When to refrigerate, how to ripen fresh fruit

Column By Carla M. Haley

Texarkana Gazette.

When you are ready for a piece of fruit, where is it that you go? Do you keep them in the refrigerator, or on the counter in a fruit bowl? Fruit is one food which most people find they like. When fresh fruit is fully ripened it is naturally sweet, refreshing and delicious. To keep our bodies healthy, we should all eat some fruit each day.

In fact, according to the New Food Pyramid, for a 2,000-calorie diet, you should consume 2 cups of fruit a day. That can be achieved by 1 cup of fruit or 100% fruit juice, 8 small strawberries, 1 small apple (2.5 inches in diameter) or 1 cup of dried fruit can be considered as 1 cup from the fruit group. Plus don't forget that fruits are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals, and are naturally low in calories, fat and sodium.

Unless you are purchasing garden fresh, local produce, most fresh fruit is picked for shipment to supermarkets before it is ripe. Many people do not buy fresh fruit unless it is already ripe. But don't pass up fruit just because it is not already ripe-green or underripe fruit can be ripened at home.

The key to ripening fruit is knowing which ones will ripen outside of the refrigerator, and which ones will not. Some fruits that you can ripen at home and the process is listed below.

• Avocados
• Papayas
• Bananas
• Persimmons
• Cantaloupe
• Honeydew melons
• Mangos
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Pears
• Plums
• Pineapples
• Tomatoes

1. Speed up the ripening by placing fruit in a large paper bag.

2. Punch several holes in the paper bag.

3. Make sure the fruit is in a single layer. Do not stack pieces of fruit on top of each other.

4. Fold the top of the bag over.

5. Leave the bag on the counter top while the fruit ripens.

6. Check the fruit every day to see if it is ready to eat.

7. When it is ready, eat what you like and refrigerate the rest.

Most frut will ripen in 1-2 days. The coolness of the refrigerator will keep the ripened fruit fresh for several days.

Once home from the supermarket or roadside stand, quickly refrigerate the fruits listed below. They do not ripen any more after they have been picked.

• Apples
• Blueberries
• Cherries
• Cranberries
• Grapes
• Pomegranates
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Tangerines
• Watermelons
• Oranges
• Lemons
• Limes
• Blackberries
• Gooseberries

When you select fruit at the supermarket, look for fruit that is not bruised. The skin should not be torn or cut. Look for fruit that is firm but not rock hard.

Bananas require a little special treatment. Bananas are always picked when they are green. They do not need any special care to ripen. They go from green to yellow in a few days. The brown speckles on bananas are called "honey spots." When a banana has honey spots, it is very sweet and ready to eat. Bananas can be stored in the refrigerator after they ripen, too. The skin will turn dark brown or black but the banana inside will still be fresh.