Everything about fruit—the bright colors, juicy textures, and especially the sweetness—is aimed at getting us to eat it. What’s more, fruit is endowed with nature’s own sustainable-design trick, since the seeds humans and animals discard grow into more bushes, vines, or trees. What’s good for fruit turns out to be even better for us: Antioxidants give fruit its vibrant hues and shield it from degradation—so when we eat fruit, we reap the benefits of that protection, too. Studies suggest that people with diets high in fruits (and other plants) enjoy a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, plus better memory and eyesight.
Although each kind of fruit brings different nutrients to the table, most offer prodigious amounts of vitamins A and C. Because it is high in water and fiber, and low in calories, fruit makes a perfect snack or dessert.
The perfect portable snack, apricots offer intense flavor in a relatively small package. Beloved for their fragrant flesh, velvety skin, and sun-drenched color, these delicate stone fruits are packed with vitamins A and C, as well as potassium.
Apricots’ vivid orange color hints at its particularly high levels of carotenoids (including beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin, both precursors to vitamin A), which contribute to healthy eyes, skin, hair, gums, and glands. Additionally, beta-cryptoxanthin is associated with lowered lung-cancer risk. Apricots also contain a healthy supply of vitamin C and potassium. If you can’t get fresh apricots, choose dried ones; ounce for ounce, they have more than three times the fiber of fresh and a high dose of potassium. Most varieties of dried apricots are treated with the preservative sulfur dioxide to maintain their sunny color; it’s worth seeking out unsulfured fruit.
HOW TO BUY
Choose plump, golden-orange apricots without soft spots. Once home, they shouldn’t sit for too long. Because apricots ripen more quickly than other stone fruits, they don’t travel well; buy locally grown apricots to ensure the best flavor.
HOW TO STORE
Refrigerated, ripe apricots should last for two days.
PREPARATION TIP
To peel a fresh apricot, first cut an X through the skin on the bottom, then blanch the fruit in boiling water for 20 to 60 seconds. When the skin starts to wrinkle, remove the fruit and plunge it into a bowl of ice water. Once cooled, peel the skin with your fingers or a small paring knife.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Hunza people of northern Pakistan, whose diet is especially apricot-rich, are renowned for their overall excellent health. Their longevity is often attributed to their consumption of the small orange fruit.
Tangy, succulent berries arrive in the spring and summer, dangling from vines and bushes, waiting to be plucked and savored. Blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries—all rich in disease-fighting antioxidants—rank among the healthiest fruits and provide some of the tastiest ways to eat well.
In a lovely synthesis of beauty and nutrition, the colors that make berries so distinctive—deep blues, bright reds, rich purples—are part of what makes them so good for you. Flavonoids, a group of phytochemicals, create the pigments and can counter cell damage in the body, potentially reducing the risks of cancer and cardiovascular disease. They may also aid memory and other brain functions that can falter with age. Each berry’s color stems from a different collection of flavonoids, so it’s best to eat a variety. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries all contain several anthocyanins, potent antioxidants that help reduce inflammation and may also curb the growth of cancer cells. Blueberries rank among the highest in overall antioxidant power. Just 3.5 ounces provide the equivalent antioxidant capacity of five servings of some other fruits and vegetables. Strawberries also contain ellagitannins, antioxidants that fight cancer, particularly colon and cervical. All berries contain vitamins C and E, and are high in fiber (raspberries contain the most).
HOW TO BUY
The fresher the berries, the better they’ll taste, so buy them locally grown or, if you get the chance, pick them yourself. Choose organically grown berries if possible, particularly raspberries and strawberries (both rank high for pesticide residues in commercial samples).
HOW TO STORE
Once you get your berries home, don’t wash them—moisture on the surface encourages rot. Instead, discard mushy or moldy berries, pat the others dry, and store them in a clean, dry container. Berries go bad quickly, so eat them within a day or two. Refrigeration will help them last longer, but berries taste best at room temperature. Rinse just before eating.
PREPARATION TIP
If you have extra berries, make them last by freezing them. Wash whole berries, remove any leafy portion on top, and pat dry. Spread the berries in a single layer on a sheet pan and freeze until solid. Transfer to a sealable plastic bag, and freeze for up to 6 months.
In season during the winter, when other fruits are scarce, refreshingly juicy oranges and grapefruits offer plenty of health-boosting benefits. Both sweet and tart fruits add variety and complexity to a range of dishes and help the body defend against everything from the common cold to heart disease and cancer.
Just one whole orange or grapefruit covers your daily requirement of vitamin C and includes a range of phytonutrients, specifically carotenoid pigments. Blood oranges benefit from anthocyanin, which may help prevent stroke and urinary tract infections, fight inflammation, and reduce the risk of cancer. The lycopene in Cara Cara oranges and red and pink grapefruits is associated with a reduced risk of some cancers and heart disease, and may increase the skin’s resistance to sun damage. (Pink and red grapefruits also offer about 35 times more vitamin A than their yellow counterparts.) Oranges and grapefruits provide a robust amount of folate and potassium. When peeling citrus fruits, leave on the white, stringy parts that stick to the fruit; they harbor pectin, a soluble fiber that helps lower cholesterol. Eat a grapefruit just as you would an orange; peel the skin and eat the segments whole to get 50 percent more fiber. And don’t toss the peel if it’s organic: The zest, used in recipes, offers limonoids, a bitter-tasting lipid that protects citrus fruits from fungi and may lower cholesterol and fight cancers of the skin, breast, lung, stomach, colon, and mouth.
