Decorate cakes or any baking recipe with fresh fruits such as whole raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, sliced kiwi fruit and orange sections. These are good choices because they do not brown, and can be placed on the cake or baked good just before serving. Dried fruit, such as raisins, currants, craisins (dried cranberries), etc. are also used in baking and are quite popular.

FRESH FRUIT:

Ripe vs. unripe? In-season vs. out: Whenever possible, use fresh fruit that is ripe and in-season for the best baking results. Unripe fruit lacks the desired texture and taste. Baking won't help unripe fruit. Be patient or use prepared fruit filling.

ABABAI: Ababai fruit comes from the Caricacae family of fruits which also contains the Mau Mau and some forms of papaya. It is an exotic new fruit in the U.S. imported from Chile. Chile is the only country in the world that exports this luscious fruit. Very few countries grow Ababai and then only for their local market. Ababai is a protected fruit in Chile and considered an agricultural priority by the Chilean Government. It is only recently available for export. The United State is one of only a few countries now learning to appreciate ababai because of its incredible flavor and extensive possibilities for desserts, entrees, and appetizers.

Fresh off the tree, ababai has a thin skin and looks like a small papaya. Ababai is never eaten fresh due to its high enzyme content. Ababai is cooked for several minutes and then jarred. Its pale yellow color turns to a brilliant gold after processing. It is one of the few fruits that will not dissolve when cooked. It is superb for sautéing with vegetables, broiling on fish, and grilling on the barbecue (shish kebob). The seeds look like small raisins. Ababai trees grow for 7 1/2 to 8 years and only bear fruit for 5 years. The tree is then cut down, recycled, and must be replanted on virgin soil.

APPLES: By some estimates there may be over 10,000 different apple varieties. Apples have been in cultivation for centuries and new varieties have continually arisen or been developed. 

Apples are so versatile and can be used in so many baking recipes and desserts. Don't be afraid to experiment. When baking pies with apples, it's a good idea to mix a few varieties for even better flavor. For example, Macintosh, Cortlands, and Gravenstein are great together in a pie.

Modern supermarket shoppers sometimes struggle with the 7 or 10 varieties typically offered, and there is much confusion. There are dessert apples (eating apples) cooking apples and good storage apples. Varieties are regional, so the availability of types will vary depending upon where you live. 

SOME APPLE BUYING TIPS:

Buy in Season: Apples are generally are harvested in mid to late August, with some being done in January. This is when flavor, freshness and nutritional value are at their peak. Modern refrigeration has caused one unintended and unfortunate consequence, that being that the average consumer has lost a sense of season. Everything looks good on the shelf, everything is available at any time in any area, and it is easy to forget that fruit is seasonal and is actually being grown somewhere. 

Buy Locally: Shipping and storage both can have adverse effects on fruit quality, even under the best of circumstances. Every region has its own distinctive varieties, and a visit to the orchard will help you discover which ones are best in your area.  

Keep Apples Cool: Apples continue to ripen after they have been picked. Keeping them cool retards this process. Never leave apples out at room temperature. Nothing can ruin an apple's flavor more than letting it sit out at room temperature.

APPLESAUCE:  I always bake with a smooth, high-quality supermarket brand such as Mott's.  I like its thick consistency, which is perfect for healthy baking.  I like to bake with unsweetened applesauce, but you can also use other types such as chunky, sliced or cinnamon, cranberry, or raspberry.  You can make your own Homemade Applesauce, but make sure it is nice and thick before using it in a baking recipe.

Fruit purees, especially applesauce, are often used as a substitute in oil in recipes (do not use it as a substitute for butter, shortening or margarine because it won't work). The pectin from the fruit forms a film around the tiny air bubbles in the batter, similar to what occurs when you use oil or cream solid shortening with sugar, but not as effectively. In addition to substituting the oil with applesauce, I add back 1 - 2 tablespoons of oil for a better taste and texture; a little goes a long way.

APRICOT: The apricot, a native of China, has been cultivated for over 4,000 years. Today close to 90% of world production is in the U.S., most of that in California.

