Fruit

I hate soggy cereal, I hate soggy sandwiches and I really hate soggy pies, crisps and crumbles. I didn’t think there was a way to avoid the flood of juice that flows when baking fruits like strawberries and peaches, until I learned this easy trick.Some recipes will tell you to toss the fruit with sugar and salt and drain away the juices that accumulate before baking, but pie guru Rose Levy Beranbaum adds a step that lets you keep all those flavorful juices without the risk of sogginess.

Q: I recently purchased a case of California peaches. While the peaches have a nice texture, they have little flavor. Does anyone have some good ideas or recipes that could boost the flavor? Sent by Bonnie Editor: I feel your pain! Sad peaches are so very disappointing.

Did you get a little too enthusiastic with the fall spirit? Did this sudden influx of autumnal festivities happen to involve picking, say, 30 pounds of apples? Oops. Never fear, the slow cooker is here to help save you from eating these one by one until you surely overdose from autumn goodness. While we’ve been visiting a lot of delicious main dish slow cooker recipes this, the ole’ Crock-Pot can do wonders for the sweet tooth.

One of my greatest food altering moments involved a banana. Newly gluten-free and timidly entering the world of special-diet cooking, I watched as a woman on TV blended a mixture of frozen banana chunks, vanilla extract, and a splash of milk. That was it. And ta-da, she made a vanilla milkshake without ice cream. In under five minutes. Mind. Blown. Since that fateful day, I’ve discovered more of banana’s talents beyond splits.

Q: I’m hosting a baby shower for my sister in a few weeks and her colors/theme are grey and orange. I’m in charge of desserts and was looking for suggestions for something citrusy that is NOT a cake and does not take that long to prepare (I will only have the morning of to make anything as I’m flying in from Colorado). Any suggestions?

Peeling kiwi fruits is a slippery business, which is why — unless I’m cutting up the fruit for yogurt or a fruit salad — I prefer to eat them the lazy, quick way: with a spoon! I learned this trick years ago from the reader comments of Emma’s post about making kiwi push pops; quite a few readers mentioned it as their preferred way to eat kiwi fruit.

A bunch of overripe bananas on the counter is the perfect excuse to make a loaf of banana bread — but what do you do if the craving strikes and you don’t have any brown, squishy bananas on hand? I spotted a tip that promised to transform bananas from bright yellow and firm to soft, sweet, and banana-bread-ready in less than an hour. Would it work? I had to give the technique a try.

April is Spring Projects month at The Kitchn, and so five of us are going to share a project, from the large to the small, and track our progress throughout the month. Mine? Homemade cocktail cherries! Have you ever made these before? I am so hooked on these Luxardo cherries, which are a delicious way to complete a Manhattan or other drink calling for a maraschino cherry.

I’ve decided to kick my $20 a jar Luxardo cherry habit (hey it’s still cheaper than ordering my Manhattans at a bar! Right?) by making a batch of luxurious homemade cocktail cherries. By week 2 of my project I had procured frozen sour cherries and a bottle of Maraschino liqueur. What was next? Here’s what I did and how I think I may have already screwed it up. Want to reassure me? I did a lot of reading before I embarked on my cherry-preserving.

I fished a few cherries out of the jars of DIY Maraschino cherries I have steeping in the fridge so you can see how they’re doing. These babies are getting better and better — but they’re still not quite what I had in mind! As you can see, the cherries are pretty soft, especially the ones that I brined first. I actually like the cherries I didn’t brine a little bit better; they held their shape much more nicely.

Well, my DIY cocktail cherries have been bobbing in their bath of concentrated cherry juice, sugar, and Luxardo Maraschino liqueur for several weeks now, and each week I find that the cherries get a little plumper and more saturated with booze. They’re not quite as crisp or plump as I would like, although I plan to leave one jar in the back of the fridge for at least six months and see how they develop.

Q: I have an etiquette question. I’m seeing lots of seasonal drinks with balls of melon, slices of cucumber, whole strawberries, and wedges of fruit. How do I drink these? Is there a polite way to fish the fruit from the bottom of your glass? Do I try to drink the chunks with my beverage? (I’m envisioning all sorts of spillage there!) I’m loving the recipes, but dreading the etiquette. What do I do?! Sent by Amanda Editor: I have often wondered this myself!

