CHAPTER 15: FRUIT AND FRUIT PRODUCTS Flashcards
Fruit is nature’s ______.
sweet
Fruit is the centerpiece of what?
Many traditional desserts such as fruits pies and tarts, poached pears, and apple strudel, and it compliments many plated desserts.
Fruit is an important source of what in the bakeshop?
Flavor, color, and texture.
Are fruit and fruit products today different from those found in bakeshops as little as 30 years ago? Explain.
Today, there is widespread use of frozen fruit purees, and flavors once considered exotic, such as many and kiwi, are almost as common as strawberry and apple. New fruit varieties are continually being bred, such as boysenberries and the Marion blackberry, and new ones being popularized, such as sweet meyer lemon and the nashi or Asian pear.
How is fruit purchased?
Fresh, frozen, canned, or dried. They can be whole, sliced, or pureed, packed in water or sugar, sold as jam or as a prepared pie or bakery filling.
What is a cultivar?
An organism and especially one of an agricultural or horticultural variety or strain originating and persistent under cultivation.
Why is more fresh fruit available year round?
As early- and late-ripened cultivars of fruits are developed, and as more fruit from the Southern Hemisphere is exported to North America during the winter.
Ideally, fruit used in the bakeshop should be what?
Fresh and fully ripe.
How are new fruit varieties becoming more improved?
They often have improvements in flavor, texture, appearance, and size, providing a benefit to the consumer. Other times, improvements are in disease resistance, yield per acre, and other benefits to the farmer.
How are new varieties of fruit developed?
One technique used for years is plant breeding. First step is selecting two different plants with desirable traits. By transferring pollen from one plant to another, the breeder hopes to produce seeds with best attributes of both.
What is the only way to determine if cross-pollination worked?
Plants the seeds and grow them. It’s time consuming, expensive, hit-or-miss process but most fruits are bred in this manner.
To get an idea of the size of such an undertaking (cross-pollination), what should you consider?
University of California Strawberry Breeding Program grow around 10,000 seedlings in a nursery by crossbreeding parent plants. Each plant is evaluated for vigor, fruit quality, and yield, and about 200-300 are chosen and allowed to propagate and be planted in outdoor fields. Each outdoor plant is further evaluated before one or more is selected for widespread planting.
Why does the State of California rely on these traditional plant breeding techniques to develop new strawberry cultivars? So much time and money go into it.
Over 80% of the strawberries consumed in North America are grown in CA, making strawberries a multibillion dollar business for the state.
What’s wrong with fresh blueberries purchased in the middle of winter?
They have poor color, flavor, and are prohibitively expensive.
Most common fruits, such as strawberries and apples, are available year round, but certain specialty fruits, such as _____ and _____, are available only certain months of the year.
lychee, pomegranate
Why is purchasing fresh fruit in season no guarantee of quality?
Fruit is highly perishable, and poorly stored fruit will lose their value relatively quickly.
Fruit is a natural agricultural product, and its quality varies throughout the _____ and from one _____ to the next.
season, region
Why does fruit also vary from one year to the next? Explain.
Partly because climate conditions change from year to year. Depending on the amount of sun and rainfall and length of the growing season, fruit can be weak-tasting and poor in color, or it can be sweet, vibrant, and bursting with flavor.
Can different varieties of fruit vary widely in quality?
Yes
What benefits do frozen and canned fruit have over fresh?
Available year round, less perishable, consistency.
When fruit is out of season, ______ fruit often has better quality than fresh, and it can be less expensive.
processed
Why is out-of-season fruit so expensive and lacking in quality?
It often must be shipped long distances, often from South and Central America, Australia, and New Zealand. The cost of shipping is high, and its toll on quality even greater.
Even when fresh fruit is in season, reasonably priced, and high in quality, processed fruits have a place in many bake shops. Explain.
Frozen puree need only be thawed and canned apples opened before use, with little manpower and no waste.
Do the US and Canada have national programs for grading the quality of fruit grown and sold in their countries?
Yes
Is the grading program of fruit run by the USDA voluntary?
Yes, but fruit that is not graded in the US isn’t necessarily lower in quality; it could simply mean that the manufacturer chose not to take part in the USDA grading program.
Does each type of fruit have different standards to meet the grade?
Yes, but the standards for all fruits are based on several common characteristics, including size, shape, color, and the amount of damage and decay allowed.
How is frozen fruit sold?
