Apple - a pome fruit with generally firm flesh, which can range in flavor from sweet to tart, encased in a thin skin, which can range in color from yellow to green to red; apples can be eaten out of hand, cooked or used for juice and are grown in temperate regions worldwide and available all year, particularly in the fall.

Apricot - a small stone fruit with a thin, velvety, pale yellow to deep burnt orange skin, a meaty golden cream to bright orange flesh and an almond-shaped pit; it is highly perishable, with a peak season during June and July; the pit's kernel is used to flavor alcoholic beverages and confection.

Asian Pear - there are so many varieties of Asian pear that no one description can apply to them all. Generally though this fruit is round with speckled tan skin and has a crisp, firm, grainy white texture similar to that of a pear, an apple or at times, a water chestnut. The taste is a cross between an apple and a pear - has a slight perfume quality. Native to China and Japan, Asian pears are also grown in many states in the U.S. They may be eaten raw or cooked.

Avocado - a tropical fruit with a single large pit, spherical to pear shape, smooth to rough-textured skin with a green to purplish color and yellow to green flesh with a buttery texture and high unsaturated fat content; generally used like a vegetable and consumed raw; also known as an alligator pear.

Banana - the berry of a large tropical herb; the fruit grows in clusters (hands) and is long and curving with a brown-stained yellow skin (it is harvested while still green), a slightly sticky, floury, off-white pulp and a distinctive sweet flavor and aroma.

Blackberry - a large shiny berry with a deep purple, almost black color and a sweet flavor; also known as a bramble berry.

Blueberry - a small berry native to North America; has a smooth skin, blue to blue-black color, juicy light gray-blue flesh and a sweet flavor; eaten raw, used in baked goods or made into jams and jellies.

Boysenberry - a blackberry, raspberry and loganberry hybrid named for its progenitor, horticulturist Rudolph Boysen; shaped like a large raspberry; has a purple-red color and a rich, sweet, tart flavor. Choose boysenberries that are firm and uniform in size. Discard shriveled or moldy berries. Do not wash until ready to use, and store (preferably in a single layer) in a moisture-proof container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.

Butternut Squash - a large, elongated pear-shaped squash (Caryoka nuciferum) with a smooth yellow to butterscotch-colored shell, an orange flesh and a sweet, nutty flavor.

Cacao - Native South American tree whose seeds are fermented and processed to make cocoa and chocolate.

Cantaloupe, American - a muskmelon with a raised netting over a smooth grayish-beige skin, pale orange flesh, large seed cavity with many seeds and a sweet, refreshing, distinctive flavor; also known as a netted melon or nutmeg melon.

Calmondin - A citrus tree cultivated for its naturally high concentration of vitamin C. It also is used as a base for artificial flavorings.

Cherry -a small stone fruit from a tree of the Prunus genus, grown in temperate climates worldwide; there are two principal types: sour and sweet; both types are generally available fresh, dried, canned and frozen.

Citron - a fruit likened to an overgrown knobbly lemon, it is famed for its peel, which is used in marmalades, candies and fruit cakes.

Crookneck Squash - a summer squash with a long slender neck and bulbous body, pale to deep yellow skin with a smooth to bumpy texture, creamy yellow flesh and mild, delicate flavor; also known as yellow squash.

Damson - a type of plum best used in cooking or for jams and jellies.

Date - the fruit of a palm tree (phoenix dactylifera) native to the Middle East and Mediterranean region; most varieties are long and ovoid (some are more spherical) with a thin papery skin that is green, becoming yellow, golden brown, black or mahogany red when ripe, extremely sweet flesh with a light brown color, chewy texture and a single, long, narrow seed; eaten fresh or dried.

Fig - a variety of oblong or pear-shaped fruits (Ficus carica) that grow in warm climates; generally, they have a thick, soft skin that is green, yellow, orange or purple, tannish-purple flesh with a sweet flavor and many tiny edible seeds; available fresh or dried.

Grapes - smooth-skinned, juicy berries (with or without seeds) that grow in clusters; members of the genus Vitis, they are used for wine-making, raisins and eating out of hand.

Ground Cherry - a berry sometimes called husk tomato, it is used to make preserves.

Jujube - the edible fruit of a tropical plant also known as the Chinese date. Also, a chewy gelatin candy.

Kiwi;Kiwi Fruit;Kiwifruti - a small barrel-shaped fruit (Actinidia sinensis) native to New Zealand; has a greenish-brown skin covered with fuzz, brilliant green flesh that becomes more yellow toward the center, many small, edible black seeds and a sweet-tart flavor; named for the flightless bird of New Zealand; also known as the Chinese gooseberry.

Lemon - a citrus fruit (Citrus limon) with a bright yellow skin, and an ovoid shape with a bulge at the blossom end, juicy yellow flesh and a very tart, distinctive flavor.

Lime - an ovoid citrus fruit (Citrus aurantifolia) with a thin, green skin; smaller than a lemon, it has a juicy, pale green pulp and a very tart flavor.