HOW TO BUY
Citrus fruits peak in winter but are available year-round. Choose firm and unblemished fruit that feels heavy for its size. Buy organic when you can, especially if you plan to use the zest. Even with the peel removed, oranges are among the top 25 types of produce most likely to contain pesticide residues.
HOW TO STORE
Citrus fruits keep in the refrigerator for several weeks.
PREPARATION TIP
Since vitamin C helps the body absorb iron from plants, scatter orange or grapefruit segments over spinach salad to get the most out of your greens. Add some nuts or cheese, too; the lycopene in blood oranges and pink or red grapefruit is best absorbed when combined with some fat.
recipes
Oranges with Olives and Parsley
Endive, Avocado, and Red Grapefruit Salad
Parsley-Leaf Salad with Pine Nuts, Olives, and Orange Dressing
Citrus-Roasted Salmon with Spring Pea Sauce
Sablefish en Papillote with Shiitake Mushrooms and Orange
This vine-grown fruit with a fuzzy brown peel harbors a juicy interior the color of emeralds or gold, depending on the variety. Regardless of shade, all types offer a creamy texture and an impressive nutritional profile.
Kiwifruit delivers a whopping dose of vitamin C; one variety in particular, the Sanuki Gold, is an especially powerful source of this multitasking antioxidant. The oblong fruit also harbors other antioxidants, including lutein and vitamin E. Studies show that kiwifruits may lower triglycerides (the fats that circulate in the bloodstream and cause high cholesterol levels). They’re also rich in dietary fiber and potassium.
HOW TO BUY
Look for firm fruit that gives slightly to gentle pressure. Avoid any kiwifruits that feel soft or look wrinkled—they could be overripe.
HOW TO STORE
To speed ripening, place kiwifruits in a paper bag with other fruit at room temperature. Ripe fruit kept in the refrigerator’s crisper should stay fresh for four to five weeks.
DID YOU KNOW?
Contrary to popular belief, the kiwifruit didn’t originate in New Zealand but in China during the 14th century. The Chinese gooseberry, as it was then called, eventually made its way to New Zealand. Once the island nation began commercial production, the fruit was renamed after the fuzzy national bird it resembles.
To peel a kiwifruit, first trim both ends; ease a tablespoon between the flesh and the peel. Turn the kiwi, pressing the back of the spoon against the peel as you go. The fruit should slide right out in one piece—ready for slicing.
Sweet, juicy papaya does more than just stimulate the taste buds. This tropical fruit, sometimes referred to as paw paw, sweetens the nutritional pot with big doses of essential vitamins.
Ripe papayas contain a nearly three-day supply of vitamin C and significant amounts of vitamins A and E, all powerful antioxidants. Papayas may also help improve skin and strengthen nails and hair. Ripe papaya is best known as a potent digestive aid, due to its high fiber content. Unripe, green papaya contains high levels of the digestive enzyme papain, which behaves much like those enzymes produced by the stomach’s gastric juices. The fruit also contains a high amount of folate, which aids in cell production and helps prevent anemia.
HOW TO BUY
Choose slightly soft papayas with reddish-orange skin. Yellowish fruit will take several days to ripen. Depending on the variety, a papaya’s flesh will appear yellow, orange, or a shade of salmon or red when ripe.
HOW TO STORE
To speed ripening, place the papaya in a paper bag with a banana, which releases the compound ethylene and hastens the process. Ripe papayas will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator.
PREPARATION TIP
To serve, cut a papaya like a melon and remove the seeds, then squeeze lemon or lime juice on top. The acidity of the citrus will enhance the papaya’s sweetness. The seeds, which have a slightly peppery taste, are edible as well. Sprinkle a few on a salad or use as a garnish. Unripe green papayas are delicious in Thai- and Vietnamese-style salads.
DID YOU KNOW?
The enzyme papain, found in green papaya, reduces the itch and irritation caused by mosquito bites. Simply rub a bite with a piece of the thinly sliced fruit. (Note: Do not try this remedy if you are allergic to insect venoms.)
Bite into a pear at the perfect moment of ripeness, and you’ll understand why Homer, in his epic poem The Odyssey, called it a “gift from the gods.”
You’d never guess it from the buttery texture, but pears deliver 6 grams of fiber—almost a quarter of the adult daily requirement. The skin contains mostly insoluble fiber, which promotes healthy digestion, while the flesh’s soluble fiber, including pectin, helps satiety and blood sugar regulation. Thanks to pectin’s well-established ability to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, snacking regularly on pears can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The pear’s other significant nutrients include vitamin C and potassium.
HOW TO BUY
Among the thousands of varieties of pears, just a few, including Bartlett, Bosc, and Anjou, are typically carried in supermarkets. (Seek out other types at farmers’ markets and specialty stores.) Most pears ripen best off the tree and are picked while mature but firm. Likewise, choose firm fruit at the store; it will ripen in a few days.
HOW TO STORE
Encourage ripening by storing pears in a paper—not plastic—bag at room temperature for a day or two. Pears are ripe when the flesh near the stem end yields slightly. Because these delicate fruits ripen from the inside out, very soft outer flesh means a pear is past its prime.
PREPARATION TIP
Poached, sautéed, baked, and even grilled, pears complement savory foods such as cheeses, nuts, and meats, particularly chicken and pork. Choose slightly underripe, firm pears for cooking. Anjou and Bosc hold their shape well. To core a pear quickly and easily, use a melon baller.
DID YOU KNOW?
With their globe shape and crunchy texture, Asian pears may resemble apples, but they are true pears—not an apple-pear hybrid, as many believe. Asian varieties boast the same basic nutritional value as their European counterparts. Unlike the Western species, though, they ripen on the tree, so eat them soon after you buy them.