Foods and home making

When the juice is to be extracted, it is usually more thrifty to buy small oranges. (See Figure 3.) When the fruit is to be served whole, it is good economy to buy oranges of medium size. While the citrus fruits can usually be bought at all times of the year, they are generally more plentiful and of better quality at certain seasons. Oranges and grapefruit are most plentifid dur- ing the late winter and early spring months. Lemons are plentiful dur- ing the spring and summer months . Strawberries. — There is, perhaps, no way to judge with certainty the flavor of strawberries, except by tasting them. However, the appearance of a strawberry is some indication of its flavor. Fine-flavored strawberries are : 1. Firm and free from decay. (Strawberries decay readily. Keep them in a cool place.) 2. Bright red. (If a portion of a berry is green, it is underripe or poorly developed.) 3. Medium or large and uniform in size. (Sometimes unscrupulous Figure 3. A Measuring Cup of Orange Juice The juice of two large oranges at 45 cents a dozen or of three smaller oranges at 20 cents a dozen fills this cup. How much is saved on a cupful of juice by buying the smaller oranges ? IO Breakfast dealers put the large fine berries on top of the boxes and the small poorly-formed or decayed berries underneath.) Usually strawberries are sold in boxes. A quart box filled with strawberries weighs about pounds. Strawberries are most plentiful during the spring and early summer. Pineapples. — Pineapples of fine flavor are neither under- ripe nor overripe. To test for proper ripeness : 1. Note the color. A ripe pineapple is yellowish brown. 2. Attempt to pull some of the stiff leaves. If the leaves can be pulled out and are white to a depth of about an inch at the base, the pineapple is ripe. 3. Note the condition at the stem end. At this point the pineapple begins to decay. If this part of the pineapple is discolored and feels soft when pressed, the fruit is probably overripe. Pineapples are most plentiful in the spring and early summer. Bananas. — Unless you want to bake bananas or keep them some time, do not buy green bananas. Just as potatoes are not The tip of this banana has lost its green, showing that the banana is ripe. The brown flecks on the skin also indicate ripeness. A banana with a green tip is unfit to eat. fit to eat unless they are cooked, so green bananas should not be eaten uncooked. When a banana is ripe, the tip is yellow or brown, not green; the skin is flecked with brown. (See Figure 4.) Bananas will ripen after being cut from the tree. Brown spots on an unripe banana may be due to bruising. II Selecting and Serving Fruits This fruit is sold by the dozen , pound , or hand. A hand or branch contains ten to fifteen bananas. It is usually best to buy this fruit by weight. Bananas are in season the year round.