Loquat - a small citrus fruit that sweetens as it ripens. It is good peeled, stewed with sugar, and served with cream or combined with other fruits.

Lychee - a small fruit native to South China. It has a sweet-sour flavor and is considered as good canned as fresh.

Mandarin - 1. Any of several varieties of a small citrus fruit (Citrus reticulata) native to China, including the mandarin, dancy, tangerine clementine and satsuma. 2. A citrus fruit; generally has a somewhat flattened spherical shape, loose yellow to reddish-orange rind, orange flesh and a sweet flavor that is less acidic than that of an orange.

Mango - a tropical fruit the size of a small pear, in its original species, but today mango hybrids are as large as small or medium grapefruits. From India, and a key ingredient in some of the best chutneys, notably Major Grey’s. The fruit is yellow shaded red when ripe, and is peeled before eating. Best chilled, and ripe enough to be softly yielding. Delicious taste between a pineapple and a very ripe peach.

Melon - a member of the gourd family Cucurbitaceae; grown on vines worldwide, these fruits generally have a thick hard rind, many seeds and a sweet juicy flesh; there are two principal types: muskmelons and watermelons.

Nectarine - a medium-sized stone fruit (Prunus persica) with a smooth red and yellow skin, firm yellowish-pink flesh and a peachy flavor with undertones of almond; available as freestone and clingstone.

Olive - the small fruit of a tree native to the Mediterranean region; has a single pit, high oil content, green color before ripening and green or black color after ripening and an inedibly bitter flavor when raw; eaten on its own after washing, soaking and pickling, or pressed for oil; available in a range of sizes (from smallest to largest): medium, colossal, supercolossal and jumbo.

Orange - any of a variety of citrus (Citrus sinensis) with juicy, orange-colored segmented flesh, a thin to moderately thick orange-colored rind and a flavor ranging from bitter to tart to sweet; depending on the variety, an orange can be eaten fresh, cooked in sweet or savory dishes, juiced or used as a flavoring or aromatic.

Peach - a medium-sized stone fruit (Prunus persica) native to China; has a fuzzy, yellow-red skin, pale orange, yellow or white juicy flesh surrounding a hard stone and a sweet flavor; available as a clingstone and freestone.

Pear - a spherical to bell-shaped pome fruit (Pyrus communis), generally with a juicy, tender, crisp off-white flesh, moderately thin skin that can range in color from celadon green to golden yellow to tawny red and a flavor that can be sweet to spicy; pears can be eaten out of hand or cooked and are grown in temperate regions worldwide.

Pineapple - a tropical fruit (Ananas comosus) with a spiny, diamond-patterned, greenish-brown skin and swordlike leaves; the juicy yellow flesh surrounds a hard core and has a sweet-tart flavor.

Prune - a dried red or purple plum.

Pumpkin - a spherical winter squash with a flattened top and base, size ranging from small to very large, fluted orange shell (yellow and green varieties are also available), yellow to orange flesh with a mild sweet flavor and numerous flat, edible seeds.

Squash - the edible fleshy fruit of various members of the gourd (Cucurbitaceae) family; generally divided into two categories based on peak season and skin type: summer and winter.

Tangelo - a fruit that is a cross between a grapefruit and a tangerine.

Thimbleberry - 1. A wild raspberry. 2. Any of several thimble-shaped American raspberries, especially the black raspberry

Tomatillo - a fruit, which is also called Mexican green tomato and jamberry. It belongs to the same nightshade family as the tomato. It resembles a small green tomato in size, shape and appearance except for the fact that it has a thin parchmentlike covering. Although tomatillos can ripen to yellow, they are generally used while still green and quite firm. Their flavor has hints of lemon, apple and herbs. Choose firm fruit with dry, tight-fitting husks. Store in a paper bag in the refrigerator for up to a month. Remove husk and wash fruit before using. Cooking enhances the tomatillo's flavor and softens its thick skin. They can be used raw in salads and salsas for a more acidic taste. Canned tomatillos are available in ethnic markets. Tomatillos are rich in vitamin A and contain a good amount of vitamin C.

Tomato - the fleshy fruit of the Lycopersicon esculentum, a vine native to South America and a member of the nightshade family; used like a vegetable, tomatoes are available in a range of sizes, from tiny spheres (currant tomatoes) to large squat ones (beefsteak tomatoes) and colors, from green (unripe) to golden yellow to ruby red.

Water Chestnut - the fruit of a water plant (genus Trapa) native to Southeast Asia; has a brownish-black skin, ivory to tan flesh, crisp texture and slightly sweet, nutty flavor; used in various Asian cuisines.

Watermelon - the fruit of a water plant (genus Trapa) native to Southeast Asia; has a brownish-black skin, ivory to tan flesh, crisp texture and slightly sweet, nutty flavor; used in various Asian cuisines.

Xoconostle - Mexican for Prickly Pear.