties of grapes.

• All varieties of grapes must be washed thoroughly to remove all traces of industrial insecticides.

Summer Fruits

• Melons are categorized into 2 groups: sweet melons and watermelons.

• Sweet melons include cantaloupe, crenshaw, and honeydew. These have a rough, netted skin and soft fleshy interior.

• Watermelons are larger in size and have a smooth, thick green skin and light, crisp texture.

Summer Fruits

• Peaches are available in 2 varieties: freestone and clingstone.

• Freestone flesh separates easily from the pit. Clingstone flesh clings to the pit.

Cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots are called drupes because they have a central pit enclosing a single seed.

Summer Fruits

• Plums come in many shades of green, red, and purple, and are either dessert or cooking plums.

• Damson is the most well-known cooking plum.

Summer Fruits

• The most common variety of pear include Bartlett, Bosc, d’Anjou, and Seckel.

• A properly ripened pear will have a sweet fragrance and be tender on the stem end.

Winter Fruits

• Citrus fruits• Apples

Winter Fruits

• Citrus fruits are characterized by thick skins, aromatic oils, and segmented flesh.

• Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, tangelos, and tangerines are most common.

• All citrus fruits are high in vitamin C.

Winter Fruits

• Apples are the most commonly used and available fruits.

• The most popular varieties include Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Rome, McIntosh, and Granny Smith.

• Tart apples are used for cooking and baking.

• Sweet apples can be eaten raw.

Tropical Fruits

• Tropical fruits are named for the climatic conditions under which theyre grown.

• They include:Bananas FigsDatesKiwisMangosPapayasPomegranatesPassion fruitPineappleCoconut

Tropical Fruits

• Bananas are the most common tropical fruit, and are rich in carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and potassium.

• Figs are a versatile fruit that can be eaten raw, or used in baking.

• Kiwis have a flavor similar to strawberries. They are an excellent garnish and add flavor and texture to fruit salads.

Tropical Fruits

• Mangos are juicy with good flavor and texture.

• Papayas are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, and are most flavorful when eaten raw.

• Pineapple shells are attractive decorations to hold the fresh fruit.

• Coconut meat is eaten raw, cooked in many dessert recipes, and pressed to make coconut oil.