Produce = Fruits and vegetables

1
Produce Fruits and vegetables
2
Objectives
Vegetables

• Identify vegetables and their uses.
• Explain the value of vegetables in the diet.
• Explain how to select and store vegetables.
• Describe and demonstrate methods for preparing,
  cooking, and serving vegetables.

3
Edible Plants

• Enjoyed raw or cooked
• Appetizers, side dishes, soups, salads, breads,
  and main dishes.
• Add flavor, color and texture to meals.
• Contribute significantly to health

4
Nutrients in Vegetables

• Many are rich in vitamin C
• Leafy green vegetables provide folic acid,
  vitamin K, calcium, and magnesium.
• Important source of fiber, complex carbohydrates,
  and phytochemicals.
• No cholesterol
• Most are low in calories, fat and sodium
• Many of them may lower your risk of some cancers
  and heart disease, because they contain
  antioxidants, including vitamin A and C and
  lycopene.

5
Types of Vegetables

• Vegetables are found in different parts of
  specific plants. What is edible on one plant
  might not be on another.
• Eat the entire plant lettuce
• The other parts flowers, fruits, seeds, stems,
  leaves, roots, tubers

6
What parts of the plant do you eat?
7
Last but not least
8
Sea Vegetables

• Seaweeds
• Grow in water with filtered sunlight
• Many are grown in Japan
• Classified as algae, not plants
• Low in fat and rich in vitamins and minerals
• Higher in sodium than other vegetables

• Carrageen (KAR-uh-geen) is a sea vegetable that
  helps produce the consistency of such products as
  ice cream, salad dressings, soups, and puddings
• Other examples arame, kombu, laver, wakame,
  nori, dulse, hijiki, agar

9
Forms of Vegetables

• Fresh
• Can be bought locally
• Can be grown at home
• Canned
• Look for low sodium
• Frozen
• Dried
• Overall, the nutrients are the same

10
Baby Baby

• Some are regular veggies picked while immature
• Others are full grown plant varieties

11
Buying fresh vegetables Look for

• Ripeness best to use within 2-5 days
• Color and texture
• Avoid color not normal to the plant, such as
  green potatoes. This indicates solamine. It can
  be cut away.
• Shape look for normal
• Size should feel heavy in relation to its size.
  Extra large may be overripe, tough and have poor
  flavor. Too small may have poor flavor

• Condition wilted, decayed or damaged veggies
  have fewer nutrients and wont last long. Best
  to buy without the tops. Avoid veggies that are
  sprouting.

12
Storing Fresh Vegetables

• Except for roots, tubers, and bulbs, veggies
  should be refrigerated as soon as possible.
• Dont wash yet, as moisture speeds up bacterial
  action and causes mold to grow.

• Potatoes store in a cool dry place, but dont
  refrigerate due to the humidity. The dark helps
  keep them from turning green. A brown paper bag
  will work.
• Onions cool dry place in a basket or loosely
  woven bag, so a can get air circulation. Dont
  store with the potatoes, as it will speed up
  molding of the onion and sprouting of the potato.

13
Final storage tips

• Most veggies should be stored in the refrigerator
  in plastic bags, airtight containers or the
  refrigerator crisper section. Use perforated
  plastic bags to allow moisture to escape. Let
  tomatoes ripen before refrigerating them.

14
Washing and Serving Fresh Vegetables

• Wash thoroughly even before peeling
• Wash tender veggies under cool, running water.
• Scrub thick skin veggies with a stiff brush.
• Dont soak causes nutrient loss
• Dont use detergent mixes with pesticides and
  waxes and forms harmful compounds

15

• Dont peel if possible to retain more nutrients
• To keep cut up veggies crisp in frig,
• Add a few ice cubes to the covered container they
  are refrigerated in.

16
How cooking affects vegetables

• Nutrients vitamins, C and B are easily
  dissolved in cooking water
• Texture heat softens the cellulose or fiver of
  the cell walls, making them tender. Overcooking
  creates mushiness
• Flavor cooking releases flavors, improving the
  taste. When overcooked, loss of flavor or
  unpleasant flavor can result.

• Color when properly cooked, vegetables remain
  colorful. Overcooking green vegetables, changes
  the chlorophyll into an unattractive olive green

17
How to Simmer veggies

• Add small amount of water to saucepan, cover and
  bring to boil
• Add the veggies, recover and bring to a boil
  again. Then lower the heat until the water
  simmers. Cook covered, just until veggies are
  tender. Drain
• Some veggies will simmer in the water that clings
  to them after washing.