Cutting up a whole pineapple can seem like a daunting task. With prickly leaves and a tough outer skin, it’s a surprising pick for the international symbol for hospitality. Nonetheless, it’s easy to break down a whole fruit with the method I’ve laid out here! Pineapples are available year-round, but did you know that it’s peak season right now? They’re at their best from March through July, just in time for all of your favorite tropical, warm weather recipes.

Nothing screams warm weather like a big pitcher of sangria. You’ve patiently waited for the fruit to steep into the wine and do its magic, and now you’re ready to imbibe. But pouring the sangria over ice seems almost sacrilegious since you’ll dilute the flavors that have worked so hard to come together. How do you keep it cold and refreshing? Here’s a tip to keep that sangria cold without losing any flavor.

Grilling is always a fun way to cook outdoors and add some smoky flavor to your food, but you don’t have only fire up the grill at mealtimes. In fact, one of my favorite ways to use the grill is for happy hour — some grilled shrimp dipped in cocktail sauce, cut-up slices of sausage to nibble on with spicy mustard, and — surprise! — grilled citrus for cocktails. Why bother grilling citrus? Grilling adds a subtle, smoky flavor and makes the fruit extra-juicy.

Move over candy apples, this year Halloween is all about pear ghosts! The way we see it, there are two sides to Halloween. There’s the super spooky, ghoulish side filled with wicked witches, haunted houses and devilish costumes. Then, there’s the other side, filled with everything that makes us ooh and aah, like these adorable pear ghosts. Not only is this holiday snack super cute, it’s also easy to make. Here’s how to do it.

The turkey, the mashed potatoes, and the stuffing often get starring roles on the Thanksgiving table, leaving cranberries off to the side as a obligatory “relish.” But the enduring place of the cranberry at Thanksgiving is anything but happenstance — and canned cranberry jelly, that ever-polarizing ridged and wiggly Thanksgiving dish we know today, has a very specific story born out American agriculture. Do you know why we eat canned cranberry jelly? Let me explain.

What do you find in your stocking on Christmas morning? Aside from the requisite candy canes and fun stocking stuffers, I always know there will be an orange (usually a clementine) resting in the toe of my stocking. What I thought was simply a sweet family tradition actually has a lot more meaning, and it’s pretty interesting. My grandmother started the tradition in our family when my mother was young.

One of the things that made flying cross-country with a toddler a bit more bearable was the free snacks handed out on the airplane. These little bags of treats helped maintain both my blood sugar level and acted as bribes to keep my daughter from roaming the airplane cabin. My favorite discovery in the basket of snacks was cinnamon-sugar pretzel bites. Sweet and a tiny bit savory, these pretzel bites were addicting but really weren’t the healthiest option.

Q: I am a school teacher and my district has recently implemented Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC). Though I love the idea behind this movement, more often than not I am stuck with a ton of leftover milk and fruit, especially red apples that even I can’t bear to eat due to their poor quality and flavor. Do you have any suggestions for what I can do with them besides donating to a homeless shelter (which I already do)? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you!

Q: I have a lot of cans of mixed fruit. I don’t like to throw out good food, but what can I do with them? Sent by Sara Editor: The first thing that comes to my mind is tossing some of the fruit into smoothies, or even sangria. How To Make Red Wine Sangria Recipe: Breakfast Sangria Drink Recipe: Honey-Lime Fruit Salad Smoothie 12 Easy Smoothies for Hot Days Here are a few other interesting ideas: Got Any Creative Ways to Use Up Canned Fruit?

There are certain foods that just scream “summer,” and watermelon is definitely one of them. From its bright-colored flesh to it sweet, refreshing taste, this fruit is a summer essential. While there’s not one right way to cut a watermelon, there are certain ways that are faster and less messy. Here’s my favorite. Whole watermelons can be tedious to cut up. They’re large, kind of awkward to work with, and super messy.

In the past several months, three new juice bars have opened within a short walk from my apartment in Brooklyn. I consider these juice bars great additions to the neighborhood, but I always feel slightly guilty when I shell out upwards of $7 or $8 for a fresh-pressed green juice.

