Kitchen Basics: How to Pick & Prep Produce - Tropical Fruit Edition!

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Last week, I headed to the grand opening of the newest Walmart Neighborhood Market and I was really impressed with all of the amazing finds in the produce section!  The selection was fresh and surprisingly diverse, and since the prices were so low, I stocked up on a TON of fun items.  I have been wanting to start a series of posts introducing my readers to unusual produce, so I am delighted that I was able to find so many items in the store and buy them all up to share with you!

In this edition, I will talking about tropical fruit.  Yes, I will be sharing my tips on how to choose the produce, prep/cut it for use (including the correct knives & kitchen equipment needed), and then give you a couple of recipe ideas.  Also, there was so actually much to buy that this will be the first of two posts just for the tropical fruit!

Stay tuned because this will be an awesome series with lots of fruits and veggies that might stump you at the grocery store one day!


In this post (jump to):

• Papaya
• Jicama
• Pineapple
• Mango: version 1, version 2, version 3

Before I start, I have to mention that I was in the store picking out produce when I noticed the handy descriptions of each fruit and a few tips on how to pick them.  Awesome, right?  I took pictures of the tips in case you have a hard time spotting them on your next shopping trip, plus I added a few of my own.  :)

Also I told you in my last post that I spoke with a wonderful produce stocker who told me about the 100% Money Back Satisfaction Guarantee on Walmart Neighborhood Market's produce (and meat).  So even if you make a mistake with your picks, you can return it with the receipt and try again!

A peek at some of the upcoming produce posts: Bok Choy, Parsnips, Radishes, Tomatillo, Ginger, Rapini, Broccolini, Turnip Roots, Plantains, and Coconut!

Now, to the fruit!

Papaya

Things to look for:

• 75% to 100% yellow;  Buy it with a bit of green if you plan on eating it later
• Firm, with smooth skin
• Heavy for its size

Avoid:

• Fruit with bruises or soft spots

On the bottom right picture, the three papayas are (from L to R) unripe, nearly ripe, and ready to eat!

Prep (see picture below):

1. With a large knife, cut off the bottom and top of the papaya.
2. Split it in half lengthwise.
3. Scoop out the seeds and the fibers and discard.
4. Cut out the tough stem towards the bottom.
5. Repeat for the second half.
6. Cut into four equal sections for easier handling.
7. Peel using a paring knife or peeler.
8. Now that you are left with large sections, you can cut into strips, large chunks, or a smaller dice.

I just love eating it fresh, in cubes!

Jicama

Things to look for:

• Firm texture
• Smooth, "shiny," dry skin

Avoid:

• Fruit with blemishes or dull skin

Practically every jicama was good, but I picked the one with the most even skin

Prep (see picture below):

1. With a paring knife, cut off the bottom and top of the jicama.
2. Peel using a paring knife or peeler.
3. Now that you are left with the whole, unpeeled fruit, you can cut into sticks, cubes, or shred (like I did!).

I'm going to share this shredded carrot and jicama salad recipe soon.  :)  Yum!

Pineapple

Things to look for:

• Heavy for its size
• Dark green leaves 
• Firm texture

Avoid:

• Fruit with soft spots or yellow leaves

Prep (see picture below):

1. With a large knife, cut off the bottom and top of the pineapple.
2. Split it in half lengthwise.
3. Cut each half into two wedges.
4. Cut out the tough inner core and discard.
5. Remove the skin by carefully holding each wedge perpendicular to the cutting board and cutting downward, as shown.  You will be left with small pieces of the outer rind.
6. Using a paring knife, remove each rind leftover by cutting out "ditches" in a diagonal pattern.
7. Now that you are left with large sections, you can cut into spears, large chunks, or a smaller dice.

I used the pineapple in a Pineapple Mango salsa, and you can find the recipe right here!  I obviously used the mango below in this recipe too.  :)

Mangoes

I used two kinds of mangoes for the prep tutorials below, and both have the same criteria below for picking them out at the store.


Things to look for:

• Gives slightly with pressure
• Smells fragrant

Avoid:

• Fruit with bruises or dark blemishes
• Not too firm, but no soft spots

Although skin color is not a good indicator, it happens to be that the unripe mango on the left was completely green and the ripe mango on the right had red skin.

There are a few ways to prep mango, so check them all out!


Prep #1 - Most even dice  (see picture below):

1. With a large knife, cut off the bottom and top of the mango.
2. Peel using a paring knife.
3. Cut lengthwise down the middle of the mango, avoiding the pit in the middle, cutting just parallel to it.
4. Now that you are left with large sections, you can cut into large chunks or a smaller dice.

Prep #2 - For a quick dice  (see picture below):

1. With a small knife, cut down lengthwise until you hit the pit, then continue cutting just parallel to it.
2. Repeat for the second side so you are left with the two sides and the middle pit.
3. Cut a criss-cross grid pattern through the flesh, making sure not to pierce the skin. 
4. Invert the skin so the flesh pops out.
5. Using a spoon, remove the flesh by inserting it upside-down between the peel and the fruit.
6. Repeat for the second half.   Note: Notice that the skin has no cuts in it from Step #3!
7. For the pit section, make a small notch in the skin. 
8. Separate the skin by carefully "unpeeling."  All you need to do is tug on it firmly.
9. Remove the fleshy parts around the pit with a paring knife and dice.

You can sneak a taste or two by eating straight off the pit, but it can be a bit sour!

Prep #3 - For quick eating  (see picture below):

1. With a small knife, cut down lengthwise until you hit the pit, then continue cutting just parallel to it.
2. Repeat for the second side so you are left with the two sides and the middle pit.
3. For the pit section, make a small notch in the skin. 
4. Separate the skin by carefully "unpeeling."  All you need to do is tug on it firmly.
5. Remove the fleshy parts around the pit with a paring knife.
6. Scoop out each half with a spoon for easy eating!

And that's it for this edition of kitchen basics!  For some of you this might be second-nature, but I know that there are a lot of people who have never chosen a jicama or cut into a mango.  And lastly, thanks to my mom and my sister who did most of the peeling and cutting, with some of the photographing credits.  :)

Do you buy and prep tropical fruit to eat at home?