Whole, sliced, diced, and pureed.
How is straight-pack frozen fruit sold?
With the fruit placed directly into a pail or box, then frozen solid.
Why does straight-pack fruit often lose its piece integrity?
Because the freezing process happens very slowly. However, where piece integrity isn’t important, straight-pack fruit quality can be quite acceptable.
Disadvantage to straight-pack fruit?
The whole pail or box must be thawed before use.
What is IQF?
Individually Quick Frozen
IQF fruit consists of what?
Whole fruit or fruit pieces that are quickly frozen and then packed into pails, boxes, or bags.
As long as IQF fruit is not thawed and refrozen, the fruit pieces remain ______.
separated
What is more expensive, IQF or straight-pack fruit?
IQF
What is the advantage of IQF over straight-pack?
As much or as little fruit can be used without thawing the whole container.
The faster freezing of IQF fruit means what?
Smaller ice crystals form, and this often means less damage to fruit integrity than with straight-pack fruit.
Should you expect the same quality from IQF as peak quality fresh fruit? Why?
No, even when frozen quickly, fruit shrivels and exudes liquid.
Certain fruits, such as ____ _______ and _______, freeze well, while other, like _______ and _______ become unacceptably mushy.
apple slices, cranberries
strawberries, raspberries
Does IQF fruit of lose flavor after extended freezing time?
Yes
For best color and flavor in frozen fruit, what should you consider?
Using sugar- or syrup-packed fruit.
Sugar- or syrup-packed fruit has a certain amount of what added before freezing?
Glucose corn syrup or granulated sugar.
Sugar-packed frozen fruits typically come as what? What does this refer to?
4 +1, 5 + 1, or 7+ 1 packed. The number refers to the ratio of fruit to sugar. 4 + 1 strawberries consist of 4 parts strawberries and 1 parts sugar, or 4/5 = 80% fruit and 1/5 = 20% sugar.
What does the added sugar do for frozen fruits?
Prevents browning of the fruit. It also minimizes changes in flavor and texture of frozen fruits, so sugar-packed frozen fruit often has a better quality than straight-pack or IQF fruit, often at a lower cost.
Before adding IQF fruit, such as blueberries, to muffin or coffee cake batter, what should you do? Why?
Coat the fruit with a light dusting of flour. This will make the juice from the thawing fruit less likely to mix with the batter and discolor it. Or, layer the fruit on top of the batter instead of mixing it in. During baking, as the fruit sinks, it will do so with a minimum amount of bleeding.
After thawing sugar- or syrup-packed fruit, thoroughly blend the ______ with the fruit before use, and account for the amount of ______ in your formula.
sugar, sugar
Since 4 + 1 strawberries are 80% strawberries and 20% sugar, how would you adjust a formula?
By dividing the weight of strawberries by .80 to determine the weight of 4 + 1 strawberries to use. Reduce the amount of sugar by the difference between the two. For example, for 1 pound (16oz) of strawberries, use 16/.80 or 20 ounces of 4 + 1 strawberries and reduce the amount of sugar by 4 ounces. Note the math is similar to that used when converting between shortening and butter or between granulated sugar and syrup.
Why is syrup- or sugar-packed fruit less convenient than IQF?
Because if must be thawed completely, like straight-packed fruit, before use. IQF does not.
Frozen fruit purees are most commonly used in what?
Sauces, sorbets, Bavarian creams, mousses, and ice creams.
Many pastry chefs consider frozen fruit purees a ______ in the bakeshop.
staple
How are fruit purees made? What is usually in them?
By straining and pureeing cleaned fruit, then heating to pasteurize and to deactivate enzymes. Some have added sugar, and pectin or other thickeners may be added to control consistency.
Even single-strength purees are concentrated sources of fruit flavor, but some brands have water removed so that ___ measure of puree equals ___ or more measures of fresh fruit.
1, 2
Do fruit purees come in a wide variety of flavor?
Yes, with or without seeds.
How some fruit purees harder to manufacture than others? Examples.
Yes, raspberry and cherry can be of excellent quality while others, such as kiwi, are more difficult to heat-process without a loss in flavor and color.
Should you use fresh puree before deciding if frozen is up to your standards?
Yes
Are frozen fruit purees ready-made sauces and coulis? Explain.
No, and before using directly on a plated dessert, taste the puree. Chances are it’s too sour and strong tasting, even if sugar is listed in the ingredients.
