Consuming
Thoughts
Fay Strickler
Penn State Extension
Home Economist
For Berks Co.
According to the calendar,
spring arrived several weeks ago.
Let’s just hope Mother Nature has
looked at the calendar, too, and
isn’t going to keep switching the
seasons back and forth. Even if the
weather doesn’t always cooperate,
we can add a cheery note to our
meals and snacks with fresh
spring fruits and vegetables that
are available now. One of the most
flavorful spring fruits is the
pineapple.
Although pineapples are avail
able year round, fully half the crop
moves to market from March
through June. You’ve probably
noticed pineapples have been in
the market place for several weeks
because Hawaii ships more
pineapples in March than any
other month. Puerto Rico ships
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more in May. These areas are the
main source of pineapples and
Mexico is a secondary source.
Pineapples can be used Erst as a
decoration in the home. Set it out
for a day or two to give your home
a warm Polynesian touch. Be sure
to keep the fruit away from heat
and sunlight
A pineapple cannot sweeten or
ripen after harvest because it has
no starch reserve. It is the starch
reserve that improves the texture
and taste of bananas and pears
after harvest. A pineapple will
never be any sweeter than when it
was picked but it may be less acid,
since some acid can be lost
through respiration. Eventually,
the shell color will change and the
fruit will soften but these are char
acteristics of deterioration, not
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ripening.
Like peaches and tomatoes,
pineapples must be harvested
before they are fully ripe. This
harvesting stage is sometimes
called mature-green. The closer
pineapple come to ripeness, the
less market life it has when
picked. On the other hand, the
greener it is when picked, the less
palatable it will be when the con
sumer buys it A lot of comprom
ising must be made.
So how do you choose a pineap
ple? The best advice is to let your
eyes be your guide. Select one that
is plump and fresh looking. Fresh,
deep-green crown leaves are a
good sign. A fruit that is old look
ing, dry and brown leaves should
be avoided. Fragrance is a good
sign, too, but usually the fruit is
kept too cold to be fragrant. The
eyes should be flat to almost hol
low. Ease with which leaves can
be pulled out is not a sign of good
quality. The thump test is of no
value and the shell color is not an
indication of maturity. The grower
can rely on a test of the sugar con
tent using a special instrument
Many supermarkets have cut
ters available which remove the
skin and the core, while other pro
duce departments have the fruit
cleaned and cut in cubes and ready
for immediate consumption.
Preparing a fresh pineapple at
home takes only minutes. An easy
ivy-Duty
ling Door
acks &
irdware
way is to place it on a cutting
board and slice it crosswise into
about one-inch slices. Then peel
the slices: thick enough to remove
the eyes, or thinner and remove
the eyes with the thip of a veget
able peeler. Then cut into desired
shapes.
For serving in the shell, wash
the pineapple. With a large knife,
start at the center of the crown and
saw gently down through the
Hershey Gardens Offers
Free Admission To Moms
On Mother’s Day
HERSHEY (Dauphin Co.)
Looking for something special to
give your mother on Mother’s
Day? Why not take her to Hershey
Gardens on Sunday, May 7, from
9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. where all
mother’s will be admitted free in
honor of their special day.
Hershey Gardens is pleased to
continue a tradition of allowing
mother’s free admission to see the
peak bloom of more than 25,000
brightly colored tulips throughout'
the Gardens. Also blooming for
mom will be crabapples, cherries,
azaleas, rhododendrons and
peonies.
Hershey Gardens is a 23-acre
boanical garden featuring major
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Uocmw Fanrtng,Satufday,April 30, IW4-B5
spikes,, cutting the fruit in half
lengthwise. Cut each half into two
pieces. With a paring knife, cut
about one-quarter inch from the
skin, loosening the wedge com
pletely. Cut the fruit into chunks
and remove. Leave the shell. The
shell may then be used as an
attractive container in which to
serve the pineapple or as one of
the many salads containing
pineapple.
seasonal flowering displays,
spring flowering bulbs and roses,
themed garden areas and a collec
tion of specimen trees including
giant sequoia, blue atlas cedar,
bald cypress, oriental spruce and
others.
Hershey Gardens is open daily
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. through mid-
October. Admission rates are $4
for adults (ages 16-61); $3.50 for
senior citizens (ages 62 & over);
and $1.75 fo ryouth (ages 3-15). A
special family rate is also avail
able. Further information on
blooming schedules or other gar
den programs can be obtained by
calling (717) 532-3492.