• If you plan to peel the veggie (potatoes) do it
  after you cook them, to save nutrients.
• If you have hard water, it can cause red veggies
  (such as cabbage) to turn purple
• Add a little acid (vinegar or lemon juice) to the
  cooking water
• Dont add salt, it hides the natural flavors
• Try to use the cooking liquid

18
Steaming vegetables

• A nutritious method
• Place steamer basket in a saucepan with a tight
  fitting lid.
• Add water to a level below the basket
• Cover the pan and bring to a boil
• Add the veggies and recover.

19
Pressure cooking vegetable

• Good for beets, whole carrots and potatoes
• Preserves nutrients well

20
Braising Vegetables

• Cut into large pieces and place in a heavy pan
  with a small amount of water or liquid.
• Season
• Cover tightly and bake in oven at 375 until
  veggies are tender and browned and the liquid is
  reduced to a sauce

21
Frying vegetables

• Sautéed, fried, stir fried or deep fried
• To speed cooking, add a small amount of water to
  pan and cover

22
Baking vegetables

• For baked potatoes
• Pierce skin
• Rub with oil if you want crispy skin
• Temperature can be between 300-450
• Done when fork easily pierces

23
roasting

• Drizzle with oil and with seasonings and toss
  lightly to coat,
• Place on baking sheet in a single layer
• Roast at 425 until browed, tender and
  caramelized. Turn over ½ way during cooking

24
Grilling vegetable

• Put long cooking veggies in center of grill. Good
  to wrap in foil
• Small pieces can be on a skewer or in a basket
• Brush grill with oil
• To shorten cook time, blanch less tender veggies
  first
• Marinate
• Brush with oil and herbs
• Group by cooking times

25
Microwaving vegetables

• Cook quickly and in little water high nutrients
• Arrange strategically
• Tender parts in the center
• Cover
• Stir
• Pierce
• Follow directions for power levels, cooking and
  standing times

26
Objectives
Fruits

• Identify fruits and their uses
• Explain the value of fruits in the diet
• Explain how to select and store fruit
• Describe and demonstrate methods for preparing,
  cooking, and serving fruits

27
Nutrients in Fruits

• Important source of
• dietary fiber
• Carbohydrates
• Vitamin C
• Potassium
• Phytochemicals, such as beta carotene
• Low in calories
• Low in sodium
• Fat Free
• Some fruits have bonuses
• Oranges folic acid
• Bananas magnesium
• Raisins and other dried fruits - iron

28
By definition

• Fruits is the part of a plant that holds the
  seeds
• There are six classifications of fruits
• Berries
• Melons
• Citrus fruits
• Drupes
• Pomes
• Tropical

29
Melons

• Thick rind or outer skin
• Juicy
• Usually have many seeds
• Examples
• Watermelons
• Cantaloupes
• Casaba (kuh-SAH-buh)

30
Berries

• Small
• Juicy
• Thin skin
• Examples strawberries, cranberries, grapes,
  blackberries

31
Citrus Fruits

• Thick rind with a thin membrane separating inner
  flesh segments
• Examples
• Oranges
• Tangerines
• Grapefruits
• Lemons
• limes

32
Drupes

• A single hard seed, pit or stone
• Inner flesh is soft and covered by tender, edible
  skin
• Examples
• Cherries
• Apricots
• Peaches
• Nectarines
• Plum

33
Pomes

• Thick, firm flesh
• Tender, edible skin
• The central core contains several small seeds
• Examples-
• Apples
• pears

34
Tropical Fruits

• Grown in tropical and subtropical climates
• Examples
• Bananas
• Guavas
• Papayas
• Mangos

35
Use the info on pg 416-418 to complete the
following charts
Fruit Category Uses I have tried this
Apple
Apricots
Avocados
Bananas
Blueberries
Cherries
Clementines
Cranberries
Gooseberries
Grapefruits
Grapes
Kiwifruits
Kumquats
Lemon and Limes
36
Fruit Category Uses I have tried this
Mangos
Melons
Oranges
Papayas
Peaches or Nectarines
Pears
Persimmons
Pineapples
Plums
Pomegranates
Quinces
Raspberries
Strawberries
Tangerines
37
Exotic and Full of Adventure