What should you expect from canned fruit, fruit fillings, and jams versus fresh fruit?
Less fresh flavor and often a softer texture from canned, fillings and jams.
Canned fruits are purchased several ways. What are they?
Varying primarily in the amount of sugar and water added. There’s solid pack canned fruit (no water added), heavy pack (has a small amount of water or juice), and water pack (has water added).
Besides the “water” versions, canned fruit comes with added sugar or another sweetener. If one of these sweeteners is added, it is called what?
A syrup pack. Depending on the amount of sweetener, the syrup is considered light, medium, heavy, or extra heavy. Do not confuse a heavy pack with a heavy syrup pack. One is heavy in fruit, the other is heavy in sweetener.
Generally, the more sweetener added, the _____ the fruit and often the better _____ and ______. This is also true when fresh fruit is cooked in the bakeshop, as when preparing poached pears.
firmer, color, flavor.
Canned fruits are ____-__-___ products. Convenient for what?
ready-to-use, fruit pies, Danish, and other baked goods.
Do canned fruits vary widely in quality?
Yes, so try many before deciding which suits your needs and budget.
Do all canned fruits include additives?
No, but some might to improve color, flavor, and consistency, and to minimize microbial growth.
What is often added to firm of fruits in canned goods?
Calcium salts, like calcium lactate or calcium chloride.
What thickeners are often added to canned fruit for thickness and to improve performance during baking?
Starches and pectin.
What exactly do thickeners (added to canned fruits) do for baked goods?
So-called oven-stable fillings contain thickeners that reduce the tendency of fillings to thin out and run into pastry dough. This prevents the dough from becoming soggy and discolored.
To preserve the texture and often flavor and color of cooked fruits, it is better to ____ them in sugar syrup than in ______.
poach, water
Some poaching syrups are very dilute, some are very heavy. Explain.
Some are as low as one part sugar to five or more parts water (or wine); others are much more concentrated, having more than one part sugar to one part water.
How do you determine the strength of your poaching liquid? Explain in detail (long answer).
Consider the following: when fruit is gently poached in syrup, sugar and water freely diffuse, or move, in and out of the fruit. This diffusion continues until the amount of sugar and water in syrup is the same as the amount in the fruit.
What happens if the sugar syrup had more sugar than the fruit?
water diffuses out of the fruit to dilute the syrup. As this happens, fruit shrinks in size and often appears to have a vibrant, more appealing color (even as color diffuses out of the fruit). At the same time, sugar diffuses from the syrup into the fruit, sweetening the fruit and firming the pectin that holds it together. The more sugar in the syrup, the sweeter and firmer the fruit becomes but also the more it shrinks.
What happens if the sugar syrup contains less sugar than the fruit?
The opposite happens. Water diffuses into the fruit and sugar diffuses out. Often, enough water moves in so that the fruit gains weight and plumps appealingly.
What happens if fruit is poached in water?
Large amounts of the water move in. The force of the water disintegrates the fruit, reducing it to much. While this makes water a poor cooking medium for whole or sliced fruit, it is an effective means of hastening the preparation of fruit purees and apple sauce.
Each fruit is different, but often a good poaching liquid for sweetening and firming fruit contains what?
Two parts liquid to one part sugar. This allows some sweetening and firming of the fruit with excessive shrinkage.
To further assure firm poached fruit, what should be done?
Patch gently without boiling, and add a small amount of lemon juice to the poaching liquid. Acid from the lemon juice firms the pectin that holds the fruit cells together. Lemon juice also prevents browning and adds flavor.
When would artificial color be added to canned fruits?
When fruits discolor easily, like cherries.
What mold inhibitor is added to canned fruits?
Sodium benzoate.
What browning inhibitor is added to canned fruits?
Critic acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and sulfites.
Why are mold inhibitors not necessary in the canning process?
Because mold will not grow in properly processed canned foods. Instead, the mold inhibitor delays microbial growth in opened cans.
Are some fruit products packed into flexible pouches instead of cans? What does this usually indicate?
Yes, and it usually indicates that a product has been aseptically processed.
What is aseptic processing?
A means of heating, cooling, and packaging foods in a sterile environment.
Like canned foods, unopened packages of aseptically processed foods can be stored at ______ _________ without risk of microbial growth.
room temperature
Once opened, what must you do with aseptically processed goods?
Refrigerate
Why was fruit originally dried?
To preserve it.
Why are dried fruits used today?