BABY FOOD FRUIT PUREE: Even though it may contain other fruits such as pears or apples, can be used in any recipe that calls for applesauce or prune puree. I prefer baby food to other prune purees that are sold as fat substitutes for baking.

BANANAS:  The banana is the most popular tropical fruit. It can be found in a variety of colors, with yellow being the most popular.  Each one has its own particular taste, shape, size and texture. Select plump, unblemished, firm and bright bananas with unbroken skin and no soft spots. Leave unripe bananas at room temperature until ready to use. Ripe bananas can be refrigerated for three to five days. 

Mashed bananas are a great fat substitute and lend flavor as well as bulk to a recipe. Use bananas where black spots HAVE JUST appeared on the skins -- they should be flecked with some brown spots, but not blackened. They have a sweeter taste than the yellow-colored ones but, you can use either. 

TIPS FOR HOW TO MASH BANANAS: 

RIGHT BEFORE USING IN A RECIPE, mash bananas well with a fork so they retain a texture and some chunks; don't blend them smooth in a blender because when used in a recipe, your baked good will become too dense and rubbery. 

Mashed bananas, frozen or not, darken as they sit, even though the flavor or quality of the bread doesn't change; darkened banana meat will look dark when baked. To keep them from turning, I always mix in 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice or orange juice to the mashed bananas. If any left-overs, seal in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Mashed banana meat can be frozen.

More about bananas: 

Supposedly, one of the first shipments of bananas to reach the colonies was in 1690 at Salem, Mass. They tried boiling them with pork. It took nearly 200 years after that culinary disaster for bananas to catch on with North Americans. Today, average consumption is over 30 pounds.

Bananas trees are not trees. The banana plant is a giant herb related to orchids.

Unripe bananas have about 25% starch and only 1% sugar. Natural enzyme action converts this high starch content to sugar, so ripe bananas have a 20% sugar content.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, Europeans knew the banana as the "Indian Fig".

Every year Americans eat more than 30 pounds of bananas per capita.  We import over 15 BILLION bananas every day.

One variety of banana, the 'Ice Cream Banana', is BLUE. It turns yellow like other bananas when ripe, and has a taste like vanilla custard and a marshmallow texture.

‘Red bananas’ are maroon to dark purple when ripe, and even the fruit inside can have a slight pinkish color.

BERRIES: Fresh berries make a lovely accompaniment for any dessert. Their slight acidity helps balance the sweetness of fillings and icings. Even a dessert made of fresh strawberries topped with freshly whipped cream is always welcomed.

The problem with berries is that they bleed color and water, especially when overripe. Blueberries or strawberries are the more durable ones; try and leave them whole as long as you can. Raspberries and blackberries tend to be more fragile. So the less they are handled, the better. 

Ripe berries are so tender they burst in your mouth - if they don’t get squashed in the carton first. 

Dessert chefs have a secret for keeping them intact: As soon as the berries arrive in the kitchen, scatter them on a baking sheet lined with several layers of paper towels, then store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to clean and use them. If using for baking, be sure not to wash your berries with water, instead wipe them with a damp paper towel so they do not give off too much moisture. If using strawberries, take off their tops after cleaning, otherwise the berry's insides may become too soggy or damp.

Because berries bleed, when making a tart filled with pastry cream and topped with them, assemble it

 as close to the event as possible. Also, if you glaze the fruit, it seals in the fruit. 

Blackberries: are found all around the world, mostly but not limited to the Northern Hemisphere. However most commercial cultivation is limited to the United States. There are literally thousands of varieties, including an albino 'white blackberry,' and the dewberry, which bears a smaller fruit. See also Marion Berries or Boysenberries. 

