classy but trashy

This is NOT a Fruit Plate!

This is a bowl of unripe cantaloupe, three sour grapes and 6 pieces of woody pineapple core-- tres trashy (and not in a good way). I paid six dollars for this travesty at a restaurant in Boston this past weekend and while I half expected somewhat of a letdown upon ordering, I was pretty disappointed with the extent to which this spread was mocking my intelligence. So, in response I am posting a list of spring and summertime fruit that you can reference when making your own morning fruit bowls or for judging that of your favorite local breakfast spot. In fact, if you ever find yourself in Santa Cruz, California for brunch, Harbor Café on 7th Ave has a gorgeous fruit bowl that will never let you down with a copious melon cop out!

Apricots

-Pick plump, golden fruit with a pink blush and no sign of green. They should be firm with tender, velvety skin.

-Store at room temperature or refrigerate. Use within a day or two.

Blackberries

-Berries should be firm, plump, and fully colored. If picking yourself, berries should separate from the stem with minimal tugging.

-Store at room temperature or refrigerate in a single layer. Use within a day or two. Wash when ready to use.

Blueberries
-Berries should be firm, plump, and fully colored
-Store at room temperature or refrigerate in a single layer. Use within a day or two. Wash when ready to use.

Cantaloupe
-Should yield to slight pressure at the stem end. Sweet scent. Overripe melons will have a pronounced yellow color or moldy scent.
-Store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days and refrigerate after cutting. Remove seeds and skin.

Cherries

-Stems should be green and flexible. Avoid soft spots, bruises, and splits. Red cherries are ripe when deep red. White and yellow varieties are ripe when flushed with pink.

-Keep at room temperature for a few days, or longer in the refrigerator. Do not remove the stem until ready to use as the cherry will lose freshness rapidly.

Grapefruit

-Pick grapefruits that are heavy for their size, firm and thin-skinned. Skin color varies from yellow to ruby red.
-Keep at room temperature for a week to 10 days or up 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. Always refrigerate after cutting.

Kiwi
-Pick a kiwi that yields to slight pressure but doesn't have soft spots.
-Should be stored at room temperature for 3 to 5 days to ripen. Ripe kiwis can be refrigerated in a plastic bag for 2 to 3 weeks.

Mango

-Look for yellow-red skin with not too much green. Should yield to light pressure. Sweet aroma. Smaller ones are best.

-Keep at room temperature to continue ripening process. Pit is very large and will need to be cut around.

Nectarines

-Fruit should be plump with a sweet aroma. Skin should be smooth and not have any green color. Avoid hard fruit.

-Will keep at room temperature for a few days, or longer in the refrigerator.

Oranges

-Look for firm, thin-skinned oranges for juicing and thick-skinned oranges for eating.

-Store at room temperature for up to one week, or longer in the refrigerator.

Peaches

-Yields to slight pressure. Very fragrant. Avoid soft spots, bruises, or greenish color.

-Will keep at room temperature for a few days, or longer in the refrigerator. Peaches bruise easily, so handle carefully.

Pineapple

-Skin should be golden orange-brown. A gently pulled leaf will come away easily. Sweet scent.

-Will keep at room temperature for several days. Refrigerate after cutting. Remove leafy plume, skin, and core.

Raspberries

-Firm, plump, fully colored berries.
-Store at room temperature or refrigerate in a single layer. Use within a day or two. Wash when ready to use.

Strawberries
-Select berries with a universal red color and an intact green, leafy top. Avoid berries with soft or brown spots and check that none are smashed or moldy. Note that very large berries often have hollow centers and little flavor or juice.
-Store at room temperature or refrigerate in a single layer. Use within a day or two. Wash before removing green tops and only when ready to use.


Watermelon
-Should yield to slight pressure at the stem end. Sweet scent. Skin may be solid green, green-striped or mottled with white. Avoid melons that are very soft.
-Store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Refrigerate after cutting.