Their distinctive color, flavor, and texture.
The most common dried fruits.
Raisins, but dried figs, dates, apricots, apples, and plums are also popular.
In recent years, what other dried fruits have been available for use?
Cherries, blueberries, strawberries, and cranberries.
Are some dried fruits sold as paste?
Yes
Most popular paste.
Fig paste, for use in products like fig bars.
What paste is sold as a fat replacer?
Dried plum paste.
Can any grape be dried into raisins?
Yes
Most raisins are dried from what? Where are they from?
Thompson Seedless grapes, grown in hot Central Valley of California.
How are the Central Valley grapes dried?
After they are harvested in late August, the grapes are laid out in rows in the sun for several weeks, to darken and dry before being cleaned and packed.
Raisins and raisin products contribute what to baked goods?
Flavor, color, and sweetness.
Why do raisin products extend shelf life of baked goods?
They are hygroscopic and keep baked goods moist.
What do raisin products contain that helps prevent microbial growth?
Small amounts of antimicrobial agents.
How are golden raisins made?
They are Thompson Seedless grapes that are tunnel-dried, rather than sun-dried, under carefully controlled conditions. Sulfur dioxide (or another source of sulfur, such as sulfites) is applied to the grapes, to bleach their natural pigments and to prevent darkening during drying.
Describe the flavor of golden raisins.
Milder raisin flavor with a slight bitter aftertaste from the sulfur dioxide.
When products are treat with sulfur dioxide or another source of sulfur, they must have what?
This information labeled on the package.
Can sulfur dioxide be used to keep other light-colored dried fruits from darkening?
Yes
Are Zante currant raisins related to the European red currant? Explain.
No, Zante currants are raisins dried from Black Corinth grapes, a small dark purple grape sometimes marketed as the champagne grape.
Zante raisins are about ___ the size of regular raisins.
1/4
Regular-sized raisins are also called what?
Select raisins.
How many select raisins are there per pound?
About 1,000.
How many currant raisins are there per pound?
4,ooo or more.
Currants are popular in what?
Scones
Baking raisins are what?
Thompson Seedless raising that are soft and moist because they have a higher moisture content than regular raisins.
What’s the downfall of baking raisins? How is this a plus?
Their high moisture content makes them messy for out-of-hand eating, but are ready to add to baked goods and do not need conditioning.
Most fruits do not have the high sugar content of the Thompson grape. If dried without added sugar, what happens?
These fruits tend to be tough, dry, and sour.
For softness and sweetness, cranberries, cherries, strawberries, and blueberries are first infused with _____ before they are dried in a tunnel drier under controlled conditions.
sugar
Are sweetened dried fruits expensive?
Yes
Sweetened dried fruits are better than fresh or frozen fruit in what applications? Why?
Where doughs are heavy or where products are low in moisture such as cookies or scones. For one, high moisture is undesirable in these doughs, especially if cookies are crisp and dry. Besides, it is difficult to mix fresh fruit into heavy doughs without tearing and breaking the fruit.
Fresh, frozen, or canned blueberries have advantages over dried blueberries in muffins. What are they?
They provide fresher, brighter fruit flavor that contrasts well with the bland taste of a muffin, and they cost less, too.
What’s the difference between prunes and dried plums?
There is no difference, the terms are used interchangeably, but the preferred term today is dried plum.
Do all plums dry well?
Not according to the California Dried Plum Board.
How is a dried plum thought of as acceptable?
The plum must dry in the sun without fermenting to be acceptable, and this is best done with plums that naturally contain high levels of sugar.
Are dried plums always sun-dried?
No, as with raisins, they can be dried in tunnel driers under carefully controlled conditions.
When is tunnel-drying beneficial for plums?
When a milder-tasting, lighter-colored dried plum is desired.
The California plum for drying is what?
A descendant of the La Petite d’Alene plum from southwest France. This is a deep purple-skinned oval plum with amber-colored flesh.
Over 99% of the dried plums–or prunes–from CA are from what variety?
A descendant of the La Petite d’Alene plum from southwest France. This is a deep purple-skinned oval plum with amber-colored flesh.
CA supplies how much of the worlds dried plums?
Over 70%.
What products is dried prune paste best used with?
Because of its color and flavor, it’s best used with dark-colored products such as brownies and gingerbread.
Does dried plum paste replace all the functions of fat?
No, but it is effective at moistening and tenderizing baked goods.
