Fruit provides energy from sugar and fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals. It should be chosen based on characteristics like firmness, color, and aroma. Soft fruits like berries should be dry and full, while hard fruits like apples can last weeks in the refrigerator. Citrus fruits last a couple weeks but lose flavor over time. Fruit is best when in season locally to ensure freshness and lower environmental impact. Preservation methods include freezing, drying, canning, bottling, and making jam or jelly to extend shelf life.

1. Fruit

2. Fruit
Fruit provides a ready source of energy
because it is rich in sugar
(fructose), minerals and vitamins. It is
also a good source of dietary fibre, both
in the edible skin and in the watersoluble fibre called pectin found in
certain fruits such as apples and quinces.
Almost all fruit has a low calorie count.

3. Quality points to look for before
purchasing fruit and how to store fruit
• Fruit should look fresh and appetising, it should
be plump and firm, this is a sign of good
moisture content. It should not have any
bruising or wrinkles
• Soft fruits, such as berries, should look dry on
the outside and full. Avoid those with signs of
mould or moisture, including any leakage in the
packaging
• Whether the fruit skins are edible or
inedible, always make sure that they are not
bruised, split or broken or have signs of insect
damage

4. Quality points to look for before
purchasing fruit and how to store fruit
• Aroma is a good indication of ripeness. Fruit, such
as melon, should smell fragrant. Although they will
keep quite well for a week or so, they will not ripen
if bought under ripe
• Hard fruit such as apples and pears, as long as they
are purchased unblemished, will keep for a few
weeks in the refrigerator
• Any fruit stored at room temperature will ripen and
deteriorate quicker than if stored in a cool
place, because the water content gradually
evaporates and with it the sweet moisture within the
fruit. Some fruits are best purchased for immediate
use

5. Quality points to look for before purchasing fruit
and how to store fruit continued
• All the soft berry fruits come into this category. All
fruits should be carefully washed before cooking
and eating
• Fruit should be consistent in size and shape and
have good vibrant colour
• Another quality point is flavour, Fruit should have a
strong flavour. For instance strawberries should
have a strong strawberry flavour, those that do not
have good taste are either under ripe or of poor
quality

6. Citrus Fruit
Citrus fruit will keep well for a couple of weeks if
necessary, but the skins will begin to toughen, dry out
and wrinkle and they will lose some of their essential
oils which help flavour many desserts. If the citrus
fruit is purchased for its zest, then it must be used
within a couple of days. Pineapples and melons are
best eaten just chilled at 5°C; however, this causes a
slight problem in storage because their scent is so
penetrating that they must be well wrapped, or they
will pass on their flavours to other refrigerated foods
stored nearby.

7. Fruit and their Seasonal Availability
It is important that we should recognize
seasonality as much as possible and buy
our commodities according to seasonal
availability. If a fruit is available throughout
the year it is generally recognized that it is
purchased overseas.

8. Fruit and their Seasonal Availability
Purchasing fruit within season and
sourcing it locally will help to ensure
freshness because the storage time
before purchase has been minimal. The
travelling expense and carbon footprint is
kept to minimum because it is locally
grown, which might also help lower the
price of the fruit. The list below is a
general guide to the seasonal availability
of fruit.

10. Preserving and Storing fruit
• Quick freezing Strawberries, raspberries, loganberries,
apples, blackberries, gooseberries, grapefruit and plums
are frozen and must be kept below zero and preferably
at −18°C
• Cold storage Apples are stored at temperatures between
1 and 4°C, depending on the variety of apple. This
suppresses the ripening of the fruit
• Gas storage Fruit can be kept in a sealed storage room
where the atmosphere is controlled. The amount of air is
limited, the oxygen content of the air is decreased and
the carbon dioxide increased which controls the
respiration rate of the fruit and preserves it for longer

11. The preservation of fruit
• Drying
Apples, pears, apricots, peaches, bananas and
figs can be dried. Plums when dried are called
prunes, and currants, sultanas and raisins are
produced by drying grapes. Also, fruit crisps
can be produced by macerating thinly sliced
fruits such as pineapple for a few minutes and
then drying out in a low-heated oven.
• Canning Almost all fruits may be canned.
Apples are packed in water and known as
‘solid packed apples’. Other fruits are canned
in light syrup.

12. The preservation of fruit continued
• Bottling This is used domestically, but very little fruit is
commercially preserved in this way. Cherries are bottled
in maraschino liqueur
1. Pros of Bottling fruit;
2. Increases the shelf life significantly
3. Cost effective- reduces waste
4. Enhances the flavour or colour of the fruit
5. A way of adding flavours into the fruit(alcohol or
spices)
• Candied Orange and lemon peels are candied. Other
fruits with a strong flavour, such as pineapple, are
preserved in this way. The fruit is covered in hot
syrup, which is increased in sugar content from day to
day until the fruit is saturated in very heavy syrup. It is
then allowed to dry slowly until it is no longer sticky and
moist

13. Other forms of preserving fruit
• Glacé - The fruit is first candied and then
dipped in fresh syrup to give a clear finish. This
method is applied to cherries
• Crystallized - After the fruit has been candied it
is left in fresh syrup for 24 hours and then
allowed to dry very slowly until crystals form on
the surface of the fruit
• Jam - Some stone and all soft fruits can be
used to make jam. The fruits are boiled with
sugar and pectin may be added to help set the
mixture
• Jelly - Jellies are produced from fruit juice and
can be set with either gelatine or pectin