Winter Food Chart - Fruit: Low fat healthy recipes,nutrition,fitness

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Here's our guide to winter's bounty. Find out about the fruit that is in season now - from grapefruits to kiwi to clementines with our guide from FoodFit founder and CEO Ellen Haas' book, Great Adventures in Food. We'll tell you what to look for at the market, how to store the fruit at home, how to cook it, plus great recipes.

Fruits

	Bananas Blood Oranges Clementines Cranberries Grapes (Red) Grapefruits Kiwi	Kumquat Oranges Passion Fruit Pears Persimmons Pomegranates Pummelo	Rhubarb Satsuma Oranges Tangelo Tangerine Ugli Fruit
see also:	Winter Vegetable Guide Spring Vegetable Guide \| Spring Fruit Guide Summer Vegetable Guide \| Summer Fruit Guide Fall Vegetable Guide \| Fall Fruit Guide


Bananas		Nutritional Information Excellent source of vitamin B-6 and a good source of fiber, potassium and vitamin C. What To Look For Bananas are ripe when the skin is a rich yellow color with a few brown specks. Easy Storage and Preparation Store at room temperature so that fruit will continue to ripen for about a week. You can freeze overripe bananas for later use in breads and muffins. Best Uses Spritz the banana with lemon juice after slicing to prevent discoloration. Use overripe bananas in banana bread or muffins. Brush bananas with orange juice and broil for a fantastic dessert. Recipes Banana Fruit Smoothie Sliced Bananas with Butterscotch Pudding Nancy Silverton's Banana and Cocoa Cake
Blood Oranges		Nutritional Information Excellent source of vitamin C and fiber and good source of folate. What To Look For Choose plump fruit that feels heavy for its size. Easy Storage and Preparation They will keep at room temperature for up to several days. Best Uses Add the raspberry-colored flesh to green salads. Recipes Blood Orange Marmalade Souffle Blood Orange Sauce Red Snapper with Blood Orange Sauce
Clementines		Nutritinal Information Excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of fiber and folate. What To Look For Pick ones that are heavy for their size. Easy Storage and Preparation They will keep for up to a month in the refrigerator. Best Uses Excellent in green salads. They complement poultry dishes as well. Recipes Pan Roasted Scallops with Mandarins and Chickpeas
Cranberries		Nutritional Information Excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of fiber. What To Look For Look for cranberries that are shiny and not shriveled. A brown or a deep red color signals freshness. A good, fresh berry should be hard and bounce if dropped on a hard surface. Easy Storage and Preparation They'll keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Sort and rinse cranberries in cold water before using. Best Uses Cranberries are unpleasantly tart on their own, but they're excellent for flavoring a sauce, adding to stuffing or in cakes and breads. Recipes Cranberry Butternut and Roast Shallot Couscous Wild Rice with Dried Cranberries and Walnuts Mulled Cranberries and Spiced Cherries
Grapes (Red)		Nutritional Information Excellent source of vitamin C. What To Look For Select firm, plump grapes. Color varies according to variety. Easy Storage and Preparation For easy snacking, wash thoroughly and store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Best Uses Toss grapes into salads or serve them along with cheese and nuts. Recipes Muesli with Red and Green Grapes Tomatoes with Fresh Grape Juice
Grapefruit (white, ruby red)		Nutritional Information Excellent source of vitamin C and fiber and good source of folate. What To Look For Pick grapefruits that are heavy for their size, firm and thin-skinned. Skin color varies from yellow to ruby red. Easy Storage and Preparation They'll keep at room temperature for a week to 10 days or 2 to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. Best Uses Add raw grapefruit to green salads, or in fruit salsas. Good with fish. Recipes Caramelized Grapefruit Avocado and Grapefruit Salad with Bibb Lettuce Watercress and Endive Salad with Winter Fruits
Kiwi		Nutritional Information Excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of fiber. What To Look For Pick a kiwi that yields to slight pressure but doesn't have soft spots. Easy Storage and Preparation They should be stored at room temperature for 3 to 5 days to ripen. Refrigerate ripe kiwis in a plastic bag for 2 to 3 weeks. Best Uses The entire fruit is edible including the skin. Like papayas, kiwis are also great meat tenderizers. Spread the green flesh over your meat before cooking to tenderize and add a tangy flavor. The same trait that softens meat also prevents gelatin from setting; so use another fruit in your Jell-O. Use raw atop a fruit tart or in fruit salads. Kiwis also make an unusual accompaniment to ham. Recipes Watercress and Endive with Winter Fruits Tropical Fruit Salsa
Kumquat		Nutritional Information Good source of vitamins A and C. What To Look For Choose thin-skinned, orange fruit about 1.5 inches long. Fruits with green leaves still attached are freshest. Easy Storage and Preparation Keeps at room temperature for several days. Best Uses Eat raw (a very refreshing treat after rich meals); or cut it in half, seed and puree, then add to a sauce for dessert or poultry. Recipes Avocado and Kumquat Salad
Oranges		Nutritional Information Excellent source of vitamin C and fiber and good source of folate. What To Look For Look for firm, thin-skinned oranges for juicing and thick-skinned oranges for eating. Easy Storage and Preparation Store at room temperature for up to one week, or even longer in the refrigerator. Best Uses If grating the zest, avoid the white pith, which tends to be bitter. Raw orange slices make a wonderful addition to salads. Oranges complement the flavors of onions, olives and cucumbers. Recipes Allen Susser's Red Snapper with Orange-Mango Salsa Orange Shortbread Tea Cookies Spinach, Orange and Almond Salad
