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Fresh Fruits
Appears in
By Paula Figoni
Published 2003
Fresh fruit can be expensive, so it is important that it be selected, stored, and handled properly. When a shipment of fruit arrives, for example, be sure to inspect it for quality and to always taste a sample before accepting the shipment. Remember that fruit is a natural agricultural product and quality can vary from one shipment to the next.
Fresh fruit that is consumed uncooked should be handled especially carefully for sanitation reasons. Fresh fruit should always be washed before use to remove dirt and microorganisms. Strawberries, in particular, grow close to the ground and pick up mold spores, while raspberries conceal insects in their caps. While fruit should be washed before use, it should not be washed before storage. Water left on the fruit encourages mold growth, and washed fruit absorbs water into its cells. When this happens, the fruit swells and softens in an unappealing manner.