The Best Fruits Right Now

Peaches are another beloved stone fruit and harbinger of spring. I think this peach is the “United Nations” of stone fruits because there are peach lovers and nectarine lovers. This variety is a cross of both, yielding tangy, sweet, toothsome flesh with less fuzzy skin.  

Select firm peacharines that have slight give at the shoulders, and are fragrant, with no soft spots, bruises, or mold. Fruit will not ripen but will sweeten once harvested. Do not wash until ready to prepare or consume. To ripen, store at room temperature for 3-4 days in a paper bag.  Refrigeration can affect the flavor of peaches and nectarines, but they may be refrigerated with no bag in the crisper for up to one week. Peacharines also may be frozen once washed, peeled, and pitted for up to four months.  

Stone fruits are quite versatile. They may be prepared and served using just about any culinary method, from dehydrating and pickling to roasting and barbecuing. They may be prepared sweet or savory, from dried trail mix to ice cream and drinks. They pair well with greens, other fruits, meats, seafood, tofu, grains, crucifers, nightshades, and dairy. Available March through mid-April. Product of New Zealand.

The Japanese word, ‘furikake (foo-RHEE-cock-KAY)’ means ‘to sprinkle,’ and is generally a condiment sprinkled over ramen, rice, fish or meat, tasty crackers, eggs, toast, popcorn, or anything else that needs a little extra ‘something.’ Furikake’s main ingredients are sesame seed and nori, and the rest can be a mix of anything that pairs well. You know Melissa’s and how we can be creative, so we’ve added a sweet and salty furikake with a bit of crunch, chew and a whole lotta OISHII (‘delicious’ in Japanese) to our Clean Snax® line. Please ask your local grocery retailer or sports venue for this tasty treat if not on display for purchase. Available Year Round.  Product of USA.

Always a harbinger of Spring, Ojai Pixie Tangerines are ‘candy from a tree’! The unique microclimate of the Ojai Valley (one of very few east-west valleys) yields hot days and cool nights to produce a sweet, easy-peel tangerine, the perfect out-of-hand, natural sugar treat! Kids of any age (that includes adults) love them; they are just the right size for lunch boxes as well as purses or a jacket pocket—Peel and juice for springtime frescas, cream sodas, morning smoothies, or palate-cleaning sorbets. Pixies are members of the citrus family and may be included in every course and just about every dish. But Ojai Pixies are truly best eaten out of hand or shared as lunchtime pals. Available March-May. California Grown.

Why fiddle with the process of opening a whole pomegranate, then seeding the interior, resulting in stained counters, clothes, and especially hands? Melissa’s to the rescue with our Pomegranate Aril Cups! It has the same great punchy, sweet flavor and jeweled red color, just a more accommodating container with a wider opening, enabling you to spoon out, pour, or chug the seeds.

A good source of Vitamins B6 and C, fiber, and natural sugar, pomegranate arils are beneficial for urinary, cardiac, and digestive health and provide energy. Toss arils into green and grain salads for crunch and bursts of flavor; fold into sauces and dressings; garnish fruit salads, desserts, rich meats, and veggies; add to smoothies, juices, and garnish bowls. Include them in Charoset for Passover. They certainly speed up canning pomegranate jelly! As you can see, Melissa’s Pomegranate Arils are meant for more than turkey stuffing and champagne garnish.  Look for Melissa’s Pomegranate Arils in the salad components/precut produce section of the produce department, or ask your produce manager or attendant. Available Year Round. Product of India.

The beloved ‘kiwi’ fruit, often associated with New Zealand, has fuzzy brown edible skin (though most consumers prefer to peel it) and a firm texture similar to that of a tomato, which softens when ripe. Its flavor is reminiscent of strawberry and melon. The most common variety has bright, lime-green flesh and fuzzy tan skin, while a golden kiwi offers gold flesh and light brown, fuzz-less skin. The rarest variety is the RED KIWI, which features a striking red starburst flesh and yellow skin.

Kiwi is a good source of Vitamin K and Vitamin C, both of which support normal immune function, skin health, and bone health. Additionally, kiwi contains dietary fiber and antioxidants that may promote digestive health. The digestive enzyme found in kiwi may also support normal digestive function and reduce occasional bloating and constipation.

Melissa's recommends avoiding kiwifruit in gelled recipes or those requiring coagulation, as the digestive enzyme may interfere with the setting of these types of dishes.

 

MEGA KIWI FRUIT 

Now that you are up to speed on the benefits and profiles of kiwifruit, why not try Mega Kiwifruit from Melissa’s? Mega Kiwifruit are much larger than standard-sized green kiwi, about three to four per pound! When sliced, they are the perfect size for ricotta toast, feathered over a fruit tart, chunks for skewers, kiwi sorbet, etc. Select fragrant fruit with a slight give, much like a ripe tomato. Unwashed, ripen Mega Kiwi at room temperature, or refrigerate, unwashed and unpeeled, in the crisper drawer for up to 5 days. Do not freeze fruit. Available through February. Product of USA, California.

We have discussed the mega Kiwifruit; now, we move to the other end of the spectrum with Kiwi Berries. Although the fruit looks very much like a baby kiwifruit, it is actually a different berry with smooth, dark green skin and a similar green interior. Like its cousins, the kiwifruit and mega kiwifruit, it has digestive enzymes. 