Passion Fruit		Nutritional Information Good source of vitamins A and C. What To Look For Choose the largest, heaviest passion fruits. If ripe, the skin will be wrinkled but firm with a purple brown color. Smooth skin indicates that it is unripe. Easy Storage and Preparation Ripen at room temperature until the skin wrinkles. They will keep at room temperature for a few days, or longer in the refrigerator. Best Uses Use the juice to flavor drinks, fruit soups, dessert creams and custards. Although each fruit will yield very little juice, it will be very strong in flavor. Recipes Passion Fruit Sauce
Pears (Bartlett, Bosc, D'Anjou and others)		Nutritional Information Good source of vitamin C and fiber. What To Look For Pears should yield to very slight pressure. Color varies according to variety. Easy Storage and Preparation Store at room temperature to soften slightly, then refrigerate for one to two days when ripe. Best Uses When serving sliced, rub the cut surface with lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Slice raw pears into salads. Cooked pears are delicious in cakes and tarts. Serve alongside cheese or game. Recipes Pears Poached in Syrup Fall Fruit Salad Whole Wheat Griddle Cakes with Pear Compote
Persimmons		Nutritional Information Excellent source of vitamin C. What To Look For Select one with soft, deep red-orange skin, with no yellow areas. Hard persimmons are too tart to eat; try ripening in a paper bag with a banana or an apple. Pick a persimmon that is very soft if you want to eat it immediately. Easy Storage and Preparation Store in the refrigerator. They are best if used within two days. Best Uses Peel before using raw. Add sliced persimmons to fruit salads or green salads. Or, for a simple cooked side dish, cut persimmons in half, keeping the peel, and cook quickly under the broiler. Recipes Broiled Persimmons
Pomegranates		What To Look For Good source of vitamins A and C. What To Look For Select one that feels heavy for its size and very plump. The top should be slightly soft when pressed and the skin should shine, not appear dry and dull. Easy Storage and Preparation If refrigerated, they will keep for two weeks. Best Uses Use the juice to flavor drinks, fruit soups, dessert creams and custards. Add the seeds to green salads. Can also be cooked into marmalade. Recipes Watercress and Pomegranate Salad Pomegranate Dressing
Pummelo (Pomelo)		Nutritional Information Excellent source of vitamin C and fiber and good source of folate. What To Look For The largest citrus fruit, they can be round or pear shaped. Choose ones that are firm, thin-skinned and feel heavy for their size. Easy Storage and Preparation They will keep at room temperature for several days or a week or more if refrigerated. Best Uses Use for juice or add sections to fruit or green salads or fruit salsas. Good with fish.
Rhubarb		Nutritional Information Good source of calcium, fiber and vitamin C. What To Look For Select stems that are long, thin, and fully colored red. Easy Storage and Preparation Can be refrigerated for a few days. If the stalks are thick, peel with a vegetable peeler to remove the fibrous strings. The leaves are poisonous. Best Uses Rhubarb must be cooked. Use it in fruit soups, compotes, crisps, jams and pies. Good with rich meats such as lamb. Recipes Patrick O'Connell's Rhubarb Pizzas Michael Lomonaco's Strawberry-Rhubarb Shortcake Roast Pork Loin with Rhubarb Sauce and Onion Relish
Satsuma Oranges (Mandarin)		Nutritional Information Excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of fiber and folate. What To Look For Pick ones that are heavy for their size. Its nickname is "Emerald Green" because of its greenish-orange color. Easy Storage and Preparation They will keep at room temperature for several days and a week or more if refrigerated. Best Uses Loose skin allows them to be peeled easily. Sweet and seedless, they're great in fruit and green salads and good with poultry. Recipes Allen Susser's Orange-Mango Salsa Pan Roasted Scallops with Mandarins and Chickpeas
Tangelo		Nutritional Information Excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of fiber and folate. What To Look For Look for deep orange-red skin with a prominent neck. They should heavy for their size, free of bruises and brown spots. Easy Storage and Preparation They will keep at room temperature for several days and a week or more if refrigerated. Best Uses This mandarin-grapefruit cross is easily peeled, very juicy and rich, but a bit tart. Excellent in fruit and green salads but watch out for seeds. Recipes Winter Fruit Salad
Tangerine		Nutritional Information Excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of fiber and folate. What To Look For Select ones that are heavy for their size, free of bruises and brown spots. Color is not always an indicator, since some dark areas can be a sign of good, strong flavor. Easy Storage and Preparation They will keep at room temperature for several days and a week or more if refrigerated. Best Uses Loose skin allows tangerines to be peeled easily. Their tart flesh adds flavor to fruit or green salads but watch out for seeds. Good with poultry. Recipes Alice Waters' Orange Juice Tangerine Teriyaki Tofu Tangerine Teriyaki Tuna
Ugli Fruit		Nutritional Information Excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of fiber and folate. What To Look For Look for a thick, bumpy orange-green skin. They should be heavy for their size and free of bruises and brown spots. Easy Storage and Preparation They will keep at room temperature for up to several days and a week or more if refrigerated. Best Uses Use like you would a grapefruit; their flesh is sweeter and has very few seeds. Great added to fruit or green salads.

NOTE: An excellent source contains more than 20 percent of the Daily Value for that nutrient. A good source contains between 10 and 19 percent of the Daily Value.

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