What is in dried prune paste that helps it keep baked goods moist?
Several components, including fructose, glucose, pectin, and sorbitol.
What is sorbitol?
A type of sweetener called polyol, one that is very hygroscopic.
How can dried prune paste be prepared?
By blending dried plums with water in a food processor until smooth. Add about 750 grams of hot water for every kilogram of dried plums.
How do you substitute dried plum paste in baked goods with fat?
Replace each kilogram of fat with 500 grams of dried plum paste.
Apples are a good source of what?
Fiber and polyphenolic compounds.
Dietary fiber provides many functions in the body, including prevention of ____ and ________ disease.
cancers, cardiovascular
What are polyphenolic compounds?
“Polyphenols” are a large class of compounds found in plant products, including fruits. Sometimes called flavonoids, polyphenols are powerful antioxidants that reportedly guard against cancers and cardiovascular disease.
Foods that contains polyphenols and other beneficial compounds are sometimes called what? Why?
Functional foods, because they function beyond providing the common nutrients important for basic health.
What are anthocyanins?
The reds and purples in the plant world. They are polyphenolic compounds that have antioxidant activity and many healthy benefits.
Name 8 fruits that are high in anthocyanin.
Blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, pomegranates, cherries, red grapes.
________ ae another class of plant pigments that are powerful antioxidants and contribute to good health.
Carotenoids
What color are carotenoids?
Yellow, orange, orange-red pigments.
Name 6 fruits naturally high in carotenoids.
Mangoes, pears, citrus, papayas, peaches, melons.
The coming notes focus on selecting from apples and blueberries, but these same guidelines can be applied to what?
All fruits.
Does the apple industry continuously come out with new varieties of apple?
Yes
Number one apple in Canada?
McIntosh
Three top varieties of apple in the US (over the past decade or so).
Red delicious, Golden delicious, and Granny Smiths.
Why are the favorite US varieties starting to shift?
New tree varieties, such as Braeburn, Fuji, Gala, Jonagold, and Honeycrisp, planted in the 1990s, begin to bear larger harvest.
Most popular apple in Japan.
Fuji
Well known apple all over Europe.
Jonagold
Is one apple ideal for all applications?
No
Many consider what apple best for whole baked?
Rome beauty
Many consider what apples to be best for fresh fruit applications?
Golden delicious or Cortland.
Best apple for pies.
Granny Smith
When are most apples harvested?
The fall.
Why aren’t apples the same every year?
They are agricultural products.
Are apples harvested year round?
Yes, but each variety has its own peak harvest time.
If it is not peak harvest time for a particular apple variety, the apple may have been stored in what?
Controlled atmosphere (CA) storage.
What is CA storage?
Controlled atmosphere storage is a method of storing fruits, like apples, so they remain fresh for a long time, as much as six months or more.
How do controlled atmospheres work?
The fruit is placed is a large room that is kept at temperatures just above freezing, with the amount of moisture, oxygen, and other gases tightly controlled.
Are CA fruits the same quality as seasonal? Explain.
CA fruits may appear fresh, but noticeable changes occur to both flavor and texture. CA stored apples lose some of their sourness and aroma, but they often get sweeter. Their texture becomes mealy, and they brown more quickly once sliced.
If you find that apples you receive aren’t up to par, what should you do?
Change variety, use frozen or canned, or offer an item only in season.
Things to consider when picking apples for a pie or strudel.
Aroma, texture, sourness, sweetness.
Why aroma?
If the apple doesn’t have the aroma of an apple, you’ll end up with sugar pie or a spice pie.
Varieties that have a distinct, strong apple aroma include what?
McIntosh, Empire, and Jonathan.
Apples with little aroma include what?
Rome beauty, Granny Smith, Red Delicious.
Some apples, like _____ ______, have a pear-like aroma.
pear-like
Why texture?
Firm rather than soft apples are generally preferred in pies.
Examples of firm apples include what?
Cortland, Granny Smith, Northern Spy, and York Imperial.
Examples of soft apples include what?
McIntosh
Are apples that are crisp and fresh firm enough for baking?
Not necessarily. The crisp texture of Red Delicious makes it good for fresh fruit applications but not necessarily baking.
Why sourness?
Generally, a sour apple is preferred in baking over one with little natural acidity. Acidity can be added, however, by adding lemon juice, but lemon adds a lemony taste, and may not be the flavor you are after.
An apple that is high in acidity.
