Limes favor tropical climates. It is thought that limes originally came from Southeast Asia, where Arab traders obtained them and returned them to Egypt and Africa in the 900s. Moors introduced limes to Spain in the 1200s, and then the fruit was disseminated throughout Europe during the Crusades. Columbus brought limes to the Caribbean on his second voyage to the New World. They were subsequently cultivated in the Florida region by Spanish explorers. Today, the leading lime producers include the United States, India, Italy, Mexico, and Spain.

Limes are available year round, although they are in their peak season from May through October. The two varieties of limes used most prevalently are the larger Persian (known also as Tahitian or Bearss) and the smaller Key (known also as Mexican or bartender’s).

When selecting a lime, look for one that is brightly colored, glossy, blemish-free, and glossy. It should be heavy for its size, and firm but springy to the touch.

Limes will keep their fresh flavor if kept at room temperature for up to one week, or loosely wrapped in the refrigerator for up to one month.

If you are juicing the lime, bring it to room temperature first; a warmer lime will produce more juice. Then, applying moderate pressure with your hand, roll it on the counter prior to juicing; this will release even more juice. If you want to store the juice for future use, you can freeze it in ice cube trays, and keep them in zip-loc baggies for up to four months.

One interesting bit of trivia is that the nickname “limey” originated from the 1800s, when British sailors were issued a daily ration of limes because the fruit’s high concentration of vitamin C prevented scurvy. (They didn’t actually know why or how it worked until 1923, when the health benefits of vitamin C were discovered.) In addition to their antioxidant-rich abundance of vitamin C, limes also contain cancer-fighting limonins.

Lime juice is popular in many beverages, including nonalcoholic drinks such as limeade, as well as cocktails such as margaritas. Many commercial carbonated beverages feature lime as the predominant flavor. Limes are also a popular garnish, either as a twist (as in a gin and tonic) or as a wedge (often served as an accompaniment to Mexican beer).

Like the juice of lemons, lime juice prevent oxidation and therefore can be sprinkled on fresh-cut fruit to prevent it from browning. Its chemical properties also make it a valuable addition to marinades. Lime juice serves as a wonderful salt substitute for people who are regulating their sodium intake. Its piquancy enhances the flavor of many foods.

Of the myriad lime recipes enjoyed around the globe, one of the most popular desserts is Key Lime Pie, which was developed after sweetened condensed milk was introduced to the Floridian Keys in the 1850s.

Key Lime Pie

For crust:
1 ¼ cup Nilla Wafer crumbs
1/3 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted

For filling:
4 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup key lime juice
½ teaspoon cream of tartar

For meringue:
4 egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
pinch of salt
½ cup granulated sugar

Combine crust ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Press firmly into a pie plate to form a crust.
Bake crust at 350 degrees for 10 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on wire rack.
Beat the egg yolks until they appear pale yellow.
Stir in the sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and cream of tartar.
Spoon into crust and bake at 325 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, until filling is set.
Cool 15 minutes on a wire rack.
Freeze for at least three hours.
Beat egg whites, cream of tartar, salt, and sugar until stiff peaks form.
Spread meringue over pie, creating peaks and sealing edges to crust.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until meringue is golden.

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Furthermore, lemon is one of the most recognizable smells in the world. As a matter of fact, more cleaning products are scented with lemon than any other scent, because most individuals recognize it as a clean, pure smell.

The History of the Lemon

Lemons most likely originated in India or China, where they have grown for nearly 2,500 years. They are a cross between the lime and the citron, an old citrus fruit which is more often found in its preserved form rather than its natural form.

It’s believed that the Arabs first brought the fruit to Europe – Spain, in particular – in the 11th century. Lemons came to South Africa around the same time period and The Crusaders are credited for spreading the love of lemons to the remainder of the European continent.

Like many foods from Europe, Christopher Columbus brought lemons to the New World on his second voyage in 1493. Historians believe that lemons have been growing in Florida since about the 16th century.

