Grapes

HOW TO PICK FRESH GRAPES

LOOK FOR THESE:

• Rich in its color, regardless of its variety
  
• Plump with fresh and smooth skin
  
• Feel firm when gently squeezed with your thumb and index finger
  
• With fresh looking stem still attached

AVOID THESE: 

• Wrinkle skin
  
• Feel soft when gently squeezed with your thumb and index finger
  
• Loose grapes without stem attached (Grapes can turn bad quickly without their stem attached.)
  

HOW TO STORE FRESH GRAPES
Do not wash grapes before you store them. It will help to lengthen the storage time.

 

IN THE FRIDGE: I usually store grapes in plastic container to prevent further bruising. In order to preserve space, the stems attached to the grapes can be trimmed, leaving just a little bit attached (as shown in the photo on the right). Remember, do not compact the grapes in the container, as they can bruise each other.

HOW TO WASH FRESH GRAPES

Grapes should be consumed quickly once they are washed because it will speed up their decay process. Here is how you can wash them thoroughly prior to consumption. I heard it from a Hong Kong TV program once, mentioned not to use salt solution to soak grapes. It is much better to use vinegar solution instead. So in the following steps, I am using vinegar solution.

1. Put the grapes in a bowl under running water
2. Rinse the grapes thoroughly, then drain
3. Put the grapes back in the bowl, fill the bowl with water. Pour a little vinegar into the water, and let the grapes soak in the vinegar solution for a few minutes.
4. Drain the grapes well, rinse thoroughly, drain again, then serve
   

String Beans/Long Beans/Yard-Long Beans

String beans, one of my favorites growing up. Just in case you didn't read my first post, it was one of the five vegetables I was willing to eat as a kid. =) There are three string bean varieties I know of:

• Green String Beans: They are the darkest in green color, and the most slender in shape. Do not cover the beans when cooking this variety of string beans, because they are known for their crunchy texture once cooked.
• Oil String Beans: This string bean variety is named oil string beans because of its most glossy looking shell. They are in the middle of these three string bean varieties, both in size(diameter) and in color. They taste best when cooked till soft.
• White String Beans: This string bean variety is the biggest in diameter, and the lightest in color. They taste best when cooked till soft.
  

My parents have been growing the oil string beans for about 3 years. They are harder to find in the stores in Michigan. The green string beans are more commonly found. Here are some photos of these plants, just in case you wonder what they look like:

The Oil String Bean Plants from My Parents Garden_01

The Oil String Bean Plants from My Parents Garden_02

The Oil String Beans Harvested from My Parents Garden

All three of these string bean varieties are great. When fresh and young, they are tender with a nutty flavor. However, once they become too mature, they can be chewy or even stringy. Which is why it is so important to only purchase them when they are fresh and still tender. 

HOW TO PICK FRESH STRING BEANS

LOOK FOR THESE:

• Even size throughout with many beans in the pod
• Feel firm throughout when gently squeezed
• With a nice shine
• Rich in its color regardless of its variety
  

AVOID THESE:

• With cuts, brown spots, insect bites
• With dull and wrinkle skin
• Tend to be bigger in diameter, and feel spongy when gently squeezed. (These string beans tend to be quite chewy or stringy.)
• Look flat and skinny (These string beans won't be very flavorful because there aren't many beans in the pods.)

HOW TO STORE FRESH STRING BEANS

IN THE FRIDGE: Leave unwashed string beans in an open bag, they can stay fresh for about 3-5 days depends on their freshness. However, they taste the best when consumed within 2 days after purchase, for optimum texture and flavor.

Custard Apples

Custard apples, sometimes displayed as cherimoya in the stores. They look quite unique: They are decent in size, either be heart shape or irregular shapes, and have no recognizable similarities from normal apples. They can be green, brown or even red colors. There are pedals like shapes on its skin, kind of like flatten pedals, quite pretty. And there are different size bumps on their skin.