• Carambola
• Star Fruit
• Oval shape with four to six prominent ribs and
  edible skin
• When sliced horizontally, it forms star shape
• Doesnt darken when cut
• Ripe yellow gold with slight browning on the
  ribs
• Flavor a combination of plums, apples, and
  citrus

38
Exotic and Full of Adventure

• Cherimoya
• Custard Apple
• To eat, spoon the custard texture from chilled
  fruit
• Heart shaped
• Green skin with imprinted petal shapes
• Tastes like a blend of strawberries, pineapples
  and bananas

39
Exotic and Full of Adventure

• Feijoa (fay-YOH-uh)
• Small, egg shaped
• Thin, bright green skin
• Fragrant, cream colored flesh
• Flavor pineapples and mint
• Peel before eating

40
Exotic and Full of Adventure

• Lychee (LEE-chee)
• Also spelled litchi
• Small with rough red shell and a single seed
• Flesh is creamy white, juicy and sweet.
• To eat, remove the shell and seed.
• Lychee nuts are the dried fruit

41
Exotic and Full of Adventure

• Prickly Pear
• Produced by cactus plants
• Sometimes called cactus pears
• Come in a variety of colors
• Peel, section, remove seeds, and serve cold

42
Exotic and Full of Adventure

• Sapote (sah-POH-tay)
• Medium, pear shaped,
• Thin, olive-green skin
• Creamy, custard like flesh
• Tastes like combination of peach and vanilla
• Peel and remove seeds

43
Exotic and Full of Adventure

• Tamarillo
• (ta-muh-RIH-loh)
• Small, egg-shaped
• Tough, bitter, varicolored skin
• Flavorful, tart, pink flesh
• Peel, remove seeds, and add sugar before eating

44
Exotic and Full of Adventure

• Ugli fruit
• About the size of grapefruit
• Rough, thick, yellow-green skin
• Juicy, yellow orange flesh
• Divided into sections
• Eaten like grapefruit

45
Selecting Fresh Fruits

• Some are available all year round and others are
• Seasonal
• Mature fruits have reached full size and color
• Ripe fruits are at their peak of flavor and are
  ready to eat. They are tender and have a
  pleasant aroma.
• Most fruits are picked when under ripe to prevent
  them from spoilage during shipping.
• Grapes, berries, cherries, citrus fruits,
  pineapples, and melons wont ripen after harvest
  and must be picked when fully ripe.
• If a fruit is picked before it is mature, it
  never ripens

46
Selecting Fresh Fruits

• To test fruits for ripeness, press very gently.
  Ripe fruits gives slightly under pressure. Dont
  press too hard.
• Natural blemishes dont affect quality.
• Some oranges experience regreening. In warm
  weather, chlorophyll, returns to the skins of
  ripe oranges. Bright lights in the produce
  department can also cause regreening.

47
Selecting Fresh Fruits

• Immature, overripe and damaged fruits
• Lost nutrients
• Poor flavor and texture
• Quick to rot
• Look for
• Condition
• No bruising or damaged spots
• Denseness
• Avoid dry, withered, very soft or very hard
• Color
• Aroma
• Size
• Heavier juicier
• Shape

48
Storing Fresh Fruits

• Never wash fruits before storing them
• Encouraging bacteria growth and mold
• Under ripe fruits to speed ripening, put in
  brown paper bag. Adding an apple (produces
  harmless ethylene, a fruit ripening gas.) If you
  store fruit in a plastic bag, make holes to allow
  moisture to evaporate

49
Storing Bananas

• Store uncovered at room temperature. They can be
  refrigerated after ripening. The skin turns
  dark, but the bananas keep their quality

50
Storing berries, cherries and grapes

• Sort to remove bad ones.
• Refrigerate in a perforated, plastic bag or
  container, in a covered, shallow container, or
  uncovered in the crisper drawer of the
  refrigerator.

51
Storing Citrus Fruits

• Store at room temperature. Refrigerate for
  longer storage.

52
Storing cut fruit

• Refrigerate in an airtight container or plastic
  bag

53
Preparing fresh fruits

• Even if you plan to peel them, wash first under
  cool, running water. Thick skinned fruits can be
  brushed.
• Avoid soaking
• Some fruits have been waxed for better appearance
  and to prevent moisture loss. It cannot just
  wash off.
• Never use detergents. It can react with
  pesticides and waxes and create harmful
  compounds.
• If you want or need to pare thinly because many
  nutrients are right under the skin.
• If you need to remove peach skins, you can lower
  the fruit into simmering water for 15 seconds and
  then with a slotted spoon, switch to ice water
  for two minutes.