Granny Smith.
Apples low in acidity.
Golden Delicious and Red Delicious.
Is sweetness easy to adjust?
Sweetness can easily be adjusted in an apple pie by adjusting the amount of sugar added.
Apples that are low in sugar.
Granny Smith and York Imperial.
Sweet apples.
Golden Delicious and Red Delicious.
What two apples can be combined in an apple pie to achieve aroma, texture, sweetness, and sourness.
Granny Smith and McIntosh.
Apples selected for whole baking or sautéing must what?
Hold their shape when heated.
Do McIntosh apples burst at the seems when heated?
Yes, literally.
Apples selected for fresh fruit applications should be what?
More sweet than sour. Ideally, they will be firm and crisp and not brown quickly.
Traditional choice for fresh presentation.
Cortland and Golden Delicious.
When do many fresh fruits and vegetables begin to brown after being cut? What if you freeze them?
Within minutes. These same fruits and vegetables also brown when frozen and thawed.
The browning of fresh fruits and vegetables at room temp is caused by what?
An enzyme called phenolase, sometimes called polyphenoloxidase (PPO).
Phenolase causes polyphenolic compounds to do what?
To combine, forming large molecules that absorb light across a broad spectrum of colors. This is what makes it appear brown.
All enzymes, including phenolase, are proteins that are inactivated by what?
Heat
The amount of heat needed to inactivate phenolase?
It varies, but typically blanching 180ºF/80ºC or above for sixty seconds or less is sufficient, as long as the piece size is small enough for the heat to penetrate throughout quickly.
Blanching is more typically used for what? Why?
Vegetables than fruits, which are too easily cooked by the heat.
Instead of heat, how is enzymatic browning in fresh fruits usually delayed?
Lowering pH by adding acid; excluding oxygen by soaking in liquid or coating with sugar or glaze; or by selecting a variety that browns slowly.
Fruits that brown through the action of phenolase include what?
Bananas, certain varieties of apples, cherries, peaches, and pears.
Newer varieties that can also be used in fresh fruit applications.
Cameo and Fuji.
To further preserves whiteness of apples.
Dip in acidulated water; lemon juice slows the enzymes that cause browning. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is sometimes used for this purpose.
Blueberries come as two main types. What are they?
Wild and cultivated.
Wild blueberries come from where?
Also called low-bush blueberries, grow on ground-hugging vines in the rocky soil of Maine and the Atlantic provinces of Canada.
Cultivated blueberries come from where?
Also called high-bush blueberries, grow on shrubs in several regions throughout the United States and Canada.
Blueberries, depending on the species, sometimes go by other names. What are they?
Bilberries, rabbiteyes, and huckleberries.
Texture and flavor of cultivated blueberries.
Being relatively large, tend to provide a mouthfeel of juicy flavor when bitten into.
Which blueberry is typically preferred for fresh fruit applications?
High-bush blueberries.
Are cultivated or wild blueberries more expensive?
Wild usually are and less available than cultivated, yet they are often used in muffins and other baked goods.
What happens when you add wild blueberries to your batter?
There are more points of color and flavor in your product, so less fruit can be used. Smaller size also means better uniformity. That is, it is less likely there will be bites of muffin with no blueberry while other bites are loaded with fruit.
Is smaller fruit typically less fragile than larger fruit?
Yes, so they can better withstand the abuses of mixing and heating.
Why are wild blueberries better for consumer perception?
They are less available and more expensive, therefore perceived as better and having more intense flavor. This expense can be passed on to the consumer.
Why might a green ring form around blueberries in baked goods?
This discoloration forms when anthocyanin pigments coloring the blueberries are exposed to a high pH–above 6 or so. This occurs because anthocyanin pigments are very pH dependent, changing from red at a low ph to blue or purple at a medium pH, and to green at a high pH.
What is an extreme case of the green ring forming in baked goods with blueberries?
In extreme cases, the green discoloration runs throughout the entire crumb.
Anthocyanin is sometimes called nature’s what? Why?
Nature’s pH meter, because pH of a substance can be predicted by how it alters the color of the pigment.
Can discoloration occur with any fruit or other ingredients containing high amounts of anthocyanin? Name the most common foods to have this reaction.
Yes, besides blueberries, cranberries, cherries, and walnuts are among the most common ingredients involved in this reaction.
Most likely causes of a high pH in baked goods.
- Too much baking soda or other alkali.
