Fruits

From: How To Read A French Fry

*Buy the following fruits fully ripe: berries, cherries, grapes, watermelon and citrus. All except berries can be refrigerated without losing flavor.

*These fruits will soften and develop more complex flavors (though not more sweetness) after picking: apricots, melons, figs, peaches, nectarines, plums and persimmons. Store them at room temperature until they are as ripe as you want them. After that, refrigeration will extend the life of the fruit, though it will mute the flavor.

*You can refrigerate fruits such as apples, ripe pears and ripe mangoes as soon as you buy them with no ill effects.

*If you buy stone fruit and pears that are hard, you can ripen them by storing them at room temperature in a closed paper bag. Adding an apple will speed the process.

*Fruits such as apples and pears will brown when cut and exposed to oxygen. They should be covered with water and lemon juice if they are going to be held very long.

*Fruit can be "cooked" without heat. Sugar draws the water out of the cells, collapsing them and softening the fruit. For this reason, when using sugared fruit in a recipe, either use it immediately after sugaring or be careful to drain off the liquid before adding it.

*You can produce complex flavors by combining fruits and poaching them very gently in a simple sugar syrup (water and sugar brought just to a boil, then cooled). For a fruit compote, use equal measures of sugar and water; for a lighter syrup, use half as much sugar as water.

*Some fruits-like peaches-need to be peeled before cooking. Cut a shallow x in the bottom of the peach and drop it into boiling water for a few seconds. Remove and immediately plunge the peach into ice water to stop the cooking; the peel should slide right off. If it doesn't, return the peach to the boiling water for a little longer.

*Most fruits that are cooked need a little acidity such as citrus juice, not only to brighten their flavors but to maintain their color.