Lemons and other Vitamin C-laden fruits were important in 19th century America, particularly to the miners during the California Gold Rush Era. The fruit served to protect miners and others from developing scurvy. Records show that this fruit was so highly-regarded that individuals would pay as much as $1 per lemon in order to obtain this healthy fruit.

Selecting Lemons

Not everyone is well-versed on how to choose and perfect lemon and, indeed, it can be rather tricky.

For people, being thin-skinned isn’t a good thing. For lemons, it’s preferred. Lemons with thin skins, because they have more flesh, will be juicier. That means the lemons you choose should be heavy and should have peels with a finely-grained texture.

Lemons should also be bright yellow in color with no green tint. Shades of green indicate that the lemon is not fully ripened and thus will not be terribly juicy. It’s also possible for lemons to be over-ripe. A lemon that’s no longer useable may have a dull color, be overly wrinkled, or have soft or hard patches on its skin.

Storing a Lemon

If you’re storing lemons outside the refrigerator, they can be kept at room temperature for about a week. Be sure to keep them out of direct sunlight.

Refrigerated lemons can last quite a long time, so it’s okay to buy a full bag of lemons, even if you don’t plan on using them immediately. Most will keep in your vegetable crisper for up to a month.

If you have favorite recipes that call for lemon zest (the scrapings from the outer skin of the lemon), you should know that the zest can be stored for later use by putting it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. You can do the same with pre-squeezed lemon juice by putting it in ice cube trays and then placing the tray in a large zipper lock bag.

Preparing the Lemon

You’ll find that most recipes which require the use of a lemon call for lemon juice. That’s why it’s important to find the juiciest lemons so as to get the most possible from each one.

Lemons should be at room temperature before being juiced. If you’ve just removed them from the refrigerator, place them in a bowl of warm water for about 2 minutes before you slice and squeeze. Rolling them on a table under the palm of your hand will also help to get the juices flowing, so to speak.

If your recipe calls for lemon zest, try to find organically grown lemons whose peels will be free of pesticides. Wash the lemon thoroughly and then use a specially-designed “zester” or potato peeler to get the zest. Don’t peel too far down as you’ll reach the bitter white pithy section of the skin.

Nutritional Value

Lemons, like other citrus fruits, are an excellent source of Vitamin C. They’re also high in Vitamin A, potassium, calcium, and folate. Lemons have about 15 calories each and no fat grams.

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Originally native to southeast Asia, the orange is referred to as “Chinese apple” in many languages. As with so many of the citrus fruits, the orange traveled with traders across Asia and Europe, and then found their way to the New World on Christopher Columbus’ voyages. North American orange cultivation pioneers include William Wilfskill, who planted the first orange tree in Los Angeles in 1841, and Eliza Tibbets, who started the navel orange industry thirty years later in California. One of her original trees continues to produce fruit today.

Oranges flourish in semitropical and subtropical localities. Top orange producers include Brazil and the United States – specifically, Florida. California also produces a large portion of the world’s orange supply; Florida’s oranges produce a sweeter juice, while California’s oranges tend to be more aesthetically pleasing. Other orange industry leaders include China, India, Mexico, and Spain.

A variety of oranges are enjoyed for their specific properties and characteristics.

Valencia oranges are most common. They do not have many seeds, and they tend to provide an excellent quality and quantity of juice. They are a later-season orange, so they fill the market when the navel oranges are not longer producing. Sometimes the Valencia will “regreen” when chlorophyll returns to the peel during ripening, but this does not impact the quality of the fruit.

Navel oranges are best for eating out of hand. They have no seeds, and their easy-to-peel fruit is better for eating immediately than for juicing. Although there are many varieties of navel oranges, the Washington is perhaps most popular.

Seville oranges are highly valued as the primary ingredient in marmalade. Originally from Spain, Seville oranges are also grown in Florida.

Blood oranges, also called Moro oranges, are prized for their beautiful rich red flesh as well as for their mildly berry-infused flavor. Their intense color comes from anthocyanin, an antioxidant that provides many cancer-fighting and aging health benefits.

