Handling Fresh Fruits

Appears in

Published 2008

About

Advances in transportation and refrigeration have made fresh fruits widely available year-round. Even exotic tropical fruits are increasingly common in the market. Not long ago, most fresh fruits were available during limited seasons only. For example, strawberries were usually available for a short time in the spring, when they were in season. Now, however, almost everything is in season somewhere in the world, and it is easy to ship that crop to any market.

Unlimited availability is a mixed blessing, however. Shipped-in, out-of-season fruits may not be at the peak of quality. Many fruit varieties, in addition, are bred for shipping rather than for flavor. Thus it is important to be able to evaluate the quality of fresh fruit.