Just because it is fall doesn’t mean giving up delicious fruits.  As posted in a blog last spring, we did a visit to foodfit.com to read up on the fruits to enjoy this fall.  Below is a sampling of what you will find, ripe and ready to enjoy.

Apples – Pick very firm apples with no bruises or broken skin.

Bananas – Bananas are ripe when the skin is a rich yellow color with a few brown specks.

Clementines – Pick ones that are heavy for their size

Cranberries – Look for cranberries that are shiny and not shriveled. A brown or a deep red color signals freshness. A good, fresh berry should be hard and bounce if dropped on a hard surface

Red Grapes – Select firm, plump grapes. Color varies according to variety.

Grapefruit – Pick grapefruits that are heavy for their size, firm and thin-skinned. Skin color varies from yellow to ruby red.

Kiwi – Pick a kiwi that yields to slight pressure but doesn’t have soft spots

Kumquat – Choose thin-skinned, orange fruit about 1.5 inches long. Fruits with green leaves still attached are freshest.

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

Pears – Pears should yield to very slight pressure. Color varies according to variety.

Persimmons – Select one with soft, deep red-orange skin, with no yellow areas. Hard persimmons are too tart to eat; try ripening in a paper bag with a banana or an apple. Pick a persimmon that is very soft if you want to eat it immediately.

Pomegranates – Select one that feels heavy for its size and very plump. The top should be slightly soft when pressed and the skin should shine, not appear dry and dull.

Quinces – These fruits are known as golden apples, although their taste is a cross between an apple and a pear. There are two varieties; perfumed and pineapple. The perfumed quince is shaped a bit like a football while the pineapple quince is rounder and more pear-shaped. Both will turn from green to yellow when ripe.

Mandarin Oranges – Pick ones that are heavy for their size. Its nickname is “Emerald Green” because of its greenish-orange color.

Tangerines – Select ones that are heavy for their size, free of bruises and brown spots. Color is not always an indicator, since some dark areas can be a sign of good, strong flavor.

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