Any personal nutritionist will tell you that fresh produce should be at the center of any healthy diet. Luckily for you, finding delicious produce during these summer months is easier than ever. Some of the sweetest, most flavorful fruits are ripe for the picking at your local grocery store or farmer’s market! Below, get the 4-1-1 on how to properly clean and cut these juicy favorites to enjoy on salads, in smoothies, or (of course) all on their own.
Hold the Knife: Is That Clean?
COVID-19 has probably put you on high-alert about the cleanliness of your home. While most experts agree you’re unlikely to catch the virus from your groceries, it’s no excuse to slack on cleaning your produce.
Did you know about one in six people become sick from contaminated food each year? Meat is a common culprit, but so is fresh produce. That’s why (COVID-19 or not) take it from your personal nutritionist: washing your fruit is always the first step to enjoying it.
You may have seen organic produce washes for sale in the store, but they aren’t necessary; the FDA recommends a simple scrub under cold, running water. Use a clean bristled brush (reserved especially for hard-skinned produce like melons or apples) to help you scrub away any lingering dirt or bacteria.
Here’s the thing: always clean the outside of your produce — even if you don’t plan on eating the skin. If you don’t wash them, dirt and bacteria can be transferred to your fruit from your knife as you slice the skin away (they’re sneaky like that).
After a thorough rinse, pat dry with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel.
Grab a Knife and Get to Work
Before you slice, be sure you’re using a clean, dry cutting board on a stable surface to prevent any accidental kitchen emergencies.
Okay, let’s get to the fun part.
Below are step-by-step instructions on cutting summer fruits:
Strawberries
Not to play favorites, but these may be the best fruit of the summer and conveniently are the easiest to prep.
- Use a small paring knife to create a small V-shaped but at the top to remove the green leaves.
- Slice each berry horizontally or vertically to achieve desired pieces.
Mangoes
With thick skin and an oblong pit at the center, mangoes can be a bit trickier to prepare. But with greater challenge comes even sweeter rewards.
This method is a tried and true way to get small, bite-sized chunks of this super-sweet tropical fruit:
- Start by holding the mango upright vertically (with the thicker, heavier side on a cutting board). Carefully slice the “cheeks” of the mango, by slicing downward on each side of the pit. (Your knife will move smoothly around the pit. If your knife won’t cut through, you’re likely hitting the pit. Move the knife closer to the outer edge of the mango and try again.)
- You should have two bowl-shaped cuts of fruit. (You can attempt to cut off any remaining flesh from around the pit for an extra treat!)
- Hold one of the bowl-shaped pieces, skin side down on the cutting board. Carefully cut slits both horizontally and vertically through the bright yellow fruit. You’ll want to end up with a checkerboard pattern of cuts.
- Holding the scored piece of mango, use a small spoon to carefully scoop out the pre-cut cubes (or, if you’re not afraid of getting a little messy, simply invert the mango and use your fingers to pull off each delicious cube).
- Voila! Sweet, ready-to-eat mango that can go in salsa, on yogurt, or is just as satisfying on its own.
Pineapples
Sure, you can buy pineapple in a can, but why would you? Take it from your personal nutritionist that fresh pineapple is so much more flavorful and juicy (and worth the extra effort).
To cut:
- Lay the pineapple on its side, and use a sharp knife to slice off the green leaves at the top.
- While it’s on its side, also slice off the very bottom of the fruit (opposite the leaves).
- Stand the pineapple up in a vertical position and slice directly down the middle of the yellow flesh.
- To remove the hard inner core, take each half of the pineapple and lay it skin side down on the cutting board. Line up your knife with the pale, inner core and slice at an angle down into the flesh in a v-shape. Your goal is to remove as much of the core as you can, without sacrificing any of the edible pineapple. Once completed, there will be a v-shaped wedge taken out of each half of the pineapple.
- Put your knife in the v-shaped wedge and cut down to separate each pineapple half into two pieces. You now have four segments of pineapple.
- Take each segment and score it in half lengthwise down to the skin.
- Turn the pineapple and cut half-inch slices opposite your score line.
- Finally, take the knife and carefully run it just above the skin to remove the prickly outer surface. You should be left with small pineapple triangles that are ready to enjoy!
Watermelon
Watermelon is the only fruit that doubles as your daily power-lifting workout. But, as the name says, watermelon is 92% water. So once you’ve recovered from lugging it home, you can enjoy a piece or two knowing that you’re getting some serious hydration.
To prepare:
- Slice the stem end of the watermelon off (and the end opposite the stem) to give the watermelon a flat top and bottom.
- Then, parallel to your first two cuts, slice the watermelon right down the middle.
- Lay the first half down, with the larger middle end on the cutting board.
- Carefully cut the rind off, working your way around the circle of fruit.
- Once all rind is removed, roll the “naked” melon on its side and make two straight slices through the melon, parallel to the first cuts. Place the sliced melon back flat on the cutting board, with the slices still stacked on top of each other.
- Then, make two to three slices down through the middle of the melon before turning the melon 90 degrees and making additional slices to create a checkerboard pattern of cuts. You should end up with small watermelon chunks that are easy to enjoy.
- Repeat with the other half of the melon and, remember, watch out for seeds.
Peaches or Nectarines
The great debate: fuzzy peaches or smooth nectarines? No matter which you prefer, enjoying these pitted fruits takes little effort, especially when it’s perfectly ripe.
- Each peach or nectarine has a natural indentation from the stem end down the length of the fruit. Line up your knife with this natural line and slice down until you hit the pit. Keep your knife where it is and use your hand to rotate the fruit completely.
- Once sliced all the way around the fruit, pull the two halves apart and pull out the pit. Slice each half into segments lengthwise and you’re ready to enjoy.
Sweet and Simple
Once you’ve cleaned and sliced your fruit, store any leftover pieces in a lidded container in the refrigerator to keep them fresh for about two to three days.
Now that you know how to prepare your favorite summer fruits, the produce section is your oyster. Prep fruit ahead of time to make incorporating fresh produce easier during the week.