Always refrigerate blackberries immediately. Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are best. If you plan to eat them fresh, be sure not to freeze them! (Fresh blackberries are very sensitive to freeze damage). Do not wash your blackberries until you are ready to prepare and eat them. Moisture will hasten decay of your blackberries, so keep them dry in storage. Under ideal conditions, blackberries should keep for 1-3 days in your refrigerator. For best results, consume your blackberries as soon after purchase as possible. If you plan to freeze your blackberries for jams and jellies, be sure to wash your berries carefully in cold water. Pack berries into freezable containers, or freeze them on a tray and then pack them into containers as soon as they are frozen. Seal the container and keep frozen until you are ready to use them.

Blueberries: When buying fresh blueberries look for firm, dry fruit that is smooth and relatively free of stems and leaves. Look for plump, fresh berries of good blue color with a waxy bloom. Avoid purchasing any leaky baskets.

Avoid containers of berries with juice stains, which may be a sign that the berries are crushed and possibly moldy. Soft, watery fruit means that berries are overripe, while wrinkled fruit means they have been stored too long.

Always refrigerate covered blueberries immediately. Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are best. If you plan to eat them fresh, be sure not to freeze them! (Fresh blueberries are very sensitive to freeze damage). Do not wash your blueberries until you are ready to prepare and eat them. Moisture will hasten decay of your blueberries, so keep them dry in storage. 

Under ideal conditions, blueberries should keep for 5-7 days in your refrigerator. For best results, consume your blueberries as soon after purchase as possible. If you plan to freeze your blueberries for jams and jellies, remember not to wash your berries before freezing. Washing, prior to freezing, will make the blueberry skin tougher. Pack berries into freezable containers, or freeze them on a tray and then pack them into containers as soon as they are frozen. Seal the container and keep frozen until you are ready to use them. Be sure to wash the thawed blueberries prior to using them.

Did you know?: "Don't be shy of adding sugar when you cook blueberries, food writer-scientist and television personality Shirley Corriher told a recent gathering of food media. Sugar can act as a structural preservative and help the berries keep their shape when they're cooked and when the heat would otherwise break them down.

If you sprinkle sugar on sliced fruit, it will help your fruit pies not to boil over, she added.

The presence of other ingredients can sometimes cause blueberries to lose their blue color. Corriher suggested countering baking soda, for example, with the acidic effect of lemon: "A trace of lemon juice will take care of weird colors," she said. On the other hand, if the recipe tends to the acidic side, a tiny bit of baking soda will help keep the berries blue." A Blueberry Bonanza, The Associated Press, July 12, 2006.

Boysenberries: Developed by Rudolph Boysen in the early 1930s, the boysenberry is a cross between a loganberry, red raspberry and blackberry. Like dewberries and logan berries, they are classified as a trailing type of blackberry. Plants grow horizontally, compared to the erect habit of most blackberries. To grow, most plants are tied to supports or wires to limit their trailing habit. Fruits are sweeter, ripen sooner and are in looser clusters.

Cherimoya: (chehr-uh-MOY-ah) - The heart-shaped cherimoya is sometimes referred to as a custard apple which describes its appearance and texture. The taste, however, is uniquely its own. Cherimoya combines the flavors of pineapple, mango, banana, and papaya into a slightly fermented flavor of the tropics. They are available November through April with the largest supply in February and March. Ripe cherimoyas are dull brownish-green in color and give to pressure when gently squeezed. Eat within a day or two. If fruit is pale green and firm, store at room temperature until slightly soft and then refrigerate, carefully wrapped individually in paper towels, for up to 4 days. Peel fruit with a sharp knife and cut into cubes, discarding the dark black seeds. Add to fruit salads or puree and incorporate into a mousse, custard, or pie filling.

Chinese Gooseberry: See Kiwi.

Cranberries: Of all fruits, only three - the blueberry, the Concord grape and the cranberry can trace their roots to North American soil. And of those, none is as versatile as the cranberry.

The cranberry helped sustain Americans for hundreds of years. Native Americans used cranberries in a variety of foods, the most popular was pemmican - a high protein combination of crushed cranberries, dried deer meat and melted fat - they also used it as a medicine to treat arrow wounds and as a dye for rugs and blankets.