HOW TO PICK FRESH CUSTARD APPLE

Custard apples are normally picked before they are fully ripe. They are easily bruised and are quite fragile. So, you should handle them with care. 

LOOK FOR THESE:

• Yield slightly when gently squeezed

AVOID THESE:

• Feel soft to the touch (These custard apples are too ripe.)
• With blemishes and cuts

HOW TO STORE FRESH CUSTARD APPLE

IN ROOM TEMPERATURE: If the custard apples are not ripe enough, leave them in room temperature. Once ripen, custard apples should be either consumed immediately or be refrigerated.

IN THE FRIDGE: Once refrigerated, eat them within 2 days for optimum freshness and flavor.

HOW TO PREPARE FRESH CUSTARD APPLE

Do not wash the custard apple until you are ready to eat it. Once cleaned, you can cut open the fruit in half lengthwise. The stem can be easily removed. Within its white flesh, there are numerous decent size black seeds which are not edible. The flesh embracing the seeds is the sweetest part of the fruit. You can simply scoop out the flesh, with seeds and all, then spit the seeds out. Its flesh is mildly sweet, has a soothing fragrance and a custard like texture.

FUN TO KNOW ABOUT CUSTARD APPLE

Custard apple, when translated in Chinese, it is 番鬼荔枝. 番鬼 means foreign. 荔枝 means lychee. 

Passion Fruit

assion fruits can be purple or yellow. The purple variety is more common. Their shells are smooth, purple with some brown colors. They feel light, almost feel like holding a plastic fruit, and feel like a slightly-deflated ball when gently squeezed.

HOW TO PICK FRESH PASSION FRUIT

LOOK FOR THESE:

• Heavy for its size (I know that I have mentioned that they feel light. But, you should still compare their weight and find the heavier ones.)
• With deeper purple color, sometimes with brown colors on the shell
• With wrinkles on its shell

AVOID THESE:

•  With smooth shell (These are not ripe enough.)

HOW TO STORE FRESH PASSION FRUIT

IN ROOM TEMPERATURE:If the passion fruits you have brought home are not ripe enough, leave them in room temperature to ripen further before refrigeration.

IN THE FRIDGE: Ripe passion fruit can last about a week in the fridge.

IN THE FREEZER: I read it somewhere that you can freeze passion fruits for months. I wonder how many people how tried that method.

HOW TO ENJOY FRESH PASSION FRUIT

Once the washed passion fruit can be cut open, you can see the seeds and pulp inside (see photo on the right). Remember to discard the shell which has a white foamy padding inside. The seeds and pulp are on the tangy side, but packed with passion fruit flavor. It's hard to explain the sensation and the aroma.

FUN TO KNOW ABOUT PASSION FRUIT

Passion fruit, when translated in Chinese, it is 情果. 情 means passion. 果 means fruit.

Sprite Melons

Sprite melon looks like a small honeydew with its smooth pale green rind. But it shapes like a Korean yellow melon.

Its seeds are segregated into six chambers, like the Korean yellow melon's. its seeds are hard like honeydew's. Its flesh is pale green like honeydew's, very juicy but more dense.
 

HOW TO PICK FRESH SPRITE MELON

LOOK FOR THESE:

• Heavy for its size
• Ugly rind with Light yellow or beige color patches (As sprite melon ripens, its rind should become more rough.)
• With a light, sweet fragrance

AVOID THESE:

• Light for its size
• Ultra smooth skin

HOW TO STORE FRESH SPRITE MELON

IN ROOM TEMPERATURE: Depends on its ripeness and freshness, sprite melon can last for up to 2 weeks.

IN ROOM FRIDGE: Refrigeration of ripe sprite melon can prolong its freshness for a few extra days.

HOW TO PREPARE FRESH SPRITE MELON

Sprite melon can be cut just like other melons, in wedges, after a thorough wash. 

