Fresh Fruit Lineup Between Store Trek Cycles

My store trek expedition cycle used to be seven days, usually Sunday. Since about mid-March 2020, about the same time of SXSW cancellation and nearing Spring Break, the cycle has approached two weeks. It was one way to reduce trips to the store and also reduce risk to coronavirus. Plans for obtaining vittles became more focused for types of items.

Nod to Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables became more of focus for healthful eating. Frozen vegetables were appealing for easy buying and preparation: canned have lots of water, and fresh are more labor-intensive. As for fruits, frozen seem to have less variation or taste than fresh. Canned tends to include lots of fluid (syrup), with varying quality (mushiness to woodiness). For fruit, fresh has become the primary choice, with canned as secondary for some variety or fill-in before a subsequent store trek.

My lineup of fruits per store trek cycle: grapes (usually red or black), bananas, pears, cantaloupes, and honeydews. I have learned that scheduling them in for consumption requires awareness of when they're edible or require additional ripening, portions yields, and how long they might last in storage. (See table farther down for guide. Consider creating a similar table for the fruits you consume.)

Grapeful

I didn't get on board with grapes until the last couple of years, maybe. Best thing about grapes is ease of rinsing and storing. And they're ready to eat the first day—no ripening time needed like pears and melons.

Though We Have Some Bananas

We tend to pick very green ones and have them turn yellow and ripen for a few consecutive days' eatings. Tastiness seems to extend about 4 days. Then it's a rush to finish them before they get too mushy.

Pearish the Thoughts

Google results for "ripen pears" show that many pears in stores are not yet ripened, how many days till ripe, and how to speed up the process. They tend to feel apple-hard. I've waited about three days, rotating end to end to sense the fruit is slightly softened.

Melon Calleez

In the distant past, I'd had great luck with honeydew melons. For awhile afterward, I kept thinking they didn't taste right. Gave up on them for several years. Was ho-hum about cantaloupes. Have gotten better at sensing ripeness for consumption timeliness.

"When and How to Harvest Cantaloupe, the Sweetest Garden Candy" provides good info about ripeness, although I myself am not inclined to growing any myself. View lots of pix to see what cut ripe cantaloupes look like.

"How to pick a PERFECT Honeydew!" is a nice video. Unfortunately for me, my store's honeydews resemble the unripe one. For some time, the ripening time seems to be around 9 days. (Good to pick as unblemished melon as possible.) This most recent time was 16 days. I wouldn't have normally waited so long, but winter power outages, boil-water status, and aftermath nudged me to reprioritize. Results were great! BTW, not necessary to take the video's advice on cutting it; try different cutting methods.

Cleaning Preparation for Fruits

Yep, gotta get rid of stuff that hitchhikes on fruit, which can make you unwell. Clean appropriate areas before cleaning the fruit. Running water is your friend. Start off with surfaces and support items (strainers and similar), then the appropriate fruits.

 

1. Clean sink before placing fruits in them.
2. Peel off product stickers if any.
3. Have a clean strainer or upper dishwasher rack (recommended) handy to place washed/scrubbed fruits.
4. Rub bananas under running water and place between rack tines for draining.
5. Scrub melons with vegetable or nail brush under running water and place atop rack tines for draining.
6. Scrub pears similarly to melons.
7. Use towel(s) to finish drying fruits and place them in fruit bowl(s).

Grapes, Different Preparation

Bagged grapes require plucking. A strainer is a better washing and draining container than dishwasher rack.

1. Pluck grapes into a clean strainer atop cleaned sink.
2. Rinse them under running water, lightly tossing them.
3. Pour into container that you can drain excess water, or place a holey drainer or inverted smaller lid.
4. Refrigerate. (They're ready to eat immediately.)

Fresh Fruit Lineup Table (YMMV)

Because the fruits have differing edibility/ripeness, you can knosh on different fruits. If you run out of fresh fruit, or want to vary flavors, you can also eat canned fruits or applesauce. Note that much of processed fruits come with liquids that reduce the amount of actual fruit—possibly less nutrition and economy. Frozen fruits are another option to supplement fresh fruit.

Note: I rotate the waiting-for-ripening pears and melons end to end daily until time to "harvest". In a weird way, I'm familiarizing myself with the fruits, looking for possible emerging/expanding defects and emerging soft spots ("give") as cues. Before cutting, I scrub them again.

Fruits Skipped in the Fresh Fruit Lineup Table

• Apples
  Though I didn't mention them, I think rinse, wipe, and eat are 'nuff said.
• Strawberries
  I used to buy them when they were $2/pound box, but wearied of more labor-intensiveness for little yield.
• Peaches
  They've been occasionally fun, but ripeness is short-lived. Messy eating, too.
• Watermelons
  Love them, but currently impractical because its size would compete with other fridge items. Had bought seedless ones, could last a month. Visit "Watermelon Pick N Cut" (article, video). A friend warned me about her experience with "personal size", so I've not tried any.
• Pineapples
  Really like pineapples, but have concluded that canned pineapple chunks are way more economical (price, yield/can) and less labor-intensive than fresh. In any case, feel free to visit "Pineapple Slicing/Coring Gadget--Beyond Use Recs" (article, video).
  
• Plums
  Have not eaten any in many years. Might retry soon.
• Citruses
  Not in consciousness recently. Rinds don't appeal (grin) much to me.

May your meals be fresh-fruitful and healthful.