On Cooking Fruits

1. C H A P T E R TWENTY-FIVE
FRUITS
“
Talking of pleasure, this moment I was writing with one hand, and
with the other holding to my mouth a nectarine–how good how fine.
”
It went down all pulpy, slushy, oozy, all its delicious embonpoint
melted down my throat like a large beautified strawberry.
– John Keats, English poet (1795-1821)
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals, 5e
publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Labensky • Hause • Martel

2. After studying this unit 2
FRUITS
 You will be able to:
– Identify a variety of fruits
– Purchase fruits appropriate for your needs
– Store fruits properly
– Understand how fruits are preserved
– Prepare fruits for cooking or service
– Apply various cooking methods to fruits
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals, 5e
publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Labensky • Hause • Martel

3. Identifying Fruits 3
FRUITS
 Fruits are divided into eight categories
– Berries
– Citrus
– Exotics
– Grapes
– Melons
– Pomes
– Stone fruits
– Tropical
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals, 5e
publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Labensky • Hause • Martel

4. Berries 4
FRUITS
 Small, juicy fruit
 Grow on vines and bushes
 Thin-skinned with tiny seeds
 Can be eaten plain
 Can be cooked or added into other items
 Make fine jams and compotes
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals, 5e
publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Labensky • Hause • Martel

5. Citrus 5
FRUITS
 Characterized by thick rinds with bitter white pith
 Thin exterior layer of colored skin known as zest
 Citrus fruits are acidic
 Flesh is segmented and juicy
 Flavors vary from bitter to tart to sweet
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals, 5e
publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Labensky • Hause • Martel

6. Exotics 6
FRUITS
 Becoming increasingly available
 Some have become very popular and are readily
available
 Others are only available through specialty
purveyors
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals, 5e
publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Labensky • Hause • Martel

7. Grapes 7
FRUITS
 Single largest fruit crop in the world
– Due to the production of wine
 Berries that grow in large clusters
 Classified by color as white or black
 Color and most flavor is found in the skin
 Usually eaten raw
 Dried grapes are raisins
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals, 5e
publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Labensky • Hause • Martel

8. Melons 8
FRUITS
 Members of the gourd family
 Divided into two general types
– Sweet (or dessert) melons
– Watermelons
 All melons are almost 90% water
 Usually not cooked
 Should be allowed to ripen on the vine
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals, 5e
publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Labensky • Hause • Martel

9. Pomes 9
FRUITS
 Tree fruits
 Thin skin and firm flesh surrounding a central core
containing small seeds called pips or carpels
 Pomes include:
– Apples, Pears, Quince
 Each type has many varieties
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals, 5e
publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Labensky • Hause • Martel

10. Stone Fruit (Drupes) 10
FRUITS
 Grown on shrubs or trees
 Thin skin, soft flesh and one woody stone or pit, tend to be
fragile and bruise easily
 Originated in China, grown worldwide
 Excellent dried, often used in liqueurs and brandies
 Stone Fruits include:
– Apricots, Cherries
– Peaches, Nectarines, Plums
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals, 5e
publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Labensky • Hause • Martel

11. Tropicals 11
FRUITS
 Native to the world’s hot, tropical or subtropical
regions
 Readily available in the United States
 All can be eaten fresh, without cooking
 Go well with rich or spicy meat, fish and poultry
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals, 5e
publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Labensky • Hause • Martel

12. Hybrids, Varieties and
Heirlooms 12
FRUITS
 Hybrids are crossbreed from species genetically
unalike
 Varieties are breed from fruits (or vegetables) of
the same species
 Heirloom refers to genetically-diverse, older
varieties no longer widely grown
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals, 5e
publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Labensky • Hause • Martel

13. Nutrition 13
FRUITS
 Most fruit are quite nutritious; they have a high
water content (usually 75 to 95%) are low in fat
and protein
 Fruits are an excellent source of fiber and the
natural sugar in fruits is a good source of energy
 Citrus, melons, strawberries contain large
amounts of vitamin C, which may be destroyed by
cooking
 Deep yellow and green colored fruits – apricots,
mangoes and kiwis – are high in vitamin A
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals, 5e
publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Labensky • Hause • Martel

14. Purchasing Fresh Fruit 14
FRUITS
 May be shipped ripe or unripe
 Sold by weight or count
 Packed in crates, bushels, cartons, cases, lugs or
flats
 Before purchasing, consider
– Size of each fruit
– Grade
– Quality
– Ripeness on delivery
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals, 5e
publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Labensky • Hause • Martel

15. Grading 15
FRUITS
 USDA voluntary grading program
 Based on size and uniformity of shape, color and texture
– U.S. Fancy
– U.S. No. 1
– U.S. No. 2
– U.S. No. 3
 Most fruits purchased for food service operations are U.S. Fancy
 Lower grade fruits are good for sauces, jams, jellies or preserves
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals, 5e
publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Labensky • Hause • Martel

16. Preserving Fruits 16
FRUITS
 Irradiation
– Subjected to ionizing radiation
 Acidulation
– Enzymatic browning can be retarded by immersing cut fruit in an
acidic solution
 Canning
– Solid pack – little or no water added
– Water pack – added water or fruit juice
– Syrup pack – light, medium or heavy sugar syrup
 Freezing
– Many fruits are packed IQF
 Drying
– Oldest known technique to preserve fruits
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals, 5e
publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Labensky • Hause • Martel

17. Cooked Preserved Fruits 17
FRUITS
 Jams
– Fruit gel made from fruit pulp and sugar
 Jellies
– Fruit gel made from fruit juice and sugar
 Marmalades
– Citrus jelly that also contains unpeeled slices of citrus
fruits
 Preserves
– Fruit gel that contains large chunks of whole fruits
Copyright ©2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals, 5e
publishing as Pearson [imprint]
Labensky • Hause • Martel