Fruit juice is totally delicious, and has earned a spot on most of our breakfast tables. Can we say, Sunday morning mimosas with fresh-squeezed orange juice? Yes, please. We guzzle a nice glass of apple juice without much thought, or pick up one of those watermelon coolers from a nearby juice bar when we’re feeling fancy. However, aren’t you ever curious about how much fruit you’re actually consuming in that morning cup of juice?

Q: I have a dozen pears sitting in my kitchen ripening, and I am about to get on the road for the next two weeks. I would like to save the pears and enjoy them later since they are so tasty. Can I freeze pears? If so, how should I do it? Dice them? Slice them? Do I peel them? Will they brown in the freezer? Otherwise, what’s the best way to preserve them? Your expert advice is very much appreciated!

We’re in the midst of prime time for apple-pie baking. And with Thanksgiving on the horizon, there’s something important you should know about making this classic dessert: it’s about all making your apple pie filling. If you’ve been filling your apple pies with raw, thin slices of fruit, it’s time to rethink your strategy. Sautéeing the apples along with sugar and spices will add a deep, rich caramelized flavor to your pie.

Bananas couldn’t possibly be a more versatile snack. Besides the fact that they come with their own carrying case, they’re perfect eaten out of hand, sliced into yogurt, swirled into oats, baked into bread, or slathered with nut butter. There are few things this fruit can’t do. It’s time to break out of your banana peel and explore a few new ways to snack on this brilliant fruit.

Although it may start innocently enough, there’s really nothing worse than a painfully sore throat. And while sipping something warm and comforting like herbal tea, bone broth, or even a hot toddy is certainly soothing, sometimes the only thing your throat is crying out for is the exact opposite: something ice-cold to dull the pain. For these moments, you may want to (like I often do) run straight for that tub of ice cream in the freezer.

Green smoothies started showing up everywhere a couple years ago, followed quickly by the green juice craze. But wait — aren’t those two the same thing? No, there is actually a key difference between smoothies and juices, and that difference has a big impact on how you digest the two. In a nutshell, the difference is fiber. Smoothies have a lot of it; juices typically have very little. A smoothie is made by placing all the ingredients in a container and processing them together.

We all know how important it is to drink plenty of water each day, but sometimes that’s a whole lot easier said than done. Plain water, more often than not, just doesn’t have the same appeal as all the other attractive beverages (read: coffee, tea, soda, wine). So we created five flavored waters, each with a pair of herb and fruit, and no other sugar at all. That’s all it takes to turn water into the most alluring beverage on tap.

On a warm day, there’s nothing quite like the refreshment you get from sipping a glass of lemonade. There’s something about it that just makes you slow down for a minute and soak up the sunshine. Its sweet tang is perfect on its own, but I dare you to go beyond the usual — add a little sparkle and extra flair by simply stirring in just one ingredient.

Q: When making fruit cake, muffins, or cakes, how do you keep fruit and nuts from sinking to the bottom? Sent by Marvin Editor: The first thing I ever learned to bake were blueberry muffins. And every time I made these muffins, I ended up with a dense pool of blueberries at the bottom of the muffin wrapper. Turns out the simple trick is to toss the blueberries in a bit of flour just before folding them into the batter; same goes for the fruit you’re adding to any cake or baked good.

To me, the official start of summer is when local strawberries hit the farmers market stalls. There’s really nothing like the taste of those sweet berries, still warm from the sun, after a long winter. Which is why I tend to go a little crazy when they arrive, buying as many boxes as I can carry home each time I wander through the market until my fridge is loaded.

Now that you gathered your weight in berries at the U-pick, splurged on that pricey pint at the farmers market, or reaped the bounty of your backyard garden, it’s time to care for those sweet gems. From washing to storage, these are the keys to helping your berries stick around for as long as possible. Even with the closest inspection, it’s easy to miss a bad berry or two hiding out in the middle of the container.

You know how really good chocolate chip cookies boast chips in every bite? Well, the same goes for the berries in blueberry muffins. Every time I set out to make them, I start with one mission in mind: maximize the berries in every way possible. And I want you to do the same. Here’s a little cooking tip to help you pack way more berries into your muffins. While you may think that fresh berries are the key to those intensely fruit-packed muffins you crave, this is actually not true.

Learning how to spot a pound of bananas without the aid of a scale is a game-changer. When you know how many bananas are in a pound, you can decide how many you want to buy and access the price in a snap. One pound of bananas is about three bananas, each about five inches in length. Now the next time you find this fruit on sale, you can quickly do the math to calculate how many to pick up for a pound and beyond. Shopping with an educated eye is powerful stuff!

