FRUIT & VEGETABLE TIPS

• To prevent wilting and flavor change, rinse green, leafy vegetables under cool water, and drain thoroughly. Wrap in paper towels, place in plastic bags, and store the vegetable bin of the refrigerator.
• Before chopping onions in the food processor, peel and quarter them and freeze for 30 minutes. This will minimize both mushiness and tears.
• If you add a little vinegar to the water when boiling peeled potatoes, it causes them to form a light crust that helps hold their shape when combined with other foods - an added plus when making potato salad.
• Tomatoes shouldn't be cooked at a rolling boil because they can turn acidic. For sweet and mellow tomatoes or sauce, simmer slowly...no additional sugar is needed.
• To test the freshness of corn at the market, pop a kernel with your fingernail. If the milk is watery, then the corn is immature. If it is thick and starchy, the corn is old.
• Always use canned, not fresh, pineapple in gelatin salads. A natural enzyme in the fresh fruit will prevent the gelatin from setting.
• Sharon Valentino of Indio, California, shares this great tip: A teaspoon or so of baking powder will make your mashed potatoes light and fluffy.
• To pit a mango, stand the fruit on its butt end, then with a sharp knife cut from top to bottom skirting the big central pit. Score the flesh in a crisscross pattern, cutting to but not through the skin. Partially turn each piece inside out so the skin domes upward, exposing the cubes of flesh.
• Slightly green mangoes and papayas will ripen quickly at room temperature, especially if placed in a paper bag. Refrigerate completely ripe fruit in a plastic bag and use as soon as possible.

Some tips provided courtesy of the US Food and Drug Administration.

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