It's fresh fruit time: ITT we help each other find, buy and store the best, freshest fruit we've found or bought

With no respect whatsoever, who tf buys fruit at Meijer? That shit gone bad in two days.

Floyd Robertson wrote:With no respect whatsoever, who tf buys fruit at Meijer? That shit gone bad in two days.

While true, you do it at 11:30 when you need coffee cream. However the sign is correct…. And official.

The raspberries are so damn good right now

Dendrobates wrote:The raspberries are so damn good right now

I put them in plain yogurt for my dessert. They are very good, actually pretty damn cheap

The best time of year for fruit is when Michigan strawberries and blueberries are in season, just a few weeks away. Then Paw Paw season, and finally, Michigan cherry and apple season.
And, if we’re being honest, I made up the part about Paw Paw season. I don’t know when they are ready for picking. Ask Travis.

I've finally started to appreciate how great mangoes are, but they'd be a lot better if they had smaller pits and were easier to clean.

#randomfruitthoughts

Just bought my first batch of cherries from Randazzo's. Ate some. The rest are in the fridge.

Right on.

Floyd Robertson wrote:I've finally started to appreciate how great mangoes are, but they'd be a lot better if they had smaller pits and were easier to clean.

#randomfruitthoughts

I just wish I liked the taste.

Pineapple is still the best smell and taste. Thinking about trying to grow one or two, but it’s a multi-year process.

DWags wrote:Just bought my first batch of cherries from Randazzo's. Ate some. The rest are in the fridge.

Right on.

Cherries are my favorite food. Not just my favorite fruit, my favorite food overall. It is either cherries or Oreos, but cherries get the nod because they are healthier.

I have bought at least 15 pounds so far this season. I haven't seen any Washington cherries (all from California so far) but soon, very soon.

Floyd Robertson wrote:I've finally started to appreciate how great mangoes are, but they'd be a lot better if they had smaller pits and were easier to clean.

#randomfruitthoughts

It is unconventional but my go to way to clean a mango is with a very sharp vegetable peeler. Lop off the top and bottom with a knife then use the peeler. Stand it up on the stem end that you previously took off and run a chef's knife along the pit on each side. Clean up any remaining mango on the short side of the pit.

MSU addict wrote:

DWags wrote:Just bought my first batch of cherries from Randazzo's. Ate some. The rest are in the fridge.

Right on.

Cherries are my favorite food. Not just my favorite fruit, my favorite food overall. It is either cherries or Oreos, but cherries get the nod because they are healthier.

I have bought at least 15 pounds so far this season. I haven't seen any Washington cherries (all from California so far) but soon, very soon.

Tread lightly in your bonding with Dwags. Before you know it, he’ll have you refrigerating every piece of fruit in your house.

MSU addict wrote:

Floyd Robertson wrote:I've finally started to appreciate how great mangoes are, but they'd be a lot better if they had smaller pits and were easier to clean.

#randomfruitthoughts

It is unconventional but my go to way to clean a mango is with a very sharp vegetable peeler. Lop off the top and bottom with a knife then use the peeler. Stand it up on the stem end that you previously took off and run a chef's knife along the pit on each side. Clean up any remaining mango on the short side of the pit.

How can I, pardon the pun, grow to like the taste of mango? It’s a healthy food, but it lacks the sweetness of many fruits and tastes almost flat to me. Also, I’d like to subscribe to your YouTube channel.

tGreenWay wrote:Pineapple is still the best smell and taste. Thinking about trying to grow one or two, but it’s a multi-year process.

They've gotten ridiculously cheap compared to a few decades ago. I went through a long phase where I was buying a fresh pineapple every week.

tGreenWay wrote:

MSU addict wrote:Cherries are my favorite food.  Not just my favorite fruit, my favorite food overall.  It is either cherries or Oreos, but cherries get the nod because they are healthier.

I have bought at least 15 pounds so far this season.  I haven't seen any Washington cherries (all from California so far) but soon, very soon.  

Tread lightly in your bonding with Dwags. Before you know it, he’ll have you refrigerating every piece of fruit in your house.

I eat A LOT of fruit.  It is my normal breakfast and lunch.  Fruit is best stored in the fridge, except of course bananas and some fruits like peaches, plums, pears and mangoes that are still hard.

Wild raspberries are good. I store them outside.

tGreenWay wrote:

MSU addict wrote:It is unconventional but my go to way to clean a mango is with a very sharp vegetable peeler. Lop off the top and bottom with a knife then use the peeler. Stand it up on the stem end that you previously took off and run a chef's knife along the pit on each side. Clean up any remaining mango on the short side of the pit.