Mandarin oranges are smaller than other varieties. Their sweet fruit is a favorite in many recipes, and they also make a delicious treat eaten as is.

When shopping for oranges, whatever their variety, look for an orange that is heavy for its size to indicate a good supply of juice; lighter fruit tends to be drier inside. Skin should be shiny. A navel orange should have a small navel to indicate that it was not too ripe when picked.

You can store oranges in the refrigerator, but they keep best in a cool region of your kitchen. Oranges will taste best if eaten within several days, and their juice should always be drank as soon as possible after juicing to preserve taste and vitamin value.

Oranges are a flavorful component of many food and beverage recipes. This cake will make a lovely addition to any brunch table.

Orange Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

For cake:3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
¼ cup grated orange zest
5 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup orange juice
½ cup poppy seeds

For syrup:
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare Bundt pan by greasing and flouring lightly, or spraying with Pam.
Combine flour, baking powder, salt and orange zest in large bowl; set aside.
In another bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Beat on high until light and fluffy.
Add oil and vanilla, mixing until blended.
Add flour mixture and orange juice, alternating so that about a third is added each time. Mix well without over stirring. (The goal is to combine ingredients, but not overwork the batter.)
Add poppy seeds and stir lightly.
Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan.
Bake for one hour at 350 degrees. Cake should test done when pick is inserted midway between center and edge of pan.
Cool on wire rack for five minutes, then remove from pan to continue cooling.
Combine syrup ingredients in small pan, and heat for five minutes until thickened.
Use skewer to prick small holes all over surface of cake.
Gradually pour syrup on top and sides of cake. If you pour very slowly, the cake will absorb the syrup as you pour.
Cool completely.

Here is another recipe that is perfect for brunch. Serve this flavored butter with bran muffins, cranberry bread, or pancakes. For a special touch, use a melon ball scoop to make butterballs after the mixture has chilled.

Whipped Orange Butter

6 tablespoons butter, softened
zest of one orange
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice

Put butter and zest in small bowl, mixing until well combined.
Mix in confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, and orange juice, stirring until smooth.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, until firm.

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Apples are a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Pectin is the primary soluble fiber found in apples and it’s known to bind to cholesterol, thus helping prevent heart disease and even hardening of the arteries. The insoluble fiber in apples is a delight to your intestinal tract because it will provide bulk. The more bulk you have in your diet, the more your body can rid itself of harmful chemical substances and the better you feel!

Homemade applesauce is fun to make and can release wonderful aromas in your kitchen. If you’re an applesauce lover, you may already know that applesauce has evolved from the plain old apples, water and sugar recipe of the past. Now, there are exciting twists to the standard recipe that makes eating a bowl of applesauce fun!

Applesauce is somewhat like peanut butter it can be chunky or smooth. To make a chunky applesauce, you simply mash the apples with a potato masher after cooking. To make the homemade applesauce smooth, simply blend the finished mixture in the blender. Cooking homemade applesauce can’t get much easier than that!

Below is your basic recipe for delicious homemade applesauce:

1. Peel your apples. Then core them, and cut into slivers or cubes.
2. In a 2-quart sauce pot, add the apples, water, sweetener (if any), and spices.
3. Simmer, covered on low heat for 20 minutes or until apples are softened.
4. Remove from heat and remove the spices, if large pieces were used. Mash with a potato masher or blend until smooth.

Now, assemble your ingredients and equipment. Below are three variations of homemade applesauce, with the recipe ingredients listed.

Apple Apricot Homemade Applesauce

4 apples, Golden Delicious or Fuji
3/4 cup to one cup purified water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or
1/2 teaspoon lemon peel
1 cinnamon stick
Dash of nutmeg

Apple Strawberry Homemade Applesauce

1-1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples
2 large handfuls strawberries (remove stem)
3/4 cup water
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or
1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid crystals

Apple Peach Homemade Applesauce

8 small home-grown farmstand apples
3 ripe peaches, with pit and fuzz removed
1/3 cup honey
3/4 cup water

As you can see, it’s easy to create new ideas on your own. Basically you need fruit and water. The fruit should be ripe. The riper the fruit, the less sugar or sweetener you’ll need to add.

