Fruit In Skills
Page 2
How to Pick a WatermelonSkills
Here's what you need to know to spot the perfect picnic-worthy specimen.
Sep 10, 2022
What’s the Difference Between Raisins, Sultanas, and Currants?Skills
Up your knowledge on these baking basics.
Sep 9, 2022
The Best Ways to Store StrawberriesSkills
What you need to know so your strawberries don't go to waste!
Sep 7, 2022
A Guide to Different Eggplant VarietiesSkills
If you’ve only ever picked up an eggplant at the grocery store, you may think that each and every eggplant is the same — large, oblong, and deep purple. Well, take a walk through a farmers market mid-summer and you’ll realize that couldn’t be further from the truth. There are countless varieties out there, all unique in their own way. We picked 8 of our favorites to share so the next time you’re at the market, you’ll be inspired to try whichever you may find.
Sep 6, 2022
What’s the Fastest Way to Ripen a Peach?Skills
A juicy, ripe peach is always close at hand with this tip.
Sep 4, 2022
The Best Way to Keep Lemons Fresh for a Whole MonthSkills
Lemons are an ideal way to perk up early spring cuisine; from salads to fish and desserts, they are an easy flavor booster to keep on hand. However, I always end up planning a meal around my last lemon, only to find out it has become hard and yields as much juice as a potato. Then I discovered this simple tip for making sure you get every last drop out of your lemons. Lemons sealed in a plastic bag and stored in the refrigerator tend to keep fresh longer.
Aug 31, 2022
What Is Yuzu?Skills
No, this funny-looking, seed-packed fruit isn’t a deformed lemon or a discolored orange. Instead, it’s another exotic citrus that you should be on your radar.About the size of a tangerine, yuzu is an incredibly fragrant citrus fruit, but since it’s super sour and tart, it’s not eaten as-is. Instead, its zest and juice are used for flavoring in recipes.Yuzu is cultivated mainly in Japan, Korea, and China, and is not exported to the U.S.
Aug 26, 2022
What’s the Difference Between Grape and Cherry Tomatoes?Skills
They can't always be used interchangeably.
Aug 22, 2022
5 Ways to Make Cut Fruits and Vegetables Last LongerSkills
No more wasting any of your Sunday meal prep.
Aug 21, 2022
I Tried This Simple Hack to Juice Lemons and I Was Surprised at How Much Juice I Actually GotSkills
You have all the tools you need already!
Aug 20, 2022
Use This Simple Trick to Determine Whether an Avocado Is Ripe InsideSkills
There's a simple, foolproof way to tell whether you will discover a creamy, luscious green interior or a brown slimy mess the next time you cut open an avocado.
Aug 16, 2022
5 Ways to Actually Enjoy Eating an Underripe AvocadoSkills
Did a bin of firm, underripe avocados dash your hopes for a piece of avocado toast once again? I don’t mean avocados that are still rock-hard — those specimens that seem like they require a chainsaw to cut open. I’m talking about the avocados that dash your plans because they’re just a little too firm for making your favorite batch of guacamole.
Aug 16, 2022
High-Protein Shakes with No Protein PowderSkills
You'll want to memorize these.
Aug 15, 2022
How To Pick, Clean and Prepare Fava BeansSkills
Go ahead and make your jokes about fava beans and a nice Chianti. There’s no denying that these fresh, meaty beans are delicious, and they are in season right now, so grab them up! This protein-packed legume can be mashed and spread on bruschetta, or folded them into mashed potatoes. Most Americans aren’t familiar with fava beans, so we hope this post will make them seem less mysterious and cause more people to give them a try.
Aug 8, 2022
This Clever Hack Changed the Way I Cut Clingstone PeachesSkills
No more clingy pits.
Jul 20, 2022
Freestone Peaches vs. Clingstone: What’s the Difference?Skills
How well do you know your peaches?