Apples

HOW TO PICK FRESH APPLES

LOOK FOR THESE:

• Fresh looking ends (It will be the best if there is a fresh looking stem still attached, and the bud end of the apple should be closed.)
• Smooth skin, and rich in its color regardless of its variety (For the yellow and green varieties, it will be best if the apple is a pink blush.)
• The last tip is quite interesting. I learned it from my dad after I saw him flicked the apples with his finger a few times prior to making the selection. The basic principle is this: If the sound comes out clean and loud, the apple will be crisp. This technique works great for me. Who wants to bite into a sandbag or a sponge?! I certainly don't.

AVOID THESE:

• Especially with bruises (A bruised apple will release ethylene gas which can ruin the rest of the apples)
• With brown or soft spots and deep cuts
• With bruises

HOW TO STORE FRESH APPLES

IN ROOM TEMPERATURE: Fresh apples can stay fresh for about 2 weeks. However, longer the fresh apples stay in room temperature, less moisture they will hold.

IN THE FRIDGE: Fresh apples can stay fresh for about 4 weeks when stored in the crisper drawer. After that, their flavor and texture will start to diminish significantly.

HOW TO PREPARE FRESH APPLES

Just in case you don't know this: Dipping cut apples in a light salt solution can prevent the oxidation process. Rinse them off before serving to avoid that slight salty taste from the solution.

FUN TO KNOW ABOUT APPLES

Apple, when translated in Chinese, it is 蘋果.

"一天一蘋果醫生遠離我." Having an apple a day will keep the doctors far away from me, once translated to English.

My husband and I have been trying to build a better diet in these recent years. One of our most favorite dessert involves diced apples with chopped almonds and walnuts, then drizzled with some honey. Yummy and healthy. Can't beat that. =)

There are many, and I mean many, different varieties of apples in the market. 

Chinese Eggplant

Holding Out a Chinese Eggplant From a Basket
Full of Different Variety of Eggplants

It is amazing how many different varieties of eggplants are out there. They come in different colors and sizes, and originate from all over the world. We even found an orange eggplant that looks like a tomato. (Check out the photo on top)

Eggplants are not vegetables. They are considered to be fruit like tomatoes. However, for the same reason why I have put tomatoes in the vegetable section.

Chinese eggplants are usually long and slender, about one to one and a half diameters. Their color is between a light purple to a lavender color. Based on my research, Chinese eggplant has the sweetest flesh in all eggplant varieties. So, salting the Chinese eggplants to get rid of the bitterness is not necessary. Once cooked, Chinese eggplant has a much better texture because they have less seeds.

HOW TO PICK FRESH CHINESE EGGPLANTS
LOOK FOR THESE:

• Slender in shape, preferably about one to one and a half inches in diameter (These Chinese eggplants are less mature, therefore, they have more tender flesh. However, I have also seen a Chinese variety that is a lot larger in diameter. In that case, pick those Chinese eggplants which are the most slender.)
• slightly soft and springy when gently squeezed (It is a sign of the less mature Chinese eggplants.)
• look fresh and plump with glossy skin
• Hold one end of the Chinese eggplant, and shake it slightly up and down. A less mature Chinese eggplant vibrate slightly as you shake it. A overly mature Chinese eggplant will feel stiff like a stick. 

AVOID THESE:

• Feel hard when squeezed
• with blemishes and cuts

HOW TO STORE FRESH CHINESE EGGPLANTS

IN THE FRIDGE: Chinese eggplants can be stored in the fridge for about 4 to 5 days. Since they can be bruised easily, you should avoid putting anything heavy on top, or anything with a rough texture on the bottom. I normally wrap each Chinese eggplant with a paper tower, then put them in an open plastic bag in the fridge.

IN ROOM TEMPERATURE: Once ripen, storing the sprite melons in the frid

HOW TO PREPARE FRESH CHINESE EGGPLANTS

Since the skin of a Chinese eggplant is thin and edible, all you need to do in the preparation step is to wash it, and chop off the stem end. Then you can cut it any way you like. They work well in stews, stir fries, soups and much more.