How can I, pardon the pun, grow to like the taste of mango? It’s a healthy food, but it lacks the sweetness of many fruits and tastes almost flat to me. Also, I’d like to subscribe to your YouTube channel.

Personally, I find a ripe mango quite sweet. I would also disagree on the "flat" taste. It always tastes tropical to me, much more so than a papaya. If anything, I am not that big of a fan of the texture.

That said, I do believe the more you eat something the more start to like it. My wife loves Brussels sprouts, I never liked them much, but would make them for her. As I ate more and more of them, I really began to enjoy them.

Sorry, I do not have a youtube channel.

tGreenWay wrote:Pineapple is still the best smell and taste. Thinking about trying to grow one or two, but it’s a multi-year process.

I love fresh pineapple but hate cutting it up

Floyd Robertson wrote:

tGreenWay wrote:Pineapple is still the best smell and taste. Thinking about trying to grow one or two, but it’s a multi-year process.

They've gotten ridiculously cheap compared to a few decades ago. I went through a long phase where I was buying a fresh pineapple every week.

I am trying to think of the last week where I did not buy a pineapple. I usually buy one a week, occasionally I will pass if I do not see one I like.

duffy munn wrote:

tGreenWay wrote:Pineapple is still the best smell and taste. Thinking about trying to grow one or two, but it’s a multi-year process.

I love fresh pineapple but hate cutting it up

FWIW, my go to way to clean/cut up a pineapple -

Using a (sharp) chef's knife, lop off the bottom and top.  Stand it on the bottom cut it into fourths.  Take one of the quarters, standing it upright and split it in half.  Run the knife down to cut out the core an then along the skin side curving it along the way.  When it is split like this it is easy to identify where to cut.  Take the two pieces lay them length wise next to each other, cut them into chunks.  Repeat with the remaining quarters.  Takes less than five minutes total.

Yes, you can split into eights when it is standing upright instead of quarters that you split, but I find I get uneven pieces when I do it that way.

I looked at youtube to try to find someone doing it the way I do, but everyone I clicked did it some other way that I found based on experience kind of stupid.  Maybe I should start a youtube channel.

MSU addict wrote:

duffy munn wrote:

I love fresh pineapple but hate cutting it up

FWIW, my go to way to clean/cut up a pineapple -

Using a (sharp) chef's knife, lop off the bottom and top.  Stand it on the bottom cut it into fourths.  Take one of the quarters, standing it upright and split it in half.  Run the knife down to cut out the core an then along the skin side curving it along the way.  When it is split like this it is easy to identify where to cut.  Take the two pieces lay them length wise next to each other, cut them into chunks.  Repeat with the remaining quarters.  Takes less than five minutes total.

Yes, you can split into eights when it is standing upright instead of quarters that you split, but I find I get uneven pieces when I do it that way.

I looked at youtube to try to find someone doing it the way I do, but everyone I clicked did it some other way that I found based on experience kind of stupid.  Maybe I should start a youtube channel.

I'll try this but pretty sure I will still hate it

NigelUno wrote:Wild raspberries are good. I store them outside.

Nothing like coming across them on a hike and eating them off the vine. Glorious

DWags wrote:

NigelUno wrote:Wild raspberries are good. I store them outside.

Nothing like coming across them on a hike and eating them off the vine. Glorious

Except they're room temperature, whereas some people prefer them chilled.

DWags wrote:

NigelUno wrote:Wild raspberries are good. I store them outside.

Nothing like coming across them on a hike and eating them off the vine. Glorious

Grandpa in Laurium had an awesome garden. Had a couple rows of raspberry bushes. Was difficult going out to pick them to bring inside because I ended up eating most of them.

First off. Fuck randazzos. I tried to sell them, they only buy based on price, which means they buy shitty quality most of the time. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my belief.
2nd, store bought fruit needs shelf life, which means most retailers want it to ripen after it gets to them.
3. Here is my mango tree.

InTenSity wrote:First off. Fuck randazzos. I tried to sell them, they only buy based on price, which means they buy shitty quality most of the time. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my belief.
2nd, store bought fruit needs shelf life, which means most retailers want it to ripen after it gets to them.
3. Here is my mango tree.

Hmmm randazxos on metro and Schoenher has the best fruit around. And I’m a bit of a fruit snob.

Floyd Robertson wrote:

DWags wrote:

Nothing like coming across them on a hike and eating them off the vine. Glorious

Except they're room temperature, whereas some people prefer them chilled.

Walk in the morning when it’s colder out.

Boom. Chilled raspberries.

Floyd Robertson wrote:

tGreenWay wrote:Pineapple is still the best smell and taste. Thinking about trying to grow one or two, but it’s a multi-year process.