Aug 5, 2022
What's a Stone Fruit, Anyway? Skills
Find out with our visual guide.
Aug 5, 2022
How Long Do Dates Last? Here’s How to Know If They’re BadSkills
Do you know what they are?
Aug 4, 2022
The Fastest Way to Chop Watermelon for Margaritas and MoreSkills
Summer suddenly just got a whole lot cooler.
Jul 27, 2022
Cucumber Primer: Kirby, Gherkin, English, and More…Skills
We remember the first time we heard the term “kirby” and had no idea it was a type of cucumber.That was a while ago, and these days, we can easily find kirby cucumbers as well as shrink-wrapped seedless ones in our grocery aisle.There are dozens of garden varieties you can grow, but we thought we’d take a look at some of the basic cucumbers you see at the farmers’ markets that are most commonly used by home cooks.
Jul 24, 2022
The Best Way to Cut a Peach, Plus How to Use Fresh PeachesSkills
Follow these steps to get a peach pie in the oven ASAP!
Jul 22, 2022
The Best Ways to Buy, Store, and Use Fresh CherriesSkills
Follow these tips and prepare for cherry pie season the right way.
Jun 24, 2022
What’s the Difference Between a Cobbler, Crumble, and Crisp?Skills
Here's everything you've ever wanted to know, including how they get their names.
Jun 6, 2022
How to Cut Papaya — A Step-by-Step GuideSkills
Follow these simple steps to slice your fresh papaya.
Jun 25, 2022
How to Peel Kiwis — A Step-by-Step GuideSkills
There are four easy ways to do it!
Jun 24, 2022
What Are Kumquats and How Can I Use Them?Skills
Pucker up for these sweet little citrus fruits.
May 31, 2022
What’s the Difference Between Peaches and Nectarines?Skills
Summer is when I eat my weight in peaches and nectarines.  And whether they’re for fruit cobbler or simply for snacking,  my toddler and I make sure to stock up at the farmers market on weekends. We don’t really care whether we’re buying peaches or nectarines, we just buy what looks, smells, and tastes good. But it did get me to thinking, are there differences between these two stone fruits? Yes, but they’re more subtle than you might expect.
May 14, 2022
How to Freeze Peaches So You Can Make Cobblers and Pies All Year LongSkills
I always get a little overzealous during peak peach season. Their beautiful hue draws me in, then their perfume seduces me into a stupor, and the next thing I know I’m leaving the farmers market with a full peck of peaches. A peck is nearly 15 pounds, so once my stupor fades away, I realize there is no way my family can eat that many peaches before they go bad (although we’ve tried).I prefer to peel my peaches before freezing because it makes them more versatile to use later.
May 15, 2022
Pantry Staples: Jars of Artichoke HeartsSkills
Jarred artichoke hearts are one of those pantry items that we keep around just for the times when we’re in a pinchUnlike mushy canned artichokes, we find that jarred artichokes stay fairly firm and meaty. We admit they’re not quite as fresh-tasting as frozen artichokes, but like we said, they’re great in a pinch when we need a quick weeknight meal.These artichoke hearts can round out a frittata or top a quick pizza. We can toss them with pasta or throw them into a cold salad.
May 13, 2022
Ingredient Spotlight: BergamotSkills
If you’ve ever had a cup of Earl Grey tea, you’ve had bergamot. Earl Grey tea’s characteristic citrus/floral flavor comes from the addition of dried bergamot peel or bergamot oil. Bergamot is a type of citrus that originated in Italy and is believed to be a cross between a lime and a sour orange.The rind of bergamot contains a large amount of essential oil, which have both culinary and cosmetic purposes. The flesh is very sour and does very well in curds and marmalades.
May 13, 2022
Seasonal Spotlight: Kishu MandarinsSkills
One of our new discoveries this citrus season is the tiny kishu mandarin, a sweet and seedless little treasure.The kishus we’ve eaten have been exceptionally sweet and full-flavored. If we manage to hold onto them long enough, we might add them to a salad or make bright tangerine curd, but they’re going quickly! They’re so easy to peel and we have been snacking on them alongside almonds, which are nearly the same size as the miniature citrus segments.