Select Kiwi Berries that are firm and ripe with a slight give. Avoid bruises, punctures, or soft fruit. This variety is the party girl! The bite-sized fruit is perfect for skewers, grazing boards, tasting fruit cups, one pop snacking, garnishing cocktails, or desserts. Pair it with other fruits, semi-soft cheese, chicken, and seafood. Available February through March. Product of Chile. 

Pineapples symbolize welcome and hospitality, offering a deliciously balanced combination of sweet and savory flavors with a toothsome texture and bright, fresh color that make them perfect for springtime dishes. Pineapples are an excellent source of Vitamin C, which supports a healthy immune system, and contain bromelain, a natural enzyme that may support healthy digestion and promote normal inflammation response.

Enjoy this world favorite in a variety of ways: blended into morning smoothies, added to fruit bowls, topped on yogurt with crushed Clean Snax®, incorporated into side dishes or full-size salads, mixed with grains, grilled, or paired with meats, seafood, plant-based proteins, sausages, or as a salsa or beverage mix base. Pineapple is also great as a garnish, in sorbet, ambrosia, or a classic upside-down cake, and can be added to fruit, deli, seafood, or veggie grazing boards.

Pineapple’s natural bromelain enzyme may also support the digestion of proteins, making it a tasty and beneficial addition to your meals.

If tummy acid prevents you from enjoying pineapple, try Pinkglow® Pineapples, which offer a sweeter, low-acid profile. The bonus: their gorgeous pink flesh! Available at select retail stores throughout the U.S. or via www.melissas.com. And if you prefer a big pineapple flavor with a balance of sweetness and tang, Honeyglow® Pineapple is the one for you! Available year-round. Product of Costa Rica.

Did you know melons are a member of the squash family? It makes sense based on seeds, vine, and sometimes shape. Anatomy aside, if you’re a melon person, you’re a MELON PERSON, and your season is slowly arriving with the following two varieties. Melons are refreshing and juicy with a soft yet firm or crunchy, crisp texture. Depending on the variety, their flesh can be in a variety of colors, from orangesicle orange to yellow, light green, or creamy white. They are always best served chilled, whether halved and seeded, sliced or cubed. Try them over a bed of arugula drizzled with sweet balsamic or vinaigrette and a slight sprinkle of bleu cheese or shards of parmesan to balance the sweetness. Whirl them (but don’t allow the juice to warm, which will change aroma and flavor) and sieve with a squeeze of citrus for breakfast drinks, make fresca or sorbet or leave them as chunks and freeze for smoothies or blend with a small bit of yogurt for mouthfeel and top with nuts and Melissa’s Unsweetened Dried Coconut. 

Charentais musk melons are named after their region of origin in France. They look like baby cantaloupes with light green ridges and smooth or netted rinds. The flesh is a rich pastel orange encasing small seeds and often a bit of juice. Select Charentais that are firm, fragrant, and heavy for their size with no soft spots or mold. Allow to ripen a few days at room temperature, then refrigerate for up to four days. Wash rind well and pat dry before cutting. Flesh only may be cut into chunks, placed on a parchment line tray or plate and frozen, then transferred to a freezer container for storage. Available through May. Product of Dominican Republic. 

Reminiscent of orangesicle pops from the last century, this melon has a honeydew flesh texture and a hard orange candy flavor with a bit of a luscious cream finish, though it is dairy-free.  A member of the Crenshaw variety, the skin is vibrant sunny orange. Serve this melon well chilled and sliced or as a soup, garnished with a dollop of yogurt, a sprig of fresh mint, and a plump raspberry.  Fabulous enrobed with salted meats (prosciutto is classic), dried figs, and a drizzle of Melissa’s Hot Jalapeño Honey for a jazzy appetizer or snack. Available through March. Grown in Mexico.

This fruit may seem new to you, but it has been growing in the United States for over a century!  Jujubes are about the size of a golf ball, light lime green in color with brown specks and a small pit, and are fully ripe when completely brown. Consumed raw, crisp and crunchy when green with brown specks, or when completely ripe and brown, they taste similar to a date, mildly sweet with a slight chew.

Jujube may be slow-cooked with a bit of apple juice and canela until tender, then served warm as breakfast or dessert over yogurt or pound cake with ice cream and toasted nuts or oats, consumed raw out of hand (be mindful of inedible pits), as a grazing board addition pitted and sautéed in butter and a bit of sweetener, or dried thin slices as a garnish or added sweet to trail mix, baking, salads and fruit cup.

Select jujube that is firm with no soft spots, cracks, or bruises, and avoid shriveled skin.  Refrigerate in an open container or bag with holes for up to two weeks. Available March-early April. Product of USA.

Dried fruits make great last-minute pantry items to toss into dishes for garnish, textural chew, color, and added fiber. And, of course, they add sweetness that can balance the bitterness of greens in salads and sautéed veggies, add a pinch of acid and tang to cut through fatty dishes, and flavor as well as color to basic quick breads and stuffings. 

Melissa’s Organic Dried Fruits selection is USDA Certified Organic and available in packages that are enough for a recipe. They are packed in a zipper seal bag in case there is left over for future noshing. Our selection includes more unusual dried fruits such as zante currants, tart cherries, dried mango slices, and goji berries, as well as more common blueberries, cranberries, and banana chips. We also offer in larger sizes unctuous Organic Medjool pitted dates, Organic Almond Roll with dates, and Organic Coconut Roll with dates for easy on the go nutrient-dense eating, and dried Organic Golden Figs and dried Organic Black Mission figs to break one’s fast or for baking classic fig bar cookies.