Unripe Fruit

[Guest guest]

Hi all, I have a question regarding unripe fruit. Say you buy some nectarines

or peaches or plums, etc. and they are still hard and not ripe. Can you keep

them on the counter or in a window until they are riper? Or is this still

considered unripe fruit even though it gets riper from setting out.

 

When I buy canteloupe or honeydew I always keep it on the counter for about a

week until I cut it open and eat it and usually it is nice and ripe.

 

Thanks

Linda Sue

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Linda Sue..

 

a great question there! the answer is, that it varies by fruit.

Much of the below is taken from LSHS (which Nora sells on her

website), Part V: Proper handling, serving, and Eating of Foods -

Lesson Twenty-four: Selection and Storage of Most Wholesome foods.)

 

Plums: Peak season, July - August. Varieties of plums differ in

flavor and appearance. The skins maybe green to purple-red and the

flesh yellow to red. If there are many varieties of plums, and

sometimes as many as six or eight varieties are available at the same

time. During the course of the season, as many as 30 different

varieties of plums may be featured in markets. Some are juicy and

hard; others are soft and sweet; still others have a rich flavor.

Select unblemished plums that have a good color for the particular

variety, a slt glow to the skin, and that yield to gentle pressure.

Most plums are picked prematurely and will never reach their optimal

delicious flavor. Avoid amateur fruit, which is hard and poorly

colored. Even if its offense, it will be very tart and lack flavor.

Of course, don't buy overripe fruit which is soft, leaking and decade.

Plums are commonly wax to give them a glossy black. It is best to

peel waxed fruits. Plum should be eaten in limited amounts, because

of their high content of oxalic acid. p.588

 

Peaches

 

Peak season, June through September. Selected peaches with areas of

yellow and no green at the stem, and that are fragrant, plump and

fairly firm or beginning to soften. Best place and need time to buy

excellent flavorful peaches is in Georgia in the summer. Don't buy a

hard, green peaches which were picked too soon and will never ripen

properly. Ripe peaches turn reddish instead of yellow and feel softer

the gentle touch. The flesh is usually yellow, though there are some

white flewho shed peaches. If you buy eaches that are ripe or almost

ripe , you may find that they have deteriorated by the time you get

them home. Don't buy bruised peaches. Unless used immediately, they

will soon be garbage. If possible, by local tree – ripened peach is

that are slightly underripe. If you can get them organically grown,

good for you! Peaches are heavily sprayed, but they can be peeled,

which helps somewhat. European peaches are said to be superior to

American varieties. California produces more peaches than any other

of the United States. p. 587

 

It's a great topic, one that could take up an entire " class " . And,

quickly, the following shows quick comments, and some that can be

successfully ripened off the tree/vine, at home:

 

 

bananas -ripe at bright yellow, speckled with brown

Apples - store better than ripen

Apricots - no..

Avocado - yes, best bought hard and firm, and then ripened at home

Dates - no, but fresh dates store wonderfully - see files section here

Blackberries, blueberries, Raspberries, Mulberries, Loganberries, and

other berries: no...Ripe raspberries drop their cores, leaving hollow

cups. Blackberries don't. When blackberries are red, they are not ripe.

Cactus fruit - no

Cherries - no

Oranges - no

Grapefruit - no

Kumquats - no

Carambolas - no - lemon-colored=unripe; orange=ripe

Lemons - no

limes - no

Cranberries - no

Currants - no

Figs - no

Gooseberries - no

Grapes - no

Kiwi - no

Litchi - no

Loquat - no

Mangoes - YES! (outstanding! <= Bob's Florida bias! lol!)

Cantaloupe - yes

Persian melons - yes

Casabas - yes

Crenshaw - no

Honey Dew - maybe, best to buy ripe

Watermelon - no

Nectarines - yes, if the color is right: rich and bright, with a red

blush to completely red

Papayas - yes, buy with ~35% of skin streaked yellow, and then will

ripen in 2-3 days @RT

Pawpaws - no

Pears - if not picked too early...slight softness

Persimmons - yes

Pineapple - yes, sometimes...

Plantains - yes

Pomegranates - no

Strawberries - no

pp 581-588

 

Hope this helps..

 

all the best,

 

Bob

 

 

 

 

rawfood , jbarnha500@a... wrote:

> Hi all, I have a question regarding unripe fruit. Say you buy some

nectarines or peaches or plums, etc. and they are still hard and not

ripe. Can you keep them on the counter or in a window until they are

riper? Or is this still considered unripe fruit even though it gets

riper from setting out.

>

> When I buy canteloupe or honeydew I always keep it on the counter

for about a week until I cut it open and eat it and usually it is nice

and ripe.

>

> Thanks

> Linda Sue

>

>

>