May 13, 2022
In Season Right Now: Sour CherriesSkills
These tart, acidic cousins of the sweeter table cherries are very hard to find. In the United States, they’re grown in large numbers in Michigan and Wisconsin and marketed as either sour or pie cherries. I managed to find them at an u-pick farm in Brentwood, California, but when I got out there, the trees had been picked over and I didn’t get enough cherries to make a pie or jam. Special note to cherry growers: please plant sour cherries. Hint, hint.
May 13, 2022
Grilling Tip: Use Cinnamon Sticks As SkewersSkills
Are you grilling fruit this summer? Just as barbecue cooking doesn’t have to be limited to savory ingredients (see our recent roundup of grilled desserts!), your skewer options are not restricted to bamboo and metal.Cinnamon sticks make splendid skewers for fruits like peaches, nectarines, plums, figs, and pineapple, holding them together and imparting a bit of flavor as they caramelize.
May 13, 2022
A Better Way to Dice an AvocadoSkills
We eat a lot of avocados in our house. And if we’re making guacamole or avocado toast, the means by which we remove the flesh from the shell matters very little. But if we want clean, uniform chunks, this is our go-to method. It’s so much easier than “make a grid pattern and then pop out the pieces” (which never worked for us anyway).
May 13, 2022
Quick Tip: What To Do with Unripe FruitSkills
Though the fruits are starting to roll in at nation-wide farmer’s markets, it’s still early enough in many places that an unripe peach or too-tart apple might make its way into the mix.If you find yourself with such a fruit, don’t throw it away: cook it! Here’s how…While cooking doesn’t magically cause unripe fruit to ripen, it does do three things:1. It enhances sweet and sour flavors in the fruit.2.
May 13, 2022
Thick or Thin Asparagus? Why Size Doesn’t Actually MatterSkills
Asparagus season is all but over where I live in California, but it’s just getting into full swing for many of you. Here’s a tip I learned this spring: when it comes to picking the best asparagus, size doesn’t matter at all.There’s a common belief among asparagus lovers, which I myself held true for years, that thin asparagus is tender while thick asparagus is woody and tough. It seemed to make sense, at least visually.
May 12, 2022
A Roundup Of AvocadosSkills
It is avocado season, and we’ve been doing a lot of things with this buttery, delicious fruit. While the Hass avocado is the most widely known variety, there are many varieties of avocados, some you’ve probably never heard of! Bacon avocados are medium-sized oval avocados with green skin that is easy to peel. They have a light taste and are available from late fall to early spring. Fuerte avocados were the original California avocado.
May 12, 2022
Sense of Place: Flavors and Ingredients from the MidwestSkills
The flavors of the Midwest are fairly close to those of New England. In both regions, the emphasis is on taking advantage of a short growing season and putting away for the winter.Here in the Midwest, German and Scandinavian immigrants had the added advantage of rich soil and the space to raise livestock. While this wasn’t a guarantee that you’d survive the harsh winter, you at least had a little more variety in your diet!
May 12, 2022
Canning Basics: What’s the Deal with Pectin?Skills
Canning feels like equal parts science and magic. Sure, we understand the basic facts of cooking the fruit and sealing it inside jars. But you can’t deny there’s something magical about opening that jar months later and spooning out a taste of summer. Pectin is one of the key players in this magical process. Ever wonder what it’s doing?Pectin is a gelling agent that helps to thicken and solidify the fruit juices.
May 12, 2022
What Is the Best Way to Store Half an Avocado?Skills
Q: As a person who lives alone, with my only regular dinner guests being those at my dinner parties, I’m curious about the most economical way to eat an avocado. I never really want to eat a whole one by itself in one day, but all of the “tried and true” methods of preserving it have failed for me, except freezing it as a puree immediately after I’ve blended it.Is there a great way to preserve half an avocado, or even slices of avocado, for a day or so?