If you want to pack in some passion to your homemade applesauce, add some spices, usually a minimum of about 1 teaspoon per 2-quart pot. The spices to add can be from this list: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, pumpkin pie spices, lemon peel, vanilla, lavendar, basil (this gives a burst of unexpected flavor). Although flavors such as vanilla, almond, raspberry, strawberry, banana, or pineapple are not usually added to recipes, but imagine the wonderful bursts of flavor if you add any one of these! don’t go wild and add a lot; start with just 1/4 teaspoon per recipe and taste test before you add any more to the recipe.

To add a preservative, add ascorbic acid crystals or lemon juice. If you want to add a sweetener, add honey, sugar, or a sugar/brown sugar combination.

Homemade applesauce can be a very creative process! Develop your very own favorite recipe and keep its ingredients a secret for several decades. Make the process of eating a bowl of applesauce an amazing experience for your children and grandchildren.

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Breeding

To combat your enemy, you must know its habits. Fruit flies breed very quickly, going from egg to adult in about ten days. A female fly will lay up to 500 eggs on the substance attracting it. Attractants include beverages, decaying produce, garbage or the slime in drains. Note that some foods and beverages seem to entice more than others: bananas, grapes, peaches, pineapples, tomatoes, potatoes, beer, cider, vinegar and wine.

Sanitation Equals Prevention

To prevent fruit fly infestations, you must remove any sources of attraction. All it takes is one female and one piece of overripe fruit to start the whole breeding cycle. You can set out traps, but unless you get rid of the breeding site, the flies will continue to torment you. Even chemical sprays (not recommended by this author) will do nothing to prevent the emergence of new adults.

Here are some tips on where to look for fruit fly breeding sites. Keep these areas clean and you’ll go a long way towards eradicating these pests.

Ripe fruits and vegetables on counter tops provide the ideal breeding site. Clear your counters of all produce – eat it, throw it out or refrigerate it. Cut away damaged or cracked parts of fruit and vegetables in case fruit fly eggs or larvae are present.

Check for old produce in the back of cupboards.

Check under appliances for spills. A small amount of juice spilled under a refrigerator is very welcoming to fruit flies.

Make sure garbage cans have tight lids. If you suspect that your kitchen garbage is attracting the bugs, take it out regularly and clean around it.

Compost buckets are a major breeding ground, so take your compost out every day and thoroughly clean the bucket.

Any organic matter left in drains is an attractant to fruit flies. To check your drains for flies, tape a plastic food storage bag over your drain overnight. If they are breeding down there, the adults will get stuck in the bag, providing the proof you need. Clean the drain to get rid of the eggs.

Investigate other potential breeding grounds like recycling bins, dishwater and mop water, standing water around house plants, wet lint in the laundry room and cracks in tiles where moisture has seeped through.

Check the screens on your windows and doors. They should fit tightly and be made of 16 mesh.

Trapping fruit flies

After you have found and eliminated the source of the fruit flies, there will likely still be some around. You can purchase a fruit fly trap, but it’s just as easy (and probably cheaper) to make your own.

Take an empty jar and place a small amount of apple cider vinegar or a bit of banana in it. Tape some plastic wrap over the top of the jar and poke some small holes in it with a pen or toothpick. The fruit flies will go in, but will not be able to get out. You can also line the jar with a sticky substance, like honey. The fruit flies will be attracted to the honey and will get stuck to it.

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While the mango is not native to North America, most well-stocked supermarket produce aisles boast at least a few mangos, regardless of the season. However, many individuals avoid them because they’’re uncertain about the taste and other specifics of this tropical fruit.

