How to Pick Fresh Fruit

The U. S. Department of Agriculture provides many valuable services; among these is the establishment of quality grading for fresh fruit. The use of these grades is voluntary and is used as a basis for trading for growers, shippers, wholesalers, and retailers. However, some state laws as well as federal marketing programs do require that the grading and the grade label be included.

The most common fruits to bear these grade designations are pears and apples. The grade can be found on the package. This means that the packer is legally obligated to insure that the contents are consistent with the official grade requirements.

· U.S. Fancy - Fancy means premium quality. It should be noted that there is only a small percentage of fruits packed with this grade designation.
· U.S. No. 1 - No. 1 quality indicates good quality. This is the most common grade used for most fruits.
· U.S. No. 2 and U.S. No. 3 - The No. 3 designation is the lowest grade and is significantly less in quality than the No. 2 designation.

Here are some tips offered by the USDA to remember when choosing apples and pears:

Apples - There are many different varieties of apples available and they can vary widely in appearance, flesh characteristics, seasonal availability, and end use.

Look for these varieties when you want apples to eat as fresh fruit: Red Delicious, McIntosh, Granny Smith, Empire, and Golden Delicious. If your intention is to make pies and applesauce a tarter apple is required. These include Gravenstein, Grimes Golden, Jonathan, and Newton.

For baking use Rome Beauty, Northern Spy, Rhode Island Greening, Winesap, and York Imperial.

Apples to choose: Look for crisp, firm, well-colored apples. The taste of an apple is based upon its maturity at the time it is picked, so look for apples that have matured on the tree. Apples picked too soon may have a shriveled appearance and lack color.

Apples to lose: Stay away from over-ripened apples. The soft, spongy feel to the fruit can pinpoint these apples. Apples that have been subjected to a freeze should also be avoided. These can be detected by the apple's internal breakdown and bruised appearance.

Pears - The most recognizable pear on the market is the Bartlett Pear. These are grown in California, Washington and Oregon in great quantities. They are used for canning as well as for fresh fruit. There are a number of other pear varieties available. These include the Anjou, Bosc, Winter Nellis, and Comice.

Pears to choose: No matter what type of pear you are selecting, keep in mind that it should be firm. Next look at the color, and this will vary with the type of pear you choose. The Anjou and Comice pears should appear light green to yellowish-green. The Bosc pear should appear greenish-yellow to brownish-yellow. The popular Bartlett pear should have pale-yellow or a rich-yellow color.

Pears to lose: Don't even consider pears that are shriveled, have a dull appearance to the skin and are spongy near the stem. These are immature and will not ripen. Look for spots on the sides or the blossom end of the pear. This indicates that there may be corky tissue underneath the skin.

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