Cranberries grow wildly from the Carolinas to the maritime provinces of Canada, but prefer areas that have sandy soil, an abundant fresh water supply, and a growing season that lasts from April to November. Suited for these conditions, southeastern Massachusetts embraces its most famous indigenous fruit.

Contrary to popular belief, cranberries are not grown under water. Cranberries are grown in a sandy, peat soil on dry land. The common misconception comes from the picturesque cranberry harvest scene which has become a standard for artists.

Huckleberry: Blueberries and huckleberries although related, are not the same. One obvious difference is that the blueberry has many soft, tiny almost unnoticeable seeds, while the huckleberry has ten larger, hard seeds. Blueberries are also more blue, while huckleberries are blackish blue or redish black. This red/black variety is also called southern cranberry.

Marion Berries: Marion blackberry, or “Marionberry” as it is known by consumers and marketers, is a distinctly American berry with worldwide appeal. Grown exclusively in Oregon, it is a cross between the Chehalem and Olallieberry blackberries, the Marionberry captures the best attributes of both berries and yields an aromatic bouquet and an intense blackberry flavor for which it has become known. This premium quality flavor, described by tasters as “earthy cabernet” and “sweet with notes of tartness”, makes the Marionberry a superb choice for canning, freezing, pies, jams, jellies and ice creams and has earned the Marionberry an outstanding reputation worldwide. 

Since the Marion is considered of premium quality, it is usually sold under the Marionberry name, whereas other blackberry varieties are sold under a generic “blackberry” label. Marionberries are sold to the consumer fresh during harvest season (typically July 10-August 10), and frozen in 16 ounce poly bags, during the rest  of the year.

Raspberries: Fresh raspberries of all colors are low in calories—one cup of berries contains only about 60 calories. Raspberries add fiber to the diet and are a fair source of vitamin C. The most used raspberry is red, but other colors can be purple, golden and black. Raspberries can be harvested from early summer through fall.

Raspberries are very perishable. Use fresh berries within one to two days after picking or purchasing to ensure the best flavor, appearance and nutrient content. Proper handling is easy and will help to insure that yours remain fresh and delicious. Always refrigerate raspberries immediately. Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are best, but be sure not to freeze them! (Fresh raspberries are very sensitive to freeze damage). 

Do not wash your raspberries until you are ready to prepare and eat them. Don’t soak raspberries; lift them gently from cold water and drain well. Let berries air dry, or gently pat them dry with a paper towel. Moisture will hasten decay of your raspberries, so keep them dry in storage. Under ideal conditions, raspberries should keep for 1-2 days in your refrigerator. For best results, consume your raspberries as soon after purchase as possible.

Strawberries: Sixteenth-century author William Butler wrote, "Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did." Juicy and red, the strawberry is a member of the rose family and has grown wild for centuries in Europe and America. The cultivation of strawberries goes back to the 1600s when early settlers enjoyed strawberries grown by local Native Americans. 

Today's strawberries are a cross breeding of the Virginia strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), the native wild strawberry of the eastern seaboard (which was introduced into Europe around 1610), and the Chilean strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis) which made the voyage a century later. Today, about 70 percent of America's fresh strawberries are grown in California. Strawberries vary in size, shape and color and, in general, there is no direct relationship between size and flavor. Fresh strawberries are available year-round with the peak season from April to June. Choose brightly colored, plump berries that still have their green caps attached and are uniform in size.

Always refrigerate berries immediately. Temperatures between 34 F and 38 F are ideal. Sort and remove any bruised or damaged berries as soon as possible, being in contact with spoiled fruit can cause good fruit to go bad quicker. 

For best results, store your strawberries in the original clear clamshell container you purchased them in. For berries purchased in plastic pint containers, transfer them to a large container with a dry paper towel on the bottom. Don't wash your berries until you are ready to use them. Wash berries with the green caps on under cool water. After washing, remove green caps. For best flavor, allow strawberries to reach room temperature before serving. Under ideal conditions, strawberries should keep for 2 - 5 days in your refrigerator, but for best results, consume your berries as soon after purchase as possible.