Produce & Pantry

The pineapple is one of those "scary" fruits that, even though you know it's delicious and healthy, you may just pass it by while grocery shopping. All those spikes and leaves and prickly...

Love the simplicity of using pumpkins for decorations - but feel guilty about letting food go to waste? Save your pumpkin for baking! Follow these simple directions for keeping your pumpkin all...

Carrots are not just for eating anymore. You can now wear them, too. Carrot oil is used for the skin, scalp and vital organs. Carrot oil is made from carrots that are wild and most commonly found...

Dragon fruit is a prickly, bright pink and green fruit that comes from several different types of cacti. This round fruit is grown in tropical climates and can be expensive in other parts of the...

The small brown kiwi fruit was originally known as a Chinese gooseberry. Kiwi fruit is green or gold and has small black seeds sprinkled liberally in the flesh of the fruit. Kiwis are somewhat...

Avocados are grown year-round in the warm areas of Florida and California. Avocados are most often eaten raw in dips such as guacamole or sliced in sandwiches and salads. They are a green,...

Most readily available from August through December, pomegranates are intimidating to some cooks. The fruit's skin can be lightly green colored or bright pink, but it is the red seeds inside that...

When I was a little girl my Grandma had a huge pomegranate tree. I remember picking one right off the tree and having a grown up cut it open for me. Then I would sit on her front porch steps and...

Pomegranates are not only delicious but they also have many health benefits as well. The juice keeps blood thin and helps prevent blood cells from clumping together. The antioxidants in...

Prepare your fresh tomatoes to use them in sauces or salsa. A great, simple way to effectively clean AND peel tomatoes almost effortlessly!

Beets are a root vegetable. Raw beets are much harder than cooked beets and give a little crunch. When you serve them raw you have to remove both ends, as well as peel the skin off of the beet. ...

Have you ever been at the grocery store standing and staring aimlessly at the avocados, desperately pondering which one should you choose? Well question no more, just follow my steps to choosing...

Garlic, pungent and flavorful, is a key ingredient in many recipes. You can buy it in several forms: dried and powdered, peeled, chopped, or ground into a paste. For the best taste, though, buying...

Sweet and succulent, a ripe mango is like a postcard from paradise. These tropical fruits are often found in salsas and chutneys, but they also shine on their own, slurped down over the kitchen...

Apples are the all-American fruit, as integral to our childhood diets as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and macaroni and cheese. Sliced, baked or eaten whole, a crisp, fresh apple is the...

A big, beefy slice of tomato is the perfect addition to any sandwich or salad. All too often, however, tomatoes you find at the grocery store or in restaurants are pale, pithy, pitiable specimens....

At their peak, cherries are sweet, a little tangy and so juicy they burst when you bite into them. These rubies of summer are more than a tasty snack, however--they rank high among fruits for...

Pumpkin flour can be used as a substitute in most any recipe that requires flour. It has many known medicinal benefits, such as aiding in gastrointestinal and kidney ailments, and is used as a...

Mangoes are fruits that are grown in subtropical climates. Their orange flesh is sweet and adds great flavor to fruit salads, smoothies or ice cream. Mangoes that have been harvested too early...

Plantains are closely related to the sweet bananas that are widely available in supermarkets. While they are similar in appearance, they are larger (10 to 15 inches long), have a thicker skin,...

Peeling potatoes is as easy as peeling other fruits and vegetables. Most people prefer using a potato peeler to do the job but who said an ordinary kitchen knife won’t do? Follow these simple...

Choose an onion that is solid and doesn't have too much skin. Learn about picking out onions at a grocery store or supermarket in this free video on fresh produce and vegetables.

Peeling a mango isn't as easy as peeling many other fruits. Once you get the first few strips of skin off, the mango becomes extremely slippery and is difficult to keep in place. If you haven't...

There are all sorts of recipes for every imaginable way to eat pumpkin. But to truly enjoy pumpkin, you need to cook one from the vine. Take the time to fix the pumpkin mash and when you do eat...

Cucumbers can be found year-round at your local grocery store, and they're a delightfully crisp way to eat healthy. Cucumbers can be added to salads or cooked lightly to add nutrition and flavor...

A favorite seasonal treat, a good grapefruit is a key element in a great breakfast or anytime for those who love this fruit. Texture is as important as taste, and the juicier the better. Unless...

Grapefruit has a reputation of being too sour or rather bitter. Choose a grapefruit that is heavy for it's size, has bright skin and no soft spots. Store your grapefruit at room temperature until...

Once you've tasted fresh pineapple you won't want to buy it in a can. Cut fresh pineapple into bite-size pieces and enjoy it as a snack or added to drinks and stir-fry. They are easy to cut, if...

Citrus is a bright spot on the winter fruit scene. The crisp flavors of lemon, lime, orange, tangerine and grapefruit perk up many dishes. Take the time to study your fruit in the store and you’re...

Most people seem to be under the impression that yams and sweet potatoes are the same vegetable; they are just known by two different names in different parts of the world. That is not the case.

Late summer brings large crops of green chiles to local grocery stores and farmers markets. Preparing green chiles is as easy as putting them under your oven broiler for a few minutes. Learn how...

Although it is perfectly tasty eaten peel and all, most people like to remove the kiwi's furry skin before adding it to fruit salads and other dishes. This can be a challenge—unless you know one...

Many Asian dishes call for fresh ginger root, which is available at many supermarkets and natural foods stores. Peeling fresh ginger is deceptively easy if you follow a few rules.

Citrus fruit - lemons, oranges, grapefruits, pomelos, tangerines and so on - is a tremendous source of vitamin C and a burst of delightful acidity in your mouth. Plus, citrus fruits are available...

Summer squash, which includes zucchini, patty pan squash, and yellow straight and crookneck squash, is inexpensive, low in calories and, contrary to its name, available throughout the year.

Mangoes are a sweet, smooth gulp of the tropics which make for great smoothies. The best-tasting mangoes are the Haden, Kent and Keitt varieties.

Bananas are easily digested by almost anyone and well-liked by most people; plus, they have more potassium than almost any other fruit. And they are usually really cheap!

Despite their name, summer squash is available year-round, and when stored properly, they can be enjoyed in a variety of ways.