- Too little cream of tartar or other acid.
- A decreases in the amount of an acidic fruit or fruit juice, or its substitution with a less acidic fruit; for example, substituting half the cranberries in cranberry nut bread with apples.
- A change from fast-acting to slow-acting baking powder.
- Excess bleeding of fruit into batter or dough.
Explain what happens as fruits ripen.
Enzymes in fruit break down large molecules to smaller ones. For example, starches break down to sugars, sweetening the fruit. Acids break down, so the fruit becomes less sour. Proteins and fats break down to molecules that have a pleasing, fruity aroma. Pectin, which holds fruits together, breaks down, making fruit softer and juicier.
Ripening involves a series of changes that all fruits undergo as they ______.
age
Does each fruit undergo changes that are characteristic of that particular fruit when ripening?
Yes
In general, fruits do what as they ripen?
Soften, and become juicier, develop more color and flavor, and became sweeter and less sour.
Do all fruits successfully ripen after harvest?
No
What ripens after harvest probably better than any other fruit?
Bananas improve in all attributes including color, flavor, sweetness, and texture.
What happens to cantaloupes and papayas once harvested?
They become softer and develop color, but they will not sweeten or improve in flavor once they are harvested.
The ability of any fruit to ripen to its fullest depends on what two factors?
First, fruit must be fully mature. That is, it must have reached its full size before harvest, even though it might still be hard and green. Second, the fruit must have been stored properly before ripening.
Does temperature affect the ripening of fruit? Explain using peaches.
Many will not ripen if first exposed to cold temperatures. Peaches do not ripen if they are stored below 46ºF (8ºC) for even a few hours prior to ripening.
Fruits that ripen after harvest (15.1).
Apples, apricots, bananas, cactus (prickly) pear, cantaloupe, carambola (star fruit), cherimoya, honeydew melons, guava, kiwi, mangoes, nectarines, papayas, passion fruit, peaches, pears, persimmons, plums.
Fruits that DO NOT ripen after harvest (15.2).
Berry fruits, including blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, citrus fruits, cherries, figs, grapes, pineapples, watermelons.
What should you do when receiving a shipment of fruit?
Inspect it for quality and always taste a sample before accepting; it’s a natural agricultural product.
Fresh fruit that is consumed uncooked should be handled carefully, for ________ reasons.
sanitation
Fresh fruit should always be ______ before use to remove dirt and microorganisms.
washed
What do fruits, like strawberries, that grow close to the ground pick up?
Mold spores
What to raspberries conceal in their caps at times?
Insects
While fruit should be washed before use, it should not be washed before ______. Why?
storage; water left on the fruit absorbs water into its cells. When this happens, the fruit swells and softens in n unappealing manner.
Why must melons, especially cantaloupe, be washed before cutting?
Melons grow on the ground, and cantaloupe, with its rough exterior, tends to harbor microorganisms. When a knife passes through the melon, microorganisms on the surface can be transferred by the knife blade.
Three important tips for storing fresh fruit.
Store fruits under high humidity.
Don’t store fruit in closed plastic bags or plastic wrap for extended periods.
Store ripened fruits at low temperatures.
Why store fruits under high humidity?
So they don’t shrivel and dry. Often this means keeping them in their original package.
Why shouldn’t you store fruit in closed plastic bags or plastic wrap for extended periods?
Plastic cuts off oxygen, preventing plants, including fruits, from breathing, or respiring.
What if fruit comes in plastic packaging? Should I remove it?
If the fruit comes in plastic, however, it can be stored in this original packaging. Plastic packaging used for shipping and distributing fresh fruits and vegetables is not the same as plastic bags and plastic wrap used in bakeshops.
What temperature is cold enough for fresh fruit storage?
As close to 32ºF as possible. Avoid refrigerating unripened fruits, however. Many fruits, such as peaches, will not ripen if exposed to cold temperatures.
Do stone fruits ripen at cold temperatures? Explain.
No, most stone fruit (e.g., peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots, etc.) continues to ripen after being picked. It is important to ripen the various varieties of stone fruit at room temperature without moving them to your refrigerator until they are fully ripe. If stone fruit is exposed to temperatures between 36 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit before it is ripe, it can suffer internal breakdown which may result in mealy flavorless fruit.
Does fresh, raw fruit still breathe after it is picked? Explain.