May 12, 2022
Seasonal Spotlight: White MulberriesSkills
Compared to the gorgeous, jewel-toned color of pink or purple mulberries, white mulberries are rather plain-looking. Some might even say ugly. Or even grub-like. But don’t let that put you off! With their delicate sweetness, white mulberries can be enjoyed on their own or served as a complement to summer ices and other desserts.Native to China, the fruit of the white mulberry tree (Morus alba) can actually be white, pink, or light purple.
May 12, 2022
Seasonal Spotlight: NectaplumsSkills
What do you get when you cross a nectarine and a plum? A nectaplum! This particular variety, called a Spice Zee, has smooth, dusky red skin and white flesh. Intensely sweet with a trace of acidity and rich plum flavor, it’s really a perfect hybrid of the two fruits.The nectaplum was invented by Zaiger, the same company that gave us the pluot and aprium.
May 12, 2022
What’s the Difference Between Meyer Lemons and Regular Lemons?Skills
Plus, how to use each in recipes.
May 11, 2022
Preserving Without Canning: Tips and Tricks for Summer ProduceSkills
We hate to say it, but summer will be over before we know it. Now is the time to preserve some of the season’s gems like tomatoes, peaches, corn, and peppers. Preserving isn’t just about canning, though. Here are some tips for freezing, pickling, making sauces, and more.Berries: Berries may be frozen, of course, but our favorite way to preserve their flavor is in a shrub syrup, which you can use in sodas, cocktails, and salad dressings. Vinegar is also a great option for berries.
May 11, 2022
Hot Weather Treat: Frozen GrapesSkills
Whether you’re normally a fan of grapes or not, you have got to try them frozen! The grapes become like mini-popsicles that we can eat by the handful. They’re crunchy, a little sweet, and incredibly addictive. Even better, we don’t have to wait until dessert to justify eating them!All we do to get the grapes ready to freeze is wash them and let them air dry. Then we pull them off the stems and spread them out on a plate or sheet pan to freeze.
May 6, 2022
Everything You Need to Know About Buying and Cooking with ApplesSkills
What’s not to love about apples? They’re colorful and sturdy enough to carry around all day. They’re a healthy snack, and delicious raw, baked, or even cooked into sauce. We’ve gathered together our best tips on shopping, storing, and cooking the popular fruit that always graces our fruit basket! With so many varieties of apples out there, knowing what you want to do with the apples will help you pick the right variety.
May 4, 2022
Try This: Cucumber-Infused RumSkills
We’ve got a fridge full of cucumbers and a vacation coming up in a few days, which means we’re dutifully eating, drinking, and preserving these summer fruits as quickly as we can. Inspired by a recipe from the Two Hot Tamales, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, we also made a cucumber and rum infusion.Using a vegetable peeler, we peeled and sliced a cucumber into thin strips. One could also cut rounds or chunks, but we thought strips might be better for infusing.
May 4, 2022
Frozen Grapes Are Kid- and Adult-ApprovedSkills
The easiest snack that's also totally feel-good.
Apr 30, 2022
How To Cut and Eat a Grapefruit
A half of a grapefruit is a pretty wonderful way to start your day. Sure it’s healthy, but even better, it’s a delicious and juicy treat that wakes you up with its puckery taste! Grapefruits do require a small amount of prep work, but it only takes a sharp knife and a short minute to free up those segments. Read on for our step-by-step instructions.You can’t just cut a grapefruit in half and dig in with a spoon. Well, you can but you will make a mess of it.
Mar 11, 2022
What's the Difference Between Key Limes and Limes?
Key limes and Persian limes (usually just labeled "limes") are similar but there are some *key* differences.
Mar 5, 2022
We Tried 6 Methods for Cutting a Pineapple
The winner was easy and efficient.