They've gotten ridiculously cheap compared to a few decades ago. I went through a long phase where I was buying a fresh pineapple every week.

Pineapple has quite a few health benefits, too. I was buying one every week, too, but then my wife started buying the pre-cut and I’ve gotten lazy. I like cutting them up. They’re super fresh and it’s easy to save the juice. I need to get back to buying the entire fruit.

Floyd Robertson wrote:

DWags wrote:

Nothing like coming across them on a hike and eating them off the vine. Glorious

Except they're room temperature, whereas some people prefer them chilled.

Zing

InTenSity wrote:First off. Fuck randazzos. I tried to sell them, they only buy based on price, which means they buy shitty quality most of the time. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my belief.
2nd, store bought fruit needs shelf life, which means most retailers want it to ripen after it gets to them.
3. Here is my mango tree.

Do you just wait for them to fall or shake your tree thing?

DWags wrote:

InTenSity wrote:First off. Fuck randazzos. I tried to sell them, they only buy based on price, which means they buy shitty quality most of the time. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my belief.
2nd, store bought fruit needs shelf life, which means most retailers want it to ripen after it gets to them.
3. Here is my mango tree.

Hmmm randazxos on metro and Schoenher has the best fruit around. And I’m a bit of a fruit snob.

You’re a bit of a fruit, that’s for sure.

Had some really good cherrys from Kroger. Fwiw.

tGreenWay wrote:

InTenSity wrote:First off. Fuck randazzos. I tried to sell them, they only buy based on price, which means they buy shitty quality most of the time. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my belief.
2nd, store bought fruit needs shelf life, which means most retailers want it to ripen after it gets to them.
3. Here is my mango tree.

Do you just wait for them to fall or shake your tree thing?

Honestly, most of them fall. We have 40-60 fall in a day. Its almost done now.

InTenSity wrote:

tGreenWay wrote:



Do you just wait for them to fall or shake your tree thing?

Honestly, most of them fall. We have 40-60 fall in a day. Its almost done now.

Here, you need this list:

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/slideshow/mango-recipes

AvgMSUJoe wrote:Had some really good cherrys from Kroger. Fwiw.

Rainier?

NigelUno wrote:

AvgMSUJoe wrote:Had some really good cherrys from Kroger. Fwiw.

Rainier?

They were red-ish... Had a stem. Pit inside.

Best early strawberries are from Plant City FL. If they’re from CA don’t tast as good. Extra 1000 miles of transit doesn’t help. Nearly all the local strawberry and blueberry patches around Lansing and GR are now subdivisions.

Canadian strawberries I found at Costco are very good.

On the vegetable aisle, MI asparagus is in season and available.

AvgMSUJoe wrote:

NigelUno wrote:

Rainier?

They were red-ish... Had a stem. Pit inside.

Your answer is probably making Addict’s head explode. lol Bing are deep red, Rainier are yellow/red.

tGreenWay wrote:

AvgMSUJoe wrote:
They were red-ish... Had a stem. Pit inside.

Your answer is probably making Addict’s head explode. lol Bing are deep red, Rainier are yellow/red.

Not at all. Obviously Rainier cherries and Bing cherries are very different, but most people don't need to know the various varieties - just what they like.

Rainier cherries are well branded, but the vast majority of people could not tell it from an Early Robin cherry which is very similar in color and taste. A lot of the "Bing" cherries that people eat are really a different variety - Chelan cherries. They ripen and come to market a couple of weeks earlier than Bings and very similar in appearance and taste. Chelan cherries are also less likely to split and fuse, so they are easier to grow.

I do try to pay attention if the variety is labeled, but often it is not. There are a lot of varieties - my favorite is probably the black pearl (or ebony pearl - a trademarked variety).

MSU addict wrote:

tGreenWay wrote:


Your answer is probably making Addict’s head explode. lol Bing are deep red, Rainier are yellow/red.

Not at all. Obviously Rainier cherries and Bing cherries are very different, but most people don't need to know the various varieties - just what they like.

Rainier cherries are well branded, but the vast majority of people could not tell it from an Early Robin cherry which is very similar in color and taste. A lot of the "Bing" cherries that people eat are really a different variety - Chelan cherries. They ripen and come to market a couple of weeks earlier than Bings and very similar in appearance and taste. Chelan cherries are also less likely to split and fuse, so they are easier to grow.

I do try to pay attention if the variety is labeled, but often it is not. There are a lot of varieties - my favorite is probably the black pearl (or ebony pearl - a trademarked variety).

There has never been a huge selection of cherry varieties where I shop. It’s almost always been Bing and Rainier. I do buy dried cherries and those are most often Montmorency. I really wish Horrock’s would open a store on my side of town. They’d elevate the produce game around here.