About the Mango

Unlike North Americans, those in other parts of the world have been enjoying the mango for centuries upon centuries. The mango is native to Asia, eastern India, Burma and the Andaman Islands. It is believed that Buddhist monks brought the mango to Malaysia and eastern Asia in the 5th century BC.

As the centuries waned, the trees that produce the mango were planted throughout the tropics and sub-tropics, with botanists eventually recognizing the fact that this is where the trees would grow best.

Mango trees are of the evergreen variety and can grow up to 60-feet-tall. Once the tree is planted, it will begin to produce fruit in 4 to 5 years. A good crop requires long periods of hot, dry weather.

Thanks to the miracle of botany, there are now more than 1,000 different varieties of mangos growing throughout the world and the fruit has become a favorite of those living in a variety of climates, including those countries in which mangos would never grow.

In the United States and Canada, most mangos are imported from Mexico, South America, Haiti, and other islands of the Caribbean.

Selecting Mangos

Choosing a good mango that will be sweet and pleasant to eat is really not a difficult task once you know what to look for in the perfect mango.

An unripe mango is green in color and should still be hanging on the tree. However, the mangos you find in the store could be any combination of light green, red, orange, and yellow, depending on the particular variety of mango being sold. That makes it difficult to determine eat-ability merely be looking at the mango.

Smell and softness is a better indication of whether or not a mango will be a good one. Not unlike a peach, the ideal mango should be slightly soft to the touch but not squishy. It should yield to gentle pressure but you should not be able to view finger indentations in the fruit often you’’ve squeezed it. That would mean that it was over-ripe.

After you’’ve determined the texture of the mango, bring the stem end up to your nose and take a whiff. Unlike some other fruits, you should be able to smell the mango’s wonderful fruity aroma when you sniff it. If you can’t, move on to the next mango.

If you do wind up with a slightly unripe mango, leave it out on the kitchen counter or for even quicker ripening place it in a paper bag at room temperature overnight. Refrigerate and then eat it within a day or two.

Storing a Mango

Mangos should not be refrigerated at all during the ripening process, but a fully ripened mango can be placed in the fruit drawer of your fridge for up to a week. Experts say the ideal temperature for storing a mango is 55 degrees Fahrenheit (about 13 degrees Celsius).

Preparing the Mango

Those unfamiliar with the mango may not know how to prepare it for consumption. Do you peel it? How do you slice it?

it’s really very easy to handle a mango. it’s best to cut off each end first and then peel the mango from top to bottom along its curvature. Once peeled, the mango can be cut into several slices lengthwise along the pit.

Mangos can also be cubed for a delightful and colorful addition to fruit salad.

Nutritional Value

Mangos are quite low in calories about 70 calories per average-sized mango yet high in fiber. Many islanders eat a mango a day and rarely experience irregularity. The fruit is also high in anti-oxidants, Vitamins C, A, and potassium. In addition, mangos contain an enzyme that aids in digestion and can be eaten in small portions to soothe a stomach ache.

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Long known only as an ingredient in muffins or pies, blueberries have, in the past few years, gained a new claim to fame. It turns out these little blue fruits are nutritional powerhouses. Their numerous health benefits have earned them a place atop many nutritionists’ lists of must-eat foods.

Antioxidants in Blueberries

Since about 2004, the word has been out that blueberries have high levels of antioxidants. Why is this important? The benefits of antioxidants are tied up in a complex chemical process in the body involving oxygen and free radicals, but the basic point is this: free radicals are bad and antioxidants neutralize their ill effects. And make no mistake, if free radicals are left unchecked they can lead to serious disease. Research is ongoing, but it is increasingly showing that antioxidants can combat certain cancers and neurodegenerative diseases, like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. And blueberries have been shown to contain the highest levels of antioxidants in any fruit.

So, what gives blueberries the edge over other fruit? Well, the fact that they’re blue, for one thing. Their rich purple-blue colour comes from the antioxidant anthocyanin, which is also the source of many of their health benefits. Preliminary research has shown that anthocyanin not only helps in disease prevention, as outlined earlier, but also improves eyesight. And blueberries contain yet another type of antioxidant, called stilbenes, which have been shown to lower cholesterol.

