بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

As-Salaamu ‘Alaikum Beautiful and Health-Conscious Black Sisters!

I know Summer is nearly over, but I went to the store the other day and walked past some cantaloupe that smelled so good, that I couldn’t just walk past and NOT buy any. And I had not even planned on buying ANY fruit, but I’ve learned that if you walk past a fruit and the smell just pops out at you – BUY IT!!!

I GUARANTEE you are not going to be disappointed.

You always want to select the sweetest, juiciest and most flavorful of all the fruit that are being offered, so as with anything else, before you make your final selection, Ask Allah!

He DELIGHTS in coming to our aid. He DELIGHTS in Guiding Us IN EVERYTHING WE DO. Make use of your Divine Resource, Sisters. He Helps Me With EVERYTHING. Every LITTLE thing. Even if it is something as trivial as, “SHOULD I READ THIS BOOK FIRST OR THE