When I’m on top of my game, I buy and eat berries before there’s even a flicker of mush or mold. But there are times when my berries get away from me and I find them a bit too far gone for eating fresh, but also still useful enough to hold on to. There are quite a few ways to use berries on their last leg, but these are the ways I turn to time and time again. Our Assistant Food Editor Kelli is a bit of a fruit bat.

Clamshell containers and pre-weighed cartons aside, knowing what one pound of raspberries looks like is great for those times when you don’t have access to a scale or need to make a quick judgement call on the amount. Luckily, you can size up a pound a raspberries just by looking at them. Here’s how to do it. One pound of raspberries is about four heaping palmfuls of marble-sized berries.

If you’ve ever gone blueberry picking, you know the general rule of thumb is pick two or three berries, then pop about 10 in your mouth. And while the carefree joy of eating berries fresh off the bush is half the fun, the haul you leave with is the main point. So now you have your bucket of berries. Before getting to the scale, you might want a sense of the weight. Here’s an easy way to size things up. One pound of blueberries is about four heaping palmfuls of berries.

Need to grab a pound of oranges and don’t have a scale available? Here’s how to pick up a pound by sight. A pound of oranges is about 2 medium-sized pieces of fruit, close to two inches in diameter. They should fit in your hand, much like baseball. This applies to oranges of all varieties, as long as you stick to this basic size principle.

Lemons are deceptive. I’ve stood in the produce aisle countless times marveling at the range of sizes they come in. Picking up a pound of lemons that haven’t been pre-bagged largely depends on the individual size of the lemons you select. One pound of lemons is about four average-sized lemons, with average being a lemon you almost completely cover when holding it in your hand.

When peach season is upon us and the cobbler recipes are calling, nothing beats heading to the farmers market or farm stand to purchase fruit for dessert. If you find yourself without a scale and need to ensure you leave with a pound, here’s how to assess a pound of peaches by sight. I use the one-hand, two-fruits test when buying peaches by sight. I look for two peaches that can fit in one outstretched hand pretty comfortably. Then I buy four of them that meet that criteria.

What a pound of grapes looks like will surprise you. So often, we get into the habit of buying fruits and vegetables that have been pre-measured and pre-packaged for us — and while the convenience can’t be beat when we’re in a rush, it does disconnect us from knowing what a pound should look like. Here’s how you can confidently purchase a pound of grapes by sight. One pound of grapes is about two swags that are six to seven inches in length.

While there’s always good reason to rely on the scale when you need specific amounts, I’ve found immense value in being able to estimate the weight of fruit simply by sight and feel. Being able to do this is a skill — one that you can easily develop by first educating your eye, and then putting into practice. Here’s a list of what one pound of common fruit looks like and a few general tips on how to size them up without a scale.

Oh, eggplant, you voluptuous vegetable. Short, long, round, narrow, and, of course, the classically big-bottomed — you come in so many shapes. But you also come in so many colors. Some eggplants are deep and aubergine. Some are playfully striated like a tiger cub. Oh, eggplant, you shape-shifter, you color-spectrum challenger, you world-traveller, you meal-maker, you. Do I love eggplant? Yes, indeed.

You chop them into guac, mash them on toast, and maybe drop a few pieces into your smoothie, but there are some amazing ways to use avocados that I bet you’ve yet to try. Ready to see if you’re using avocados in all the best ways? If you haven’t tried them yet, make sure avocados are next in line for a batch of baked veggies fries. They cook up super crispy and crunchy on the outside, and rich and creamy on the inside.

It’s pretty much a fact that any good Olympics party needs a good Olympics-themed snack. So consider this yours from the opening ceremony through the closing one — and for every exciting event in between. The five colorful rings of the classic Olympics symbol are represented with five colorful fruits. Of course, take these as suggestions: If you prefer raspberries instead of strawberries for the red ring, no one is going to fault you for that.

There really isn’t anything better than biting into fresh summer fruit. Actually, I take that back — there is something better, and that something is agua fresca. The drink, made popular throughout Mexico and Central America, is simple: Purée fresh fruit with a little sugar and water along with a squeeze of lime juice or lemon juice for a tart kick.

