Tuesday's Question of the day - March 5

Let's talk FRUIT I love fruit especially blueberries, rasberries, strawberries and blackberries. I used to eat more fresh fruit but now I am eating mostly frozen fruit. I use it in yogurt, smoothies, cereal, squashed on english muffins :lol3:, and in oatmeal. Almost everything I can think of I add fruit too. I have always had a problem with the "berries" fresh from the market. If I don't eat them right away, they get soft and moldy and they are too expensive to toss out so frozen has been the way I go now.

Fresh fruit is in its raw form although the fresh fruit at your market may have been picked weeks or even months ago and shipped. Frozen fruit is usually frozen immediately after picking. Fruit is naturally high in vitamins and fiber in fresh form. However, frozen fruits may be higher because they are frozen when at their peak. So for me, I feel eating frozen fruit is best.

[COLOR=#RED]Fresh or frozen fruit? Which might be better for us? Which do you prefer?[/COLOR]

Fresh fruit, definitely. We have an orchard (apples, pears, cherries, plums, mirabelles, quinces & apricots, though I can only eat the first two), and DH also grows all sorts of berries and some grapes. The berries are frozen, the cherries canned, and the other stuff dehydrated for the winter. He buys oranges, bananas, melons, lemons and limes, but that's about it.

I prefer fresh fruit. But with meals, I use canned fruits. When I buy them, I get the light to avoid excess sugar. What are mirabelles.

It depends on the fruit. The only frozen fruit I really like is blueberries. We get them fresh in a 10-pound box around the beginning of July and the money goes to our local Lions Club. I immediately package them in quart freezer bags and throw them in the freezer. Then, throughout the year, I make muffins, buckles, grunts, cobblers, pies, scones, etc. And I love, love, love frozen blueberries!

Everything else is always fresh (or canned or dried): apples, bananas, etc. I dearly love fresh nectarines and peaches and can sit and eat a ton of them at a time. I think I wait for nectarine season to come in and I'm always so impatient.....it takes forever to get them in at the stores and markets around here. I love grapes, too; one of my GFs said that frozen grapes are just delicious; I've not tried that yet.

Since I started canning the other year, I love to buy a bushel of peaches and can them. Pears, too. So good. Peach ice cream anybody?? And I always have enough to make several peach pies to throw into the freezer. Same with apples: dumplings, pies, and, of course, applesauce for dear Richard; the applesauce is always frozen so he has it for his lunch throughout the year. My sister and I get together and make strawberry preserves and some grape jam, too. And don't forget chutney! Yum!

We have a food dehydrator and I love dried apples, dried pineapple, dried anything! I know that drying them really increases the sugar in the fruit, so I try to be careful. But man, dried pineapple is decadently delicious. So are dried cherries. (And dried onions, peppers, etc.) This year, I'd like to try some fruit leathers.

Hoping for fresh strawberries from the garden this year!

We don't get much in the way of citrus fruits. If I have a recipe for something with oranges, lemons, etc, then I'll buy what I need. But I do enjoy eating them.....we just don't think about buying them that often. Love candied orange peel...so good!

blueyedgirl5946 said:

What are mirabelles.

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They're probably best described as yellow plums. They're also called Reineclauden.
Mirabelle plum

I prefer fresh fruit.  I do buy on occasion canned fruit such as fruit cocktail or peaches but not in heavy syrup. 
 

I prefer fresh fruit.  However, I do buy bags of frozen berry mix for use in smoothies.  I also have some of those snack packs and canned fruit in the cupboard for emergencies.

Also, I love all fruits.
 

I only buy fresh fruit!  I suppose I eat frozen fruit it tends to be in pie form though hahahahaha!!

I eat any fruit apart from watermelon it makes me sick to my stomach 

jcat said:

They're probably best described as yellow plums. They're also called Reineclauden.
Mirabelle plum

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Oh, thanks. I have learned something today. I always just heard plums called plums, red one, black ones, and yellow ones.

I buy a lot of frozen fruit, because I only go shopping once every 2-3 weeks and fresh berries/etc. don't last that long. I get a frozen 3-berry blend and a frozen tropical fruit blend. I'll eat them frozen or thawed. I do get fresh bananas and apples, and blueberries and blackberries when they're reasonably priced.

Frozen grapes ARE wonderful! The sugar intensifies and they're just so good.

I prefer fresh fruit.  Unfortunately, most of the produce - fruit and veg - in the local store is poor quality and expensive.  The fresh fruit I eat is mostly berries picked right outside the house. I have blackberries and muscadine grapes in season. The nearest good fresh fruit and veg is a 120-mile round trip.

I don't care if it's fresh, frozen, or dried a long as it's just fruit no sugar or anything else added. All ripe fruit is my friend. I LOVE persimmons the most.

Oh, yeah, and freeze-dried mango! Yummy!

Willowy said:

Oh, yeah, and freeze-dried mango! Yummy!

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Freeze dried pineapple is pretty good too.  And freeze dried strawberries... they're my favourite part of Special K Redberry.

I prefer fresh fruit most of the time, but frozen (and thawed) raspberries or peaches over vanilla ice cream are one of my favourite desserts though.  Yum.  I always stock up on blueberries and peaches when they're in season and freeze them for baking or eating throughout the year.

Fresh fruit... is the Best!...

BUT ..have you ever tryed the Frozen Mango? I mean a frappe beverage?... delicious!...

I prefer frozen fruit as I love to make smoothies and it is easier to get more nutrition that way.. you can really pack in the fruit into a delicious drink! However if it is summertime in Maine and the strawberries are ripe then I love fresh !

Well, then, we have it.... seems Fresh fruit wins!!! I do eat certain fruits fresh - like apples, bananas, peaches, nectarines, plums, grapes, oranges; BUT the "berries", I only eat the frozen now. Sometimes, I will buy fresh strawberries, but again, I have to eat them right away or else.... Seems I have a problem with anything "berries" and them rotting too quickly.

OK - SO, since I was not too clear in my question and my thinking this morning....... What is the best way to store fresh strawberries, blueberries, rasberries and blackberries? I always put them in the fridge and keep them in their container. But, if they don't get eaten quickly - they turn to YUK. That is why I am buying "berries" frozen now. (and if no one answers this question...... It will be on my list of QOTD questions )

OH and dried fruit :lol3: A whole other thread there. I DO LOVE dried fruit. Such a great snack. Love, love it.

cattree said:

I prefer frozen fruit as I love to make smoothies and it is easier to get more nutrition that way.. you can really pack in the fruit into a delicious drink! However if it is summertime in Maine and the strawberries are ripe then I love fresh !

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the frozen is great for smoothies.

Winchester said:

Love candied orange peel...so good!

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I could LIVE on candied orange peel and get fat on candied orange peel!! AND add in a little Lemon Peel.....

I love it all!  But my favorite thing right now is to partially defrost a bowl of cherries, raspberries and blackberries (I'll use blueberries too if I'm out of something else) and I'll add a small handful of chocolate chips.  Mmm Mmmm Mmmmmmmmm it's good!

I also love mango partially defrosted.  I love all fruit fresh; but Mango I just cant get the hang of cutting up.  

Fresh pineapple is amazing.  Beats the canned version by a long shot!  

We buy a lot of grapes, apples, oranges and bananas.  Last year I tried to grow some cantaloupes in the garden but they were mixed with my cucumbers that got the wilt and we didn't end up with anything.  Maybe this year I'll try again.

I was about to go get an orange when I saw this post...but now I think I'd rather have some berries!  Or mango.  Hmm!