54
Cut fruit

• To retain nutrients, keep the chunks fairly large
  and serve as soon as possible.
• If longer storage is needed, cover tightly with
  plastic wrap and squeeze out the air. refrigerate

55
Preventing fruits from darkening

• When apples, banana or peaches turn brown it is
  because the oxygen in the air reacts with an
  enzyme in the fruit, called enzymatic browning
• Ascorbic acid, vitamin C, destroys the enzyme.
  Since lemon, grapefruit, and orange juices
  contain vitamin C, you can dip the fruit into one
  of these juices.
• Or you can buy ascorbic acid powder to mix with
  water and sprinkle on the fruit.

56
Presentation

• Shapes
• Kebabs
• Color
• Melon balls
• Baskets made from rind
• Fruit dips
• Frozen fruit bites
• Trifles fruit layered with cakes, custards,
  nuts, etc

57
Forms of fruit

• Fresh and frozen have more nutrition
• Dried is high in natural sugar
• Canned
• Whole, halved, sliced or pieces
• May be packed in syrup.
• For a quick healthy desert, puree canned fruit in
  a blender and serve over angel food cake.

58
Frozen fruits

• Come with or without sugar.
• Freezing damages cell walls, allowing water to
  run out as fruit thaws, and creating a softer
  texture.
• Thaw only partially

59
Dried fruits

• Most common
• Raisins
• Prunes
• Dates
• Peaches
• Apples
• Apricots
• Cranberries
• Look for good color
• Look for soft and pliable
• After opening, cover in an airtight container and
  refrigerate

60
Cooking changes

• Nutrients some nutrients, especially vitamin C,
  are heat sensitive
• Color some become lighter, some deeper
• Flavor become mellow and less sharp and acidic.
  Overcooking produces loss of flavor or
  unpleasant change.

• Texture heat causes the cells to lose water and
  soften, making them tender and easy to digest.
• Shape to keep the shape, add sugar to the
  cooking water, which draws some water back into a
  fruits cells, strengthening them.

61
Cooking in moist heat

• Use a saucepan with a tight fitting lid
• If you want them to retain their shape, poach
  them.
• Use firm fruits, such as apples, peaches, plums
  or pears.
• Whole or large pieces
• Place in saucepan, add sugar and enough water to
  cover them. Cover and simmer gently just until
  ender. Rapid boiling breaks the fruit apart.

62
To make a fruit sauce

• Cut into small pieces or leave small berries
  whole.
• Add a small amount of water, just enough to cover
  the bottom of the pan. The cells walls break down
  and the juices are released. Do not add sugar
  yet. Simmer in a tightly covered pan, stirring
  occasionally to break the fruit apart. At the
  end of the cooking time, add sugar, honey or
  another sweetener if you wish.
• You can add lemon juice, lemon or orange rind,
  vanilla, cinnamon or other spices.

63
Frying fruit

• Side dishes
• Fruits should be firm and drained
• Apples, pineapples, banana
• May be sautéed in a small amount of butter or
  margarine until lightly browned.
• Fritters
• Dip cut up fruit in a batter and deep fry until
  golden brown

64
Baking fruits

• Alone or as part of a recipe
• Pineapple or dried prunes are often baked with
  pork
• Pies, cakes, cobblers, muffins
• Baked apples
• Core the apples, and cut a thin skin of skin from
  the middle, to allow the apple to expand as it
  cooks so it wont burst. Fill the cavity with
  raisins, nuts, spices, and sugar. Set the apple
  in ¼ inch of hot water and bake until tender.

65
Broiling fruits

• Any tender fruits that holds its shape
• Bananas
• Peaches
• Grapefruit halves
• Pineapple slices
• Canned fruits
• Brush surface with melted butter or margarine or
  use a topping, such as brown sugar or seasoned
  crumbs to prevent them from drying out.

66
Grilling fruits

• Choose firm, ripe fruits
• Cantaloupes
• Apples
• Pears
• Peaches
• Bananas
• Can be put on a skewer
• Brush a little oil on the grate. Grill fruit
  until grill marks form. Turn to cook the other
  side.

67
Microwaving fruit

• Watch the timing, as they easily overcook
• Cover, but leave a small opening for steam to
  escape.
• Pierce whole fruits in several places to prevent
  bursting.
• Pay attention to power levels and cooking times.