FUN TO KNOW ABOUT CHINESE EGGPLANT

Chinese eggplant, when translated in Chinese, it is 中國茄子. 中國 means China/Chinese. 茄子 means eggplant. In Cantonese, it is written, 矮瓜, which means short squash.

Tomatoes

HOW TO PICK FRESH TOMATOES

LOOK FOR THESE:

• With taunt, smooth and glossy skin
• Feel firm when gently squeezed
• With a fresh looking stem end

AVOID THESE:

• Feel soft when gently squeezed
• With soft spots

HOW TO STORE FRESH TOMATOES

IN ROOM TEMPERATURE: If you want better control how fast some of your tomatoes will be ripen, try putting those tomatoes in a brown paper bag. They will ripe in about a day or two. Ripe tomatoes should be consumed within a day or two. To avoid having your tomatoes all ripen at the same time, try pick your tomatoes in various degrees of ripeness.

IN THE FRIDGE: I used to store my tomatoes in the fridge in the same plastic from the store. But then I found out that refrigerating your tomatoes can diminish their flavors, and cause the tomatoes to turn mushy. However, when desperately trying to prolong the freshness of the tomatoes, I usually keep the ripe ones in the fridge to extend their freshness for another 2-3 days.

HOW TO PREPARE FRESH TOMATOES

Fresh tomatoes need to be washed thoroughly. After removing the stem end, they can be sliced and diced any way you like.

FUN TO KNOW ABOUT TOMATOES

Tomatoes, when translated in Chinese, it is 蕃茄.

List of Grocery Stores Nearby Me

Just in case you are interested in the stores I frequent for my grocery trips. Here is the list for the stores. Hope you can find one of these stores near you. =)

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Papa Joe's Rochester

6900 North Rochester Road 

Rochester Hills, MI 48306

Phone Number:

(248) 853-6263 

Store Hours:

Monday - Saturday: 8am - 9pm

Sunday: 9am - 7pm

Website (check for a store location near you):

http://www.papajoesmarket.com/

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Nino Salvaggio

6835 Rochester Road 

Troy, MI 48085 

Phone Number:

(248) 879-9222

Store Hours: 

Monday - Saturday: 8am - 9pm

Sunday: 8am - 7pm

Website (check for a store location near you):

http://www.ninosalvaggio.com/

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Randazzo Fresh Market

13441 13 Mile Rd

Warren, MI 48088-3188

(N.W. Corner of 13 Mile and Schoenherr)

Phone Number:

(586) 979-1010

Hours: 

Monday - Saturday: 8am - 8pm 

Sunday: 8am - 6pm

Website (check for a store location near you):

http://www.randazzofreshmarket.com/

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Joe Randazzo's

7530 Gratiot

Roseville, MI 48066

Phone Number:

(586) 772-3400

Hours:

Spring & Summer:

Monday - Saturday: 6am - 9pm

Sunday: 6am - 7pm

Fall & Winter: 

Monday - Saturday: 6am - 8pm

Sunday: 6am - 7pm

Website (check for a store location near you):

http://www.joerandazzos.com/

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Figs

My dad has been trying to grow a fig plant in his garden for two years. Both attempts using cut branches from my aunt's fig tree in New York. They grew healthily during the Summer, but died after Winter passed because we didn't know the proper care for the tree. This year, we wise up and have done our research prior. Last month, we went to a nursery nearby and purchased a fig plant. Want to check it out?

Figs are fragile and easily bruised. Once bruised, they spoil soon afterwards. This makes it harder to find fresh figs.

HOW TO PICK FRESH FIGS

LOOK FOR THESE:

• Look fresh and rich in its color, regardless of its color variety.
• free of brown spots, soft spots and discolorations
  With a dry and fresh look bud end (Opposite end to the stem end)

AVOID THESE:

• Bud end look wet as if there is some kind of liquid coming out of it (These figs are not fresh any more, and most likely they are spoiled or will be spoiled soon.