It’s so easy to liven up the naturally sweet flavor of fresh watermelon with help from the spice cabinet and a squeeze of citrus. Salt and spicy coarse ground black pepper accent the juicy sweetness of the melon, and a hit of tangy lime juice punches up its flavor even more. This trio perks up watermelon and ignites your senses in an expected way with a combination of sweet, salty, spicy, and tangy all in the same bite.

Looking for a new way to enjoy watermelon this summer? Try sipping on a sparkling slushie made with sweet melon and fizzy seltzer. Thanks to its high water content and natural sweetness, watermelon is the ideal ingredient to blend into a refreshing beverage. With fizzy seltzer and a few ice cubes on hand, it doesn’t take much to give this summer staple an easy upgrade. Start with one cup of cubed watermelon and two cups of seltzer.

A salty piece of prosciutto along with a drizzle of tangy balsamic vinegar is the ultimate contrast to crisp, sweet cubes of watermelon. And that’s just what makes this trio play so well together. You’re probably already familiar with the perfect pairing of prosciutto and cantaloupe. This summer, change things up by swapping in watermelon for your melon of choice.

This sweet combo certainly doesn’t come without strong opinions. And we’re of the belief that a little bit of dark, melted chocolate is the one-ingredient upgrade your watermelon needs this summer. If you need to be convinced that watermelon is in fact dessert, chocolate is definitely the way to do it. While fresh fruit dipped in chocolate isn’t anything new, this isn’t exactly a common pairing.

You can skip the ice cream and fro-yo this summer because the sweetest, most refreshing way to fill that cone is with a scoop of watermelon. Whipped cream and cherry optional. You’ve probably eaten watermelon a lot of different ways, but we bet you’ve never served it in an ice cream cone! Scooped straight from the melon, this juicy treat can be served fresh or frozen. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop the melon.

You can forget everything you know (or thought you knew) about s’mores. Inspired by the summertime classic, this cool trio skips the heat and starts with a cool wedge of watermelon. Sandwiched between graham crackers, our version of s’mores makes a juicy piece of melon, along with a big swipe of creamy cool whip, the star of the summer dessert sandwich, bringing a dash of whimsy to this treasured treat. And best of all? No campfire required.

Just when you thought the ripe, sweet taste of watermelon couldn’t get any better, it does. All it needs is a little help from the spice cabinet, with a dusting of Tajín seasoning. If you haven’t experienced Tajín seasoning, grab a slice of watermelon because it’s the best way to get acquainted with it.

Fruit is a natural pairing with a bowl of yogurt, yet for some reason this is one place watermelon simply doesn’t get its due. Well, we’re changing that and making up for lost time with this summery watermelon and yogurt parfait. Sweet watermelon chunks really are an ideal pairing with yogurt, especially when layered with crunchy granola and a drizzle of honey. The fresh, crisp texture of the fruit is a nice contrast to both the creamy yogurt and the firm granola topping.

Maybe you don’t even need to be talked into adding fruit to your tomato salad because you’re well aware of tomato’s classification as a fruit. And perhaps you’re also aware of how its inherent acidity is the most welcome guest in a too-sweet fruit salad. If, however, the combination of tomato and fruit baffles you or leaves you skeptical, permit me to do some convincing.

Sometimes it’s the littlest things in the kitchen that can elicit the feeling of pure joy. For me, it’s a kitchen tool I received as a wedding gift — one that, right now, is making the bounty of perfectly ripe summer tomatoes even more enjoyable. Roughly the size of a utility knife, with a serrated blade and a sharp, two-pronged tip ideal for coring, tomato knives are a tool of pure genius. For a true tomato-lover, these knives are the darling of the knife block.

Just because you’ve had your fill of tomato sandwiches, panzanella salad, and all things caprese doesn’t mean it’s time to stop enjoying the brightest, sweetest, juiciest tomatoes of the year. You just need to take a different approach. Instead of eating your tomatoes, start drinking them each and every way possible. Simple and straightforward. If a glass is how you want to get your fill of summer tomatoes, this is the easiest way to make it happen.

Right now is arguably the best time of the whole summer to get your fill of fresh tomatoes. These deep-red beauties are so perfect that there’s a good chance you’ll smell their sweet scent wafting through the air before you even see them. Take a pound home with you and you’ll be delighted by these five ways to serve them up. This classic Italian salad is a simple, satisfying blend of juicy, ripe tomatoes and day-old bread tossed with a light vinaigrette.

