Choosing Fruit for your Smoothie
Below
is some tips on how to find fresh fruit for your smoothie and
what you want to avoid.
Apples
Looking for:
Firm, well-colored, feels crisp; scald (tan spots) is okay,
hardly affects the taste.
Avoid:
Shriveled, bruised, yields slightly to pressure, or lacks color.
Apricots
Looking For:
Plump, juicy-looking, golden-orange and uniform in color, yields
slightly to pressure.
Avoid:
Underripe: pale, greenish-yellow, very firm; Overripe: soft,
mushy, dull-looking.
Avocados
Looking For:
Slightly soft when pressed if want to use at once; firm if want
to use in 3-5 days.
Avoid:
Cracked, broken, or patched with sunken spots.
Bananas
Look For:
Firm, without bruises or other injury; tasty when peel is specked
with brown.
Avoid:
Bruised, discolored, or grayish (exposed to cold and won't ripen
properly).
Blueberries
Look For:
Plump, firm, deep blue berries with their natural waxy silver
coating; dry, uniform.
Avoid:
Mushy, soft, or leaky berries or ones with leaves or stems still
attached.
Cantaloupe
Look For:
Stem removed leaving smooth shallow base. Thick, coarse, corky
netting that stands out from skin. Yellow cast to rind. Nice
scent of cantaloupe. Yields slightly when pressed on non-stem
end.
Avoid:
Distinctly yellow and soft over entire rind, watery, largely
bruised (small, occasional bruises usually won't affect melon),
or moldy.
Cherries
Look For:
Very dark in color (deep maroon to black) glossy, plump, with
fresh looking stems.
Avoid:
Shriveled with dry stems and dull sheen; decayed (brown spots,
mold, leaky, soft).
Cranberries
Look For:
Plump, firm, lustrous red colored berries.
Avoid:
Brown, dark, leaky, spongy berries.
Grapefruit
Look For:
Firm, heavy for its size; smooth, thinner skin = more juice;
thick skin (pointed end) = less juice.
Avoid:
Soft, waterlogged, with a peel that breaks easily when pressed
with finger; rough, rigid, wrinkled skin.
Grapes
Look For:
Green, pliable stems, firmly attached fruit. Green grapes: yellow
or amber hue. Red grapes: most or all berries should be red.
Avoid:
Soft, wrinkled, leaky grapes with brown, dry stems; grapes with
bleached stem ends.
Honeydew Melon
Look For:
Creamy (yellow-white) soft, velvety in texture; slightly soft
on blossom end, faint fruit aroma.
Avoid:
White, greenish ; hard, smooth in texture; largely bruised,
sunken, or punctured rind.
Kiwi
Look For:
Plump, unwrinkled; firm. Ripe when slightly yields when pressed
(not soft).
Avoid:
Wrinkled, moldy, or excessively soft.
Guava
Look For:
Thin-skinned, light yellow blushed with pink; yields slightly
when pressed; strong, sweet aroma.
Avoid:
Hard, all green fruit.
Lemons
Look For:
Firm, heavy for its size; smooth-textured, rich yellow skin
that is slightly glossy. Pale or greenish yellow is very fresh
fruit and high in acid.
Avoid:
Dark yellow or dull; shriveled, moldy, soft, or punctured. Coarse
skinned fruits is less pulp.
Limes
Look For:
Plump, heavy for its size, with a glossy rind.
Avoid:
Dull, dry rind; moldy, has soft spots, or is punctured.
Mangos
Look For:
Plump, smooth, dark green skin with patches of
red, yellow, or orange color; slightly soft; peachy-pine aroma
from stem area is ripe.
Avoid:
Hard, shriveled, mushy with bruises, rot, or
black spots, or fruit that is all green.
Nectarines
Look For:
Plump, slightly soft along "seam";
either orange-yellow or greenish between red-blushed areas depending
on variety. Hard, tan stains are fine.
Avoid:
Hard, dull, shriveled; soft, punctured, or cracked
skin.
Oranges
Look For:
Firm, heavy for its size; smooth-textured, bright-looking skin.
Green color or spots or brown specks have no affect on taste
or quality.
Avoid:
Dull, lightweight, rough or thick-skinned; punctured, dry or
spongy feel, has soft spots; discolored weak skin at ends of
orange.
Papaya
Look For:
Unblemished. To eat at once: yellow, slightly soft to the touch.
To ripen at home: firm, green with some yellow patches.
Avoid:
All green, mushy, bruised or rough-textured.
Peaches
Looking For:
Somewhat firm, becoming slightly soft; red with creamy, orangy
base color.
Avoid:
Very hard or firm, red with green base color; very soft, mushy,
with flat bruises or pale to dark tan spots.
Pears
Look For:
Firm, just barely beginning to soften. Bartletts: pale to rich
yellow; Anjous/Comices: light to yellow green; Boscs: green
to brown yellow.
Avoid:
Dull, shriveled, or wilted; slight withering near the stem;
spotted or bruised flesh.
Pineapple
Look For:
Plump, heavy for its size; bright orange, yellow, or golden
brown; eyes slightly separated; pleasant pineapple fragrance.
Avoid:
Dull yellowish-green, with sunken or pointed eyes; dry looking,
bruised, moldy, soft spots, unpleasant odor.
Plums
Look For:
Plump, somewhat firm to slightly soft; healthy color.
Avoid:
Hard, poorly colored, punctured, brown discoloration; too soft,
mushy, leaky.
Raspberries
Look For:
Plump, tender individual cells on berries; bright, uniform color,
clean, no attached stem caps.
Avoid:
Mushy individual cells on berries; moldy, leaky; stained or
wet containers.
Strawberries
Look For:
Bright red color; fresh green caps; dry, clean. Small to medium
size taste = more flavor than large.
Avoid:
Moldy, large seedy or uncolored areas, shrunken in appearance.
Check bottom berries in package.
Tangerines
Look For:
Bright, lustrous deep yellow or orange. Because of loose skins,
fruit won't feel firm to the touch.
Avoid:
Pale yellow or greenish fruit; punctured skin or very soft spots.
Tomatoes
Look For:
Smooth, well ripened, free from blemishes. Ripe: slightly soft,
overall rich red color. Less than fully ripe: firm, pink to
light red color.
Avoid:
Bruised, soft, sunburnt (green or yellow near stem), deep brown
cracks, decayed, moldy, water spots.
Watermelon
Look For:
Firm, symmetrical, free from bruises, punctures, dents. Bright
green rind. Heavy for its size. Creamy-yellow underside (indicates
sun-ripened on ground). Cut: Firm, dense flesh; dark seeds.
Avoid:
Pale rind, punctures, bruises. Cut: Pale-colored flesh, whitish
streaks or seeds; dry, mealy flesh; stringy, watery flesh.
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