What can I say about this quintessential summer fruit? Watermelon is a favorite at picnics and family gatherings. It is tasty fruit that is also healthy for you. But make sure that you choose the watermelon that is perfect for you.

Watermelon comes in many varieties. There are icebox watermelons and mini watermelons and seedless watermelons and yellow watermelons. They grow in a long oval shape most of the time but can be round like a cantaloupe. The outer rind can be of a deep green color or striped light and dark green.

How do you choose a watermelon? I’ve never been quite sure how to tell a good watermelon from a bad one. That whole thumping thing never quite worked for me. I didn’t know what I was doing. They say that if you thump a watermelon and hear a hollow sound then it is a good watermelon. By good, I mean sweeter than sweet. I don’t know what those other guys mean.

Anyway, the experts say that you can tell if the watermelon is ripe if the underside is yellow. That will let you know how long it sat on the ground. A rind that is shiny and smooth is a good indicator of a healthy ripe watermelon. Also, avoid melons that have soft spots, bruises, splits, or any kind of fluid leaking out.

Now for the tasty part; Watermelons can stay at room temperature for a week with no problem. When you cut it, put it in the refrigerator and cover with plastic wrap.

After consuming so many of the fruits, it is conceivable that you will have some left over. You are in luck here. Peaches are popular in all sorts of recipes.

Let’s start with dessert. If you plan on baking your fruits, say in a pie or tart, choose freestone peaches. A freestone peach is one whose flesh separates easily from the pit in the center. A peach grower will know the difference between freestone peaches and clingstone peaches—one that is harder to separate from the center seed.

Peaches can be enjoyed at breakfast in the form of preserves and jams. Instead of paying three bucks at the store, you can make your own fruit jams at home. A softer peach is easier to manage and juicier. Hard peaches aren’t usually very tasty.

Peaches can be sliced up for cereal. It always looks so appetizing on the cereal boxes when they show them pouring milk over a bowlful of flakes topped with fresh peaches. Peaches are good on oatmeal and Cream of Wheat hot cereals. Don’t waste those peaches; put them to good use.

The fuzzy favorite is a big hit in Georgia. Their soft flesh and yellowish color make them a popular spring addition. From North Carolina to Georgia, you can find them at fruit stands during the spring and summer.

If the fuzz bothers you, peel your peach to enjoy nothing but the sweet interior. Where do you think they get the term they apply to a baby’s downy hair? Peaches hold the highest honors in the southern United States.

Peaches are bought in pint size baskets. If you happen to get your hands on some big ones, there will be none left if you turn your back. The best peach is the one you bite into that lets the juice run down your chin.

Take a good look at those peaches before claiming them. One good thing about farmer’s markets and roadside stands is that you get to pick up and inspect the fruit. Stores usually buy fruits that are pre-packaged which make it hard to see all sides.

Avoid peaches that have soft spots and blemishes. Small holes in the fruit can mean that they sat on the ground and became the new home of a worm or two. The last thing you want to do is bite into a peach that is already occupied. What is worse than finding a worm in your peach? Why, finding half a worm in your peach of course.

Cherries, as you have probably figured out, make a good snack just as they are. They keep well in a cool dry place on the counter. But, after a couple of weeks, they will start to get soft and mushy. Mushy fruit is not good to eat.

There are a couple of things that you can do if you find yourself with surplus cherries. Consider baking a pie. Cherry pie is a favorite at church socials, county fairs, and backyard cookouts. For those diehard cherry lovers you can add a few extra cherries since you have so many. If you want them to last a really long time, put them in a fruitcake.

For a sweet or tart twist on your favorite salad, cut up a few ripe cherries and throw them on top. Cherries are appropriate on top of yogurt with a bit of granola thrown in for fiber. Speaking of toppers, cherries can be used in a glaze and drizzled on top of a piece of New York cheesecake. For fizzy drinks, float a few cherries in them as a garnish. When we were young, they used to serve cherries as a garnish for Shirley Temple drinks.

Use these suggestions and others you may have heard to avoid throwing away extra cherries.

Spring means the beginning of fresh fruit. Each fruit has its time when it is at the peak of freshness. Cherries are just one of those fruits. You can find them at farmer’s markets and fresh in the grocery store.

There are three main kinds of cherries: Bing, Lambert, and Rainier. I hear people talking about Bing cherries mostly. My sister absolutely loves fresh cherries. She eats them like candy. It’s a good thing that they are healthy to eat!

A good cherry has a deep red color. The skin will be shiny and smooth like it was wet, but it really isn’t. If you rub the skin, it won’t wrinkle up. The fruit itself should be firm to the touch with no breaks in the skin. The cherry will stay firm longer as long as the stem is still attached.

Cherries can be sweet or tart. I don’t like anything that is tart, so I would prefer the sweet ones. When you finish eating them, you can try to tie the stem in a knot with your tongue.

The one thing about visiting the farmer’s market is that your eyes are bigger than your refrigerator and your stomach. The fruit looks so delicious that it is not easy to leave with only a small bag of a fruit like cherries. So, you may find yourself with a surplus of cherries after you have tried to eat several handfuls in one or two sittings.

There is no such thing as having too many lemons. In the kitchen, lemons have additional uses. Take half a lemon and sprinkle the juice on a piece of baked fish to mask the odor of fish in the household. I love to eat Alaskan salmon, but I don’t like how my kitchen smells. Lemon juice rubbed on apple slices will keep them from browning.

Use lemon juice to flavor sauces for pasta. Add some lemon to your Alfredo sauce for a different taste. My mother loves the taste of lemon in most all of her food. Zest some lemon rind over vegetables like green beans and asparagus.

Now, I did say that the lemon has many uses around the house and that includes ones that don’t include eating them. If you just happen to find a lemon hanging around that you forgot about and you don’t want to take a chance on eating it, use it to clean up after yourself.

Lemons are a great way to freshen the entire household. They remove stains and less than pleasant odors from hands. Drop a lemon half into the garbage disposal to remove any unpleasant smells. Many cleaners contain that essence of lemon because it is such a powerful cleaner with a pleasant smell. Whether for eating or for cleaning, lemons are useful.

This is a unique yellow fruit that has been around for a long time. Lemons can be found all year round but their season is mainly from April to July. If you’ve got a lemon, you have a handy fruit that can be used all around the house.

Lemons were originally native to Asia. They are a zesty and sour fruit. Most people don’t eat them as a snack because of their jaw-pursing quality. That is except for my niece who loves all fruit and will eat a lemon down to the rind. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Lemons are mainly used as a drink. The most refreshing drink on a sunny day is lemonade. Fresh squeezed lemonade is easy to make. The taste of lemonade can be accented with some strawberries, blueberries, or other fruit. The juice of a lemon provides the flavoring for cakes and other desserts. The rind of the lemon can be candied to use as treats for kids or a garnish for ice cream.

Examine your lemons. The best ones are smooth with a skin that is not too thick. Lemons with thick skins mean that there is less flesh and therefore less juice inside. Put back any small lemons or lemons with a bumpy skin. The heavier it is the more juice is concealed inside.