Fruit Facts

HE-0578, Reprinted June 2006. Barbara Struempler, Extension Nutritionist, Professor, Nutrition and Food Science, Auburn University. Originally prepared by Arlie A. Powell, Extension Horticulturist, Professor, Horticulture, Auburn University, and Oleane Zenoble, former Foods Specialist.

ruit is a necessary part of any nutritious diet. Fruits are an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber, they contain no cholesterol, and they are low in fat.

Nutritional Value

The best sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, grapefruit, tangerines), melons, and berries. A little more than ½ cup of orange juice and about ¾ cup of fresh strawberries will supply all of the vitamin C most adults need in one day. Ten apples or 7½ bananas would be needed to supply the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. By eating fruits rich in vitamin C, you are also helping your body absorb iron—a common deficiency in most American diets.

You can reduce the amount of sugar you eat by substituting fruit or fruit juice for cakes, cookies, candy, and soft drinks. Dried fruits offer a nutritious alternative to candy. They are high in sugar, but they also boost the iron in your diet. For example, ¼ cup of raisins, five or six prunes, three figs, or six dates contain as much iron as one egg or two slices of bread.

Fruit Harvest in Alabama

Table 1 shows when harvest begins in the southern areas of production and when it ends in the northern sections of the state. Thus, a fruit may be available in the state for two to four months, but in a given area it may be available for only three to six weeks.

The solid line in Table 1 shows the harvest period for each crop. The dotted line shows when stored fresh fruit (refrigerated) continues to be available beyond the harvest period.

Buying Fresh Fruit

The best time to buy fresh fruit is when it is in season. Seasonal fruits offer a wider selection, are priced lower, and are more plentiful than out-of-season fruits. The following list of fruits gives the times when they are most plentiful:

Apples—August through May
Avocados—Year-round
Bananas—Year-round
Blackberries—May through July
Blueberries—June through August (especially June and July)
Cranberries—October through December (especially November)
Grapefruit—November through May
Bunch Grapes—July through November (especially August through October)
Muscadine Grapes—August through October
Honeydew—May through November (especially August and September)
Lemons—Year-round
Limes—June through August
Oranges—October through June
Peaches—June through September (especially July and August)
Pears—August through November
Pineapples—March through June
Plums-Prunes—June through September (especially August and September)
Rhubarb—May
Strawberries—March through July (especially April through June)
Tangerines—November through January
Watermelons—May through August (especially June and July)

Ripening Fruits

Some tree fruits (apples and pears) are picked before they ripen on the tree. This permits the storage and transportation of higher quality fruit that will complete ripening by the time of purchase or slightly thereafter. Peaches and nectarines to be shipped are picked firm, shortly after they begin ripening on the tree but before ripening is completed. They develop maximum flavor when they are allowed to ripen on the tree. Alabama producers usually harvest peaches at a riper stage than do growers who ship long distances. Small fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries must be picked after they have ripened on the plant. Otherwise, flavor will be greatly reduced.

Ethylene gas is produced by ripening fruit. This natural growth regulator helps to complete ripening. When you want to speed up the ripening process of tree fruits such as apples, pears, peaches, plums, or nectarines, place the fruits in ripening bowls or inside a paper or plastic bag with holes punched in it and maintained at room temperature. This procedure traps ethylene gas and maintains an ideal temperature, thereby promoting rapid ripening. Fruits are usually ready to eat in one or two days.

Canned Fruits

Improved processing methods have reduced the amounts of nutrients lost in canned fruits. Vitamin C is usually lost in the greatest amounts; however, vitamin C is sometimes added to canned juices to restore or enrich the product.

Name brand canned fruits usually cost more than store brands, generic, or plain label products. Non-brand name canned fruits may be less uniform than the more popular brands, but the product is still safe and wholesome. The amount and type of sugar used in non-brand name canned fruits may also be different from the more expensive brands.

Fruit canned in heavy syrup is higher in calories than fruit canned in light juice, water, or in its own juice.

Fruit and Juice Can Sizes

Table 2 can help save you time and money It shows how many cups and how many ½-cup servings can be found in the different sizes of canned fruits and juices. Use it to compare products and to find the best buy.

Table 2. Fruit and Juice Can Size Comparisons

Ounces Cups 1/2-Cup Servings

5 ⁵/8 1

6 ²/3 1

8 1 2

10½ to 12 1¼ 2½

12 1½ 3

14 to 15 1¾ 3½

16 to 17 2 4

20 (1 pound 4 ounces) 2½ 5

29 (1 pound 13 ounces) 3½ 7

46 5¾ 11½

Choosing the Best Buy

Frozen and canned fruits are good buys when they can be found on sale. When fresh fruits are not in season, their frozen and canned counterparts are usually less expensive.

Frozen orange juice concentrate is the best buy when compared with fresh orange juice, unless you squeeze your own juice from very inexpensive oranges.

You may want to buy fresh fruit when it is in season and reasonably priced. You can freeze or can it for later use.

Cooking with Fresh Fruit

When cooking with fresh fruit, you can avoid buying too much or not enough by knowing how much fruit will supply the cup, tablespoon, and teaspoon measurements needed for a recipe. Use Table 3 as a guide.

Table 3. Fresh Fruit Equivalents

Fruit Measured Amounts

Apples 1 pound (3 medium) = 3 cups

Bananas 1 pound (3 or 4 medium) = 1¾ cups mashed

Blackberries 1 quart = 1¼ pounds = 3 to 4 cups

Blueberries 1 pound = 2 cups

Cherries 1 pound = 2¹/3 cups

Cranberries 1 pound = 4 cups

Dates 1 pound = 2½ cups pitted

Grapes 1 pound seeded = 2 cups; seedless = 2½ cups

Lemons 1 medium = 1 to 3 tablespoons juice and 1 to 1½ teaspoons grated peel

Limes 1 medium = 1½ to 2 tablespoons juice

Oranges 1 medium = 6 to 8 tablespoons juice and 2 to 3 tablespoons grated peel

Peaches and Pears 1 pound (4 medium) = 2 cups sliced

Pears 1 pound (4 medium) = 2¹/3 cups halves

Plums 1 pound (8 to 20 plums) = 2 cups halves

Prunes 1 pound = 2¼ cups pitted

Raisins 1 pound = 3 cups

Rhubarbs 1 pound fresh = 2 cups cooked

Strawberries 1 quart = 4 cups sliced

For more information, contact your county Extension office. Visit http://www.aces.edu/counties or look in your telephone directory under your county's name to find contact information.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.

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