Those giant, oblong watermelons that flock the grocery stores and farmers markets these days have always intimidated me. I can barely wrap my head around how I am going to carry one out of the store, let alone how I’ll tackle it on my cutting board when I get home. But know the ins and outs of melon math and suddenly those heavy melons aren’t so scary.

Most of the time, all I want to do with a ripe cantaloupe is slice it up and eat it as is, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be tossed in salads, smoothies, or cocktails as well. When using cantaloupe in a recipe, often a specific amount of cups are called for. How many cups of fruit are actually in that cantaloupe? The average medium-sized cantaloupe weighs about three pounds and yields roughly four-and-a-half cups of cubed fruit.

Pick up a giant watermelon at the grocery store and what’s inside is a bit of a mystery. Knowing the answer to that can be incredibly useful when you’re making a recipe that calls for a certain amount of the fruit. So, exactly how many cups of fruit are in there? According to the Watermelon Board, an average large watermelon weighs about 20 pounds and contains roughly 32 cups of cubed fruit. That means one pound of watermelon is equal to 1.

You may think those squeezable fruit and veggie pouches you see popping up everywhere are just kid stuff, but they’re actually more useful in the kitchen than you might realize. My colleagues Meghan and Christine started off buying them for their littles ones, but now continue to reach for them for unconventional uses — and so should you. First, since the world of squeeze pouches may be uncharted, it’s important to understand what’s out there.

At a farmers market in Charleston, South Carolina, earlier this summer, I was so excited to catch my first glimpse of the season’s peaches that I started to buy as many as I could. When I approached the farmer to pay for my haul, he quickly pulled out a handful, set them back in the crate, and replaced them with others he picked out. “Those weren’t ready yet,” he said.

The changing seasons are always magical, but something about the transition from blistering-hot summer afternoons to cooler fall days triggers a boost of energy in our family. Suddenly we’re itching to get out into nature and run wild. Along with pickle-making and our chicken harvest, apple picking is pretty much the only thing on our Fall Family Bucket List that we follow through with every year.

It’s hard to find wholesome treats among the chocolate, candy corn, and gummy candies that fill the Halloween season — but here’s one that still keeps the sweetness intact. Thanks to apples and nut butter, this fun-looking (and better-tasting) marshmallow treat is something that won’t make your teeth hurt from being too sweet. If you still have apples leftover from that apple-picking outing, here’s a unique way to use them.

If blueberry muffins are your breakfast kryptonite, just wait until you taste what happens when you swap in strawberries. We’re starting with our basic muffin recipe and giving it a boost with a fresh twist on berry muffins. You already know blueberries are a hit — now it’s time to bring fresh strawberries into the equation. Strawberries grow tender and sweet after some time in the oven; their natural sugars concentrate so you get a sweet fruit pop with every bite of muffin.

Wish you could eat carrot cake for breakfast? Muffins make it possible. Start with our basic, built-for-customizing recipe for muffins and then add a few key ingredients like shredded carrots and raisins to get you there. We’re starting with our basic muffin recipe and mixing it up with all the things you expect from your favorite carrot cake — soft, shredded carrots, plump raisins, and the warmth of ground cinnamon.

When apples are in season, it’s practically our duty to eat them in every form: out of hand; in pie, crisp, or cake; and in the form of applesauce and apple butter. The latter two may look similar on the surface — soft and spoonable — but they are pretty different characters. Here’s how.

The first chilly days of fall carry a whole lot of excitement around apples — whether you’re picking your own or gathering them at the farmers market — yet after you’ve snacked on and baked with your first bushel, fruit fatigue can set in. You reach a point later in the season when you just can’t look at another McIntosh or Honeycrisp. Luckily you don’t have to, since there are well over a hundred varieties of commercially grown apples to try.

As if like a balm to the drop in temperatures and endless snowy days, the winter season also ushers in a wave of glorious citrus. We love a good grapefruit just like everyone else, but from time to time we like to give citrus a sparkling upgrade for breakfast by poaching it and using it to top everything from waffles and pancakes to your bowl of oats. Perhaps you’ve poached other fruits, like pears, before.