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.
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