What Fruits Are Available This April?

 

The best time to buy fruit is when it’s in season because that’s when you’re sure to get the best, tastiest, healthiest fruit available. Eating in-season produce provides more nutrition and more flavor.

When you buy fruit boxes from Pittman & Davis, you can be sure that the fruit inside was allowed to ripen naturally. That’s because we know that fruits that are allowed to naturally ripen on the tree and harvested at the proper time have much more flavor and nutrition. Produce that’s not in season undergoes early picking, cooling, and heating that reduces the flavor. In-season fruits spend less time traveling from the orchard to your table, they maintain much of their nutrition and flavor.

April is a wonderful time to enjoy fresh fruit! Winter is over, spring has arrived, and that’s when our hankering for fresh, juicy fruit hits its peak. Fruit tastes wonderful, smells invigorating, and is visually appealing with its bright colors. After a cold, dark winter spent eating a lot of warming stews and casseroles, fresh, light, and refreshing fruit is just what your diet needs to boost your energy and help you fit into those summer styles. Plus, a basket of fresh fruit makes a wonderful, healthy alternative to chocolate or flowers for Easter and Mother’s Day!

What fruits can you look for this April that will make a wonderful addition to your (or a loved one’s) daily diet? Here are a few of our favorites:

Rio Ruby™ Red Grapefruit

We leave our world-famous Rio Ruby™ Red Grapefruit on the tree as long as possible to soak up every drop of sweetening sunshine it can hold. The result is a gorgeous, rosy grapefruit so sweet, you won’t feel the need to add a single grain of sugar to it!

Some facts about Grapefruit:

• Health benefits of grapefruit: Grapefruit is low in calories and carbs, yet high in nutrients. At just 100 calories for a whole fruit, grapefruit can give you 120% of your vitamin C needs for the day.
• Ways to enjoy grapefruit: Grapefruit is delicious on its own, as is its juice (grapefruit juice makes an invigorating, lower-calorie alternative to orange juice). In addition to a traditional breakfast fruit, grapefruit can be lightly broiled and served as an appetizer before a meal. The sections are also wonderful in fruit cups or fruit salads.
• How to store grapefruit: You can keep whole, unpeeled grapefruit on the counter for about a week or for three weeks in the fridge. Halved grapefruits should be stored in the fruit drawer of your fridge with the cut part covered with plastic wrap. Cut segments should be stored in an airtight container.

Navel Oranges

Fresh-picked and perfect for snacking, our hand-selected, seedless Navel Oranges are full of vibrant, juicy flavor. No wonder they’re one of our bestsellers!

Some facts about Navel Oranges:

• Health benefits of navel oranges: One large navel orange can provide up to 100% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C which is beneficial for the repair and growth of body tissue. Navel oranges are also a good source of potassium, which helps lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease.
• Ways to enjoy navel oranges: Navel oranges are a wonderful snack when eating fresh out of hand. You can also use them in fruit salads, green salads, fruit salsas, or in sauces and desserts. Navels are great for zesting because their thick skins hold up well to a zester.
• How to store navel oranges: If you prefer your oranges at room temperature, they can be stored on the countertop for a day or two. Like grapefruit, oranges stay fresh in the fridge for up to three weeks – store them loose (not in a plastic bag) in the fruit drawer, or in a mesh bag to prevent mold.

Clementines

The smallest member of the mandarin family, seedless, easy-to-peel Clementines are prized by kids and those who pack their lunches for their petite size and super-sweet flavor. Packed full of immunity-boosting vitamin C, they’re a beloved wintertime treat!

Some facts about Clementines:

• Health benefits of clementines: Clementines contain high levels of antioxidants, such as vitamin C, which play an important role in reducing inflammation. Research links excessive inflammation to several types of cancer. Diets high in anti-inflammatory foods, like clementines, may reduce the likelihood of developing cancer.
• Ways to enjoy clementines: Clementines are great for a grab-and-go snack because they require no prep: just peel, separate the segments, and enjoy! They’re also wonderful in salads, smoothies, salsas, fruit kabobs, and as a topping for oatmeal.
• How to store clementines: Clementines should not be stored on the countertop. To keep them as sweet and fresh as possible, store them in the fruit drawer of your refrigerator, where they’ll stay juicy and fresh for up to three weeks.

Honey Mandarins

Just the right size for snacking or packing in lunches, honey-sweet Mandarins are easy to peel and have very few seeds.

Some facts about Mandarins:

• Health benefits of mandarins: Mandarin oranges have even more beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin than navel oranges, making them excellent additions to your diet. The body turns beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin into vitamin A, which is essential for a healthy immune system, good vision, and normal growth and development.
• Ways to enjoy mandarins: Mandarins are a great take-along snack because they’re small, have few seeds, and are easy to peel without making a mess. They’re a wonderful quick snack on their own, and also great in salads – try tossing mandarin segments and cucumber slices with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and serve over a bed of spinach leaves.
• How to store mandarins: Mandarins last longer in a cool, dark place as opposed to a countertop in direct sunlight. An unpeeled mandarin stored in your fridge’s fruit drawer will last up to a month. There is no need for a plastic bag when you store them whole and unpeeled.

Cara Cara Oranges

Another type of navel orange, Cara Caras are seedless, sweet, and extra-juicy with a flavor reminiscent of red berries. This is due in part to their beautiful rosy flesh!

• Health benefits of cara caras: In addition to all the benefits of a classic navel orange, cara cara oranges also contain a powerful antioxidant known, as lycopene, which gives the fruit its unusual color. Lycopene has many health benefits including sun protection, improved heart health, and a lower risk of certain types of cancer.
• Ways to enjoy cara caras: Eat cara cara oranges just as you would any navel orange! Peeling away the rind and eating them section by section or blending them into smoothies or a fresh-squeezed glass of juice is always a treat. They also make a beautiful addition to salads.
• How to store cara caras: As with other citrus fruits, store cara Cara oranges in a cool spot. Kept on the counter, they’ll last three to four days, so you’re better off storing them in the refrigerator where they’ll last up to three weeks.

Sweet Petit Peaches

If you thought you’d have to wait a couple more months to sink your teeth into a sweet, juicy peach, we’ve got great news for you! Grown in Florida, these palm-sized peaches are wonderfully juicy with a sweet flavor that makes them a hit with everyone.

• Health benefits of peaches: Peaches are an excellent source of vitamins A and C as well as minerals such as potassium, fluoride, and iron. They’re also packed with fiber, which helps fill you up. So these sweet treats can actually help you slim down!
• Ways to enjoy peaches: In addition to being a delicious snack eaten fresh out of hand, these small peaches are great in your favorite recipes. Try them grilled, covered in cream, in pies or cobblers, or mixed in with your morning oatmeal.
• How to store peaches: Ripe peaches are best when eaten right away, but if you have more than you can eat in a single sitting, stash them in the refrigerator for up to a couple days. The ideal way to keep peaches fresh in the fridge is by storing them in a bag with large holes. Make sure to storage them away from other fruits.