And what of Jamie Gold’s claim that blueberries are brain food? It’s those antioxidants again. The same properties that may prevent Alzheimer’s also work to protect the brain from various other stresses, and may influence the way brain cells communicate with each other.

Other Health Benefits of Blueberries

Blueberries have been shown effective in preventing and treating common ailments, like urinary tract infections and childhood diarrhea. Treatment of the latter comes from substances called anthocyanosides which appear to have antibacterial properties. And initial research is showing that the presence of ellagic acid in blueberries may inhibit the growth of cancer.

Like all berries, blueberries are also very high in fibre and vitamins, like C and E. And if you are watching your weight, blueberries are the ideal treat: they satisfy your cravings for sweets without fat and with almost no calories.

Get Your Daily Dose of Blueberries

According to the North American Blueberry Council, consumers claim that blueberries are easy-to-use and versatile. And they are right. The nutritional benefits are present whether the berries are fresh, frozen or dried, so there are many fast and easy ways to add them to your diet.

Start your day with fresh or dried blueberries in your cereal. Fresh or frozen blueberries are a great addition to a fruit shake – just blend together some blueberries, milk, a banana and a bit of molasses and you have a healthy and filling breakfast drink. Toss some fresh blueberries in a container and keep them at your desk for snacks. Or, mix some fresh or frozen blueberries with yogurt for dessert. And you can always fall back on the classics (although not too often if you want to stay slim): blueberry pie or cobbler.

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The lemon is a cultivated hybrid, and its predecessor – the citron – appears to be the first identified citrus fruit. Evidence of the lemon has been found in the ruins of Pompeii, which was buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted nearly 2,000 years ago. Official records of lemon cultivation can be traced back to the mid-1400s in Genoa and the Portugese Azores. It is generally accepted that lemons were first cultivated in India.

Lemons favor tropical and sub-tropical climates. They are grown in many Mediterranean and South American countries, although California is the top global commercial producer, providing nearly one-third of the world’s lemons.

The lemon’s juice, pith (the white layer between pulp and skin), and zest (the yellow rind) are used widely in recipes for both food and drink.

When shopping for lemons, look for a heavy, compact fruit with a bright yellow hue. They should be firm, but not hard. Their skin should be glossy and fine-pored. You’ll find them year round, but their peak season is April through July.

Lemons will keep for up to two weeks at room temperature. You can extend their lifespan by refrigerating them in a zip-loc baggie for up to six weeks.

Fresh lemon juice is preferable to bottled. You can squeeze lemon juice into ice cube trays, then transfer the frozen juice to zip-loc baggies.

There are many gadgets available to remove the juice from lemons. One is a reamer, which is a ridged cone that filters the juice through to a bowl you set beneath it. Another is a hinged juicer, which squeezes one half through slots and catches any seeds. You can also express the juice by holding the half upright in your hand so that the seeds go into your hand instead of the bowl. (You will get the most juice from a lemon that is at room temperature. Also, rolling it about prior to juicing will break down the pulp and release more juice.)

The chemical properties of the lemon – specifically, its characteristic citric acid – provide many valuable uses in the kitchen and in medicine.

One of its most common chemical uses is to prevent browning of fresh-cut fruit. Because their acid slows oxidation in fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, lemons serve as a valuable preservative. Sprinkle lemon juice on apples, peaches, or other fruits that are likely to show the signs of oxidation immediately after slicing so that they will not brown.

The citric acid found in lemons also neutralizes the amines found in fish, so their juice is often sprinkled atop seafood dishes. Similarly, this citric acid hydrolyzes meat’s collogen fibers, making it an ideal ingredient in marindades to tenderize beef, chicken, and other meats.

On the medicinal front, lemons provide a large amount of vitamin C. (There are aboiut 50 milligrams of vitamin C and 5 grams of citric acid to every 100 milliliters of lemon juice.)