HOW TO STORE FRESH FIGS

IN ROOM TEMPERATURE: Fresh figs should be consumed with a day or two once purchased.

IN THE FRIDGE: Keeping fresh figs can only prolong their freshness for another day or two max. 

HOW TO PREPARE FRESH FIGS

Once thoroughly washed, everything parts of the fig can be eaten except the hard part of the stem end. 

FUN TO KNOW ABOUT FIGS

Figs, when translated in Chinese, it is 無花果. 無 means no. 花 means flower. 果 means fruit. Altogether, it means fruit without flower, because figs have no visible flowers like other fruits, such apples.

Cumquat/Kumquat

Kumquat always reminds me of Chinese New Year because that's usually the time we buy them. When I was a kid, the whole family would visit "Flower Street" during Chinese New Year. Flower Street is a section of the city where the vendors will sell their flowers, plants and fruits for Chinese New Year celebrations, for about three days. Since kumquat's name has the word, 金 in it, kumquat is considered to be a sign of good fortune, which makes kumquat plants perfect as part of the Chinese New Year decoration. Like most Chinese families, we would always bring home a kumquat plant or two. As the plant grew inside our house, we would pick the ripe fruit right off the plant.

If you don't have a kumquat plant growing inside your home like I do now, you can usually find loose kumquats in fresh markets or gourmet produce markets.

HOW TO PICK FRESH CUMQUAT

LOOK FOR THESE:

• Golden color throughout
• Look fresh with a shine
• Feel firm when gently squeezed
• Best with stem still attached

AVOID THESE:

• Yellow or green color skin
• With brown spots 
• With wilted ends

HOW TO STORE FRESH CUMQUAT

IN ROOM TEMPERATURE: Depends on its ripeness and freshness, sprite melon can last for up to 2 weeks.

IN ROOM TEMPERATURE: Once ripen, storing the sprite melons in the frid

HOW TO ENJOY FRESH CUMQUAT

A lot of people are confused when it comes to how to enjoy kumquats. I remember the first time my husband tried one. He bit the kumquat in half and started chewing on it. Man, I wish you can see his face. After I showed him the way I ate them, he liked them much better. Now, here is how to eat kumquats:

1. Wash kumquats thoroughly with water after removing the stems and leaves if there are any attached, then drain well. 
2. Remember that kumquat skin is the sweet part of the fruit. The inside is the tangy part. Eating kumquat whole will provide the best balance of sweet and tanginess kumquats can provide. 
3. I also see some people who will squeeze kumquat with their fingers a few times, prior to eating the kumquat whole. They claim, squeezing the kumquat can enhance the balance of sweet and tanginess in the fruit. You can give that a try if you want. 
4. And don't forget to spit out the bitter tasting seeds. =)

FUN TO KNOW ABOUT CUMQUAT

Kumquat, when translated in Chinese, it is 金橘. 金 means gold. 橘 means tangerine. Together, it means golden tangerine.

Okra

This year, my dad added okra plants in the garden. Have I told you how wonderful it is to have parents with green thumbs?! Check out the photos below.

Okra plant from my parents' yard_01

Okra plant from my parents' yard_02

The okra plants are the green okra variety. Their flowers are gorgeous, and what make them even better is that for each flower, there will be an okra pod. These beautiful flowers open during the day, and close in the late afternoon. My parents told me that they have seen these flowers in yellow, red or lavender. So far, I have only seen them in yellow. Here are some of the photos I took of these beautiful flowers.

Okra flower from my parents' yard_01

Okra flower from my parents' yard_02

Okra pods are elongated and elegant, probably the reason why they are sometimes referred to as lady fingers. They have a semi hard shell protecting all the seeds inside. This shell has lots of little fuzz on it. Check out the photo below.