Yes, it is still living and breathing after harvest. As with human respiration, plant respiration involves taking in oxygen from the air, using it to continue life-sustaining processes, and giving off carbon dioxide. In the process, starches, sugars, and other molecules are broken down and used. As with humans, if respiration stops in plants, cells stop functioning and the plant dies.
While plants do respire, unlike humans, they also undergo _________.
photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the opposite of _________. Explain.
respiration; that is, instead of taking in oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide, during photosynthesis plants take in carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. In the process, the plant forms sugar from carbon dioxide, using water from the soil and energy from sunlight.
While mammals eat to take in sugar, plants undergo photosynthesis to ________ them.
create
Does one bad apple spoil the whole bunch? Explain.
Yes, bruised and rotten fruit give off very large amounts of ethylene gas, which speeds up respiration in all fruits. If fruit is already ripe, exposure to ethylene gas causes them to rot.
Do lower storage temperatures slow respiration?
Yes
Should all fruits be refrigerated when ripe? Explain.
No, cold temperatures cause chill injury to certain fruits, and this can damage their color, flavor, and texture. However, damage from chill injury is not always evident until after the fruit is returned to warmer temperatures.
Chill injury is most common in what fruits? What temp should they be stored?
Fruits grown in tropical or semitropical regions, such as bananas, most citrus, mangoes, melons, papayas, and pineapples. Store these fruits slightly above refrigeration, generally from 40º-60ºF (4º-16ºC).
What if it’s not always possible to find a spot that is warmer than a refrigerator yet cooler than room temp?
Store on the shelf during winter and refrigerate (but use quickly) during summer.
Why should you store fruits from table 15.2 away from fruits listed in Table 15.1?
Table 15.1 fruits naturally give off ethylene gas which signals fruits to speed up respiration. Since fruits from 15.2, such as citrus, cannot ripen any further, they will begin rot.
Should you always discard any spoiled or rotten fruit before storing?
Yes
How do you ripen fruit as fast as possible?
Expose it to warm temperatures, oxygen, and ethylene gas. Closed paper bags and cardboard cartons allow oxygen in and out but trap ethylene. Add a ripe apple or banana to give off ethylene.
How should dried fruits be stored?
Although they’re relatively safe from microbial damage, it’s best to store below 45ºF (7ºC). This prevents flavor changes and flavor loss, and it also prevents insect and rodent infestation.
Since refrigeration is at a premium in the bakeshop, where can you store dried fruit? How long?
If held for one month or less, it is acceptable to store them in a cool spot in the bakeshop. Be sure they are well covered.
What happens to the glucose in dried fruit during extended refrigeration?
It often crystallizes. This is sometimes called sugaring, and when it happens, the dried fruit becomes dry, hard, and gritty. Proper conditioning revives the flavor and texture of dried fruit that has sugared.
What is conditioning? Why is it important?
A process of soaking raisins and other dried fruits in water or another liquid before use. Conditioning plumps the fruit so it is not dry, hard, and flavorless in the final product. It also prevents dried fruit from absorbing moisture from batters and doughs. If too much moisture is pulled from batters and doughs, the product bakes up dry.
Why does the raising industry recommend to not soak raisins in hot or boiling water?
Because it easily over conditions them. Over conditioned dried fruits lose valuable flavor and sweetness to the soaking solution. They tend to tear during mixing and to stain batters and doughs.
Two methods are recommended for conditioning raisins. What are they? How long do they take?
Both require planning ahead several hours. The first method involves spraying or submerging the dried fruit with slightly warm water (80ºF; 27C), draining immediately, and covering the fruit until surface water is absorbed. This takes about 4 hours. The second method involves adding about 1-2 ounces of 80ºF (27ºC) water per pound of dried fruit (or 80-120 grams per kilogram), covering, and soaking for about 4 hours, or until all the water is absorbed. Stir to turn occasionally for even conditioning. Other liquids, such as rum or fruit juice, can be used in place of water.
Cut dried fruits, such as _______ _______ and _______ ______ ________, are probably best not conditioned. Why?
diced dates, sweetened dried cranberries; the cut surfaces readily pick up moisture, so there is little risk that they will stay hard in batter or dough. The risk, instead, is that they will be easily over conditioned, resulting in fruits that bleed color and solids into the batter and that easily tear.
Even when properly conditioned, can raisins and other dried fruits tear during mixing? How do you minimize this?
Yes, to minimize this add dried fruits during the last minute or two of mixing, and set the mixer on low speed.
