Diane's Vintage Zest!: basic

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

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

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):

Kitchen Basics - How to Pick and Prep Produce - Tropical Fruit Edition (Papaya, Jicama, Pineapple & Mango) on Diane's Vintage Zest! #shop #fruit #tips

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):

With a large knife, cut off the bottom and top of the papaya.
Split it in half lengthwise.
Scoop out the seeds and the fibers and discard.
Cut out the tough stem towards the bottom.
Repeat for the second half.
Cut into four equal sections for easier handling.
Peel using a paring knife or peeler.
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

Kitchen Basics: How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

When I shared my Veggie "Pasta" recipe, I mentioned that I used to eat spaghetti squash to substitute for pasta. Although I have not eaten it lately, it was such a good deal at my favorite grocery store that I just had to pick one up and share the yumminess with you.

Also, tune in for next week when one of my favorite pasta sauces that I serve over spaghetti squash or regular noodles!

I typically prepare it in the microwave (which I will explain later), but since I had more than a few squash to roast (remember?), I used the oven as well. Okay, let's get to the recipe!

How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

What You Will Need

Spaghetti Squash (3 - 4 pounds)
Sharp knife & cutting board
Baking sheet
Olive oil
Fork

Directions

Simple, No-Fail Hand Pie Crust!

Remember last year when I went to Europe? For the first few legs in London and Paris, I was joined by my friend, who shares my love of pies and sweets!

So that meant when we had some free time in the kitchen one weekend, we were ready to tackle a fun project...making our own pie crust from scratch! Actually, I had made some a couple of times before, but I did not have a tried-and-true recipe. Also, those were either breadier recipes for calzones or regular pie crust recipes, and I had my heart set and making hand pies! Now, having made this recipe a few times now, I am ecstatic to say that I have a new favorite pie crust, and I even passed it on to my mother who gave her stamp of approval! Awesome!

So along with the original recipe, I will add my own notes for both good and bad variations that I have made since. Let's get to it!

Simple No-Fail Pie Crust!

Kitchen Basics: How to Cut a Melon!

I have been eating melons, blending melons, buying melons, and cutting melons like crazy! I usually precut a whole melon and eat it over the next few days. We were out of melon and I was busy, so my guy wanted instructions on how to cut a melon.

Well, he thought it was going to be hard, but when he found out it was so easy, he thought it would be a good idea to make a post for everyone who has never cracked into one of these on their own. I have my own method, which is super fast and easy enough for a beginner to master.

Enjoy!