This high vitamin C content prompted the British Royal navy to use them to prevent svurvy. Also, many practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine believe that lemon juice in hot water detoxifies the liver. This belief has spread to western culture, and is an often employed step in dietary detoxes.

Here is an especially pretty recipe with its dusting of powdered sugar atop a rich lemon custard and buttery cookie crust.

Lemon Bars

For cookie crust:
1/3 cup butter
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour

For filling:
2 eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon peel
3 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon baking powder

For topping:
¼ cup confectioner’s sugar

Beat butter for 30 seconds.
Add ¼ cup granulated sugar and beat until thoroughly incorporated.
Add 1 cup flour and mix until it forms a crumb dough.
Pat crumb mixture into bottom of an 8” square cake pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until top is lightly golden.
While the crust is baking, make the filling as follows:
Combine eggs, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, lemon peel, lemon juice, and baking powder. Beat 2 minutes until thoroughly combined.
Pour filling over baked crumb crust.
Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees. When done, the center will be set and the edges will be lightly golden brown.
Cool on wire rack.
Sift confectioner’s sugar evenly on top.
Cut into bars.

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These days, China is the world’s leading pineapple producer; although Hawaii holds the lion’s share of the market in the United States, that constitutes only 10 percent of the world market. (Florida also produces pineapples, but not enough to be considered a market leader.)

Named for its visual similarity to the pinecone, pineapple is available year-round, but its peak season is from March to July.

When shopping for pineapple, look for signs of freshness such as intensely green leaves, a pleasingly tropical smell, and firm flesh with no spots or mushiness. The eyes (the “thorns” scattered on the pineapple’s body) should not be dark or watery. The pineapple should be plump and heavy for its size.

Pineapples must be picked when fully ripened, so transportation is a huge issue. Now that they can be transported via air, their quality in mainland grocery stores has improved tremendously.

Their lack of starch means that pineapples will not ripen after they have been picked, so checking for ripeness is as important as checking for freshness. A ripe pineapple will have yellow breaking through its base, indicating that its natural sugar has sweetened the fruit.

Refrigerate whole ripe pineapples in a plastic bag. They will keep fresh for three to five days. Cut pineapple should also be refrigerated and tightly wrapped, but it will stay fresh for only a day or two. Pineapple can be frozen (after cubed and stored in an airtight container with its juices) for up to six months.

To prepare a pineapple for eating, use a sharp knife to trim the top and bottom down to the flesh. Next, hold the pineapple upright and slice off its skin in a downward vertical motion, slicing deeply enough to remove its eyes. The final step is to remove the center core. You can do this by slicing the pineapple into discs and then coring the cross-section, or you can slice the pineapple lengthwise around the core. You may want to prepare the pineapple on a plate so that you can capture all of the juices as you slice.

Serve pineapple as slices, wedges, strips, or cubes. You can plan ahead to hollow the pineapple shell and use it as a bowl for tropical fruit salad. The beauty of the pineapple makes it a lovely centerpiece.

Canned pineapple is especially useful in recipes. It is available in sugar syrup or natural juices, and comes crushed or in slices, strips, or chunks. You can store unopened canned pineapple up to one year in your pantry, but you should refrigerate and use it within one week after the can has been opened.

Fresh pineapple contains bromelain, an enzyme which will prevent gelatin from setting and will cause dairy products to curdle. (You can use fresh pineapple with dairy if you do not combine them until immediately prior to serving.) The enzyme resembles gastric acids, so it also serves as a valuable aid in digestion. Bromelain’s chemical properties and pineapple’s sweet flavor combine to create a wonderful marinade and meat tenderizer.