Okra pod from my parents' yard_close-up

HOW TO PICK FRESH OKRA PODS

LOOK FOR THESE:

• About 4-5 inches long (The less mature okra pods are, the smaller they are. When okra pods are about 4-5 inches long, they are neither too young, nor too mature. They are just right.)
• A healthy color, regardless of their color variety
• Free of brown spots and discolorations
• Yield slightly when gently squeezed
• A healthy layer of short fuzz  

AVOID THESE:

• Large pods that feel hard and stiff when gently squeezed
• Feel slimy to the touch
• With soft or brown spots

HOW TO STORE FRESH OKRA PODS

IN THE FRIDGE: Fresh okra pods can last for about 4 days when put in a paper bag in the crisper draw, without heavy objects on top of them.

IN THE FREEZER: Frozen okra pods can last up to about 8-10 months. 

1. Soak the fresh okra pods for about 10 minute
2. Drain and chop off both ends
3. Blanch these okra pods for about 3-5 minutes, depends on the size. Larger the pods, longer the time.
4. Cut the okra pods into whatever shape or sizes you want when the pods have been cooled down.
5. Leave them in a freezer bag as flat as possible to prevent them from sticking together. Chiseling from a block of frozen okra pieces is no fun. Trust me. =)

HOW TO PREPARE FRESH OKRA PODS

Besides the end stem, the whole okra pod is edible. So, to prepare them, just wash and chop off the end stems. After that, you can cook them chopped or whole. 

One thing you should be aware of is that, chopped okra pods will be a bit slimy when they are cooked. If you prefer your cooked okra pods not to be slimy, try cooking them whole. Personally, I like to cook with chopped okra pods, when they are in stir fries, they make sauces cling to the ingredients so well. This same sliminess/smoothness also makes any soup smoother in texture.

Yin Choy

Yin choy, for some, they can be know as amaranth. There are two types of yin choy that are mostly found in the stores. One with green leaves. The other one with red leaves with a big green color around the edges. 

My father has been growing the red yin choy plants in his garden for a few years now. It has never occurred to me that you can buy them in the stores until I found them in Papa Joe's, a gourmet fresh market near where I live. Here is a photo of his yin choy patch.

Did I just mention yin choy soup? I just enjoyed two big bowls of yin choy soup at my parents' yesterday, from their last yin choy harvest of this summer. I think yin choy is best for soup. They become very soft, and they blend well with its soup broth. Note that red color yin choy will make the soup broth red, as shown in the photo below.

HOW TO PICK FRESH YIN CHOY

LOOK FOR THESE:

• Fresh looking leaves, regardless the color of the variety
• Thinner and more flexible main stems (Pick the younger yin choy, so that every part of the chosen yin choy plant is edible. In the older yin choy plants, only their leaves and tender stems can be consumed, because as the plants mature, their stems can become too fiberous. One way to test the maturity of yin choy is by bending the tip of its main stem. If it is hard to bend, the plant is too mature.)

AVOID THESE:

• With wilting or dried leaves
• Thick, wood like main stems

HOW TO STORE FRESH YIN CHOY

IN THE FRIDGE: Fresh yin choy can stay fresh for about 4 days, when kept in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer.

NOTES ON HOW TO PREPARE FRESH YIN CHOY

Now, washing yin choy can seem like a troublesome task. They have to be rinsed about three to four times to get all the sand particles off the plants. However, the taste of yin choy can make it quite worth it. Now, let's wash the yin choy:

1. Soak the yin choy in a big tub/bowl with water for about 10-15 minutes. Make sure they are completely submerged, and not packed too tight in the tub/bowl. 
2. After the soak, take the yin choy out one at a time upside down, by holding the end of its main stem. Shake the yin choy in the water a few times, then put it in an empty bowl. 
3. Repeat step 1 and 2 about three to four times. Even with thorough wash like this, there still could be some stubborn sand particles in them. The easiest way to avoid those sand particles hurting the texture of your yin choy, just don't drink the soup from the bottom of your pot.

FUN TO KNOW ABOUT YIN CHOY

Yin choy, when translated in Chinese, it is 苋菜.