Feb 12, 2022
The Last Thing You Should Do with a Brown Paper Lunch Bag
Tips from The Kitchn
Don't toss it in the recycling just yet!
Oct 14, 2021
8 Important Tips for Buying and Prepping Fruits and Veggies, According to Microbiologists
Tips from The Kitchn
Stock up on the vinegar!
Sep 10, 2021
I Tried Using a French Press to Make Fresh Watermelon Juice and Here’s What Happened
I Tried It
Now I want to serve all fresh juice this way.
Aug 13, 2021
To Make Perfect Slices of Watermelon, Use This Common Household Item
It's something you probably already have.
Jul 1, 2021
The Fastest Way to Juice Citrus When You Don’t Have a Juicer
This is great for when you need *a lot* of juice, and fast.
Jun 25, 2021
This Old School Tip Makes Better Looking Blueberry Muffins
You'll get berries in every bite.
May 11, 2021
Here’s How to Juice a Lemon Without Cutting It (Yes, It’s Possible)
All you need is a wooden skewer.
Apr 2, 2021
The Food Scientist Trick for Keeping Berries Fresh Longer
Make It Last
Do this as soon as you get home from the grocery store and your berries will stay fresh.
Mar 29, 2021
Instead of Throwing Your Banana Peel Away, Use It to Make “Bacon” (Yes, Really)
Food blogger and personal chef Charles W. Hunter III recently shared his recipe for banana peel "bacon" and it's been going wild all over Twitter and Instagram.
Mar 16, 2021
The First Rule of Feeding Kids: Always Bring a Banana
Have you ever noticed how many recipes there are for banana muffins out there? The plethora of banana-flavored toddler snacks? Or how many banana songs there are for kids? (If you like to eat, eat, eat eeples and baneenies you’re not alone.) There’s a reason for that — it’s because bananas are heaven’s gifts to parents with hungry kids. Yes, they’re chock-full of potassium and a good source of vitamin C. Sure, they are self-contained.
Sep 30, 2020
10 Ways to Get Your Kids to Eat More Colorfully
There are many parenting paradigms that really needed to be examined with fresh eyes and approached in a totally different way. Case in point? Our obsession with getting kids to eat more fruits and vegetables. It can be tempting to approach the end of some seasons — the holidays, lax summer seasons, or even vacation — with an inclination to get our families, especially young kids, to eat better.
Sep 30, 2020
This Is the Best Way to Cut a Watermelon for Snacking
This shape makes eating watermelon even more fun (and less messy).
Aug 26, 2020
A Beginner’s Guide to Freezing Summer Produce
Your freezer is a culinary time capsule where summer can be remembered all winter long.
Jul 24, 2020
Here’s How to Hull a Strawberry
Don't discount this super basic technique; it can save a lot of your hand-picked beauties!
Jul 1, 2020
5 Delicious Ways to Use Up Overripe Strawberries
Strawberry butter, anyone?
Jun 17, 2020
The $2 Pantry Ingredient That Can Transform Any Fruit into Dessert
Taste Makers
You might already have it in your pantry.
Jun 16, 2020
Here Are 10 Pictures of Your Daily Recommended Servings of Fruits & Vegetables
What does a daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables look like? Like this.
May 31, 2020
Is It OK to Eat Watermelon Seeds?
Not only are watermelon seeds perfectly safe to eat, but there are also a few fun things you can do with them!
May 31, 2020
The Very First Thing You Should Do with a Lemon Half Before You Juice It
It's a good habit to get into.
Apr 10, 2020
The Best Way to Freeze Bananas for Smoothies and Baking
Freezing is the best way to hang on to bananas that are ripening faster than you can use them up.
Apr 6, 2020
What Is Jackfruit and How Do You Cook with It?
Jackfruit may look like a new fad, but it actually has a long and rich culinary history in Southeast Asia.
Jan 24, 2020