Here is a recipe for a rich, delicious dessert whose buttery goodness makes it the ideal comfort food.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Topping:
¼ cup butter, melted
2/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 can (approximately 1 pound) pineapple in its own juice
Cake:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9” round cake pan.
Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Set aside.
Mix the ¼ cup melted butter and brown sugar, then spread it evenly in the pan.
Distribute the pineapple evenly atop the brown sugar topping. (Crushed pineapple or tidbits work especially well, but sliced or chunks are also good.)
Set aside.
In large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
In another bowl, cream the ½ cup butter with granulated sugar and beat with electric mixer until fluffy.
Add eggs, beating well after each addition.
Add vanilla and reserved pineapple juice, mixing well.
Add the flour mixture and milk, alternating each in small batches and beating well after each addition.
Pour batter into pan, spreading evenly over pineapple and topping.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a skewer tests clean.
Cool upright on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
Run knife around edge, then invert on serving platter.
Cake is delicious warm or at room temperature as is or with whipped cream or ice cream.

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Early Native Americans prized cranberries for their myriad versatile uses. They mixed mashed berries with dried deer meat to make long-lasting pemmican (the benzoic acid in cranberries makes them a natural preservative). They found that cranberries provided a variety of medicinal uses, and they utilized the berries’ intensely colored juices as a natural red dye.

After the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, they also began to incorporate cranberries into their daily life. To this day, the cranberry is a New England culinary staple.

Dutch and German settlers called the bright red fruit “crane berries” because their flowers, when in bloom, resemble the head of a crane. Our modern name “cranberry” evolved from that earlier usage.

Cranberries grow on low vines in marshes and sandy bogs. The common image of cranberries growing in water is actually based on what happens during harvesting. First, the berries are handpicked from their vines; in larger crops, special machinery is used for this purpose. Next, the bog is flooded with knee-high water; this allows the harvesting machinery to gather the rest of the berries more easily. The general difference is that dry-harvested cranberries are marketed as fresh berries, while wet-harvested cranberries are sold to processing plants to be used in juices, sauces, and other food products.

Major cranberry producers are Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Washington, New Jersey, and Oregon. Their growing season is October through December.

When shopping for fresh cranberries, look for plump berries with bright, shiny skin. Their scarlet tone can range from light to dark red. Truly fresh cranberries will bounce; while bouncing berries in the supermarket is not a realistic option, it is good to keep in mind that the berry should be “bouncy” – that is, firm, plump, and smooth.

You can find frozen cranberries year-round. Other popular cranberry products include cranberry juice and cranberry juice cocktail; cocktails now include blends of cranberry juice with that of apple, raspberry, or grape. Canned cranberry sauce comes in the whole-berry or jelled variety.

Craisins, dried cranberries that are somewhat like raisins, have gained recent popularity. An easy but beautiful salad idea is to toss craisins and sugared pecan halves with spring greens and a light vinaigrette; top with a small round of goat cheese. Craisins are also delicious in muffins or other baked goods. To plump craisins, soak them in a cup of boiling or very hot water for 15 minutes.

When cooking cranberries, you can cut some of their tartness by adding ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to 3 cups of berries. Only cook them until they pop, or else they will taste bitter. Cooked cranberries will last up to a month if kept tightly covered. Adding a bit of liqueur will extend cooked cranberries’ shelf life.

Before storing cranberries, be sure to weed out any mushy berries. One bad cranberry will cause the entire bunch to spoil in short order. You can refrigerate fresh cranberries up to two months in a zip-lock baggie.

To freeze cranberries, wash and dry them first. Cranberries freeze well and will keep up to a year.

Here is a recipe for a traditional morning treat. To adapt it for a luncheon or brunch buffet, score each into eight smaller wedges.

Cranberry Scones

¾ cup yogurt (you can substitute buttermilk)
1 egg
2 ¾ cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter
1 cup cranberries (fresh or frozen), coarsely chopped
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 tablespoon butter, melted
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a small bowl, beat yogurt and egg until well combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Cut in butter.
Mix in cranberries, sugar, and orange rind.
Stir in yogurt mixture.
Turn dough out onto floured surface and pat into a large ball.
Knead about 10 times.
Pat into two 1” thick circles.
Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Score both into quarters to make 4 wedges from each circle.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Move to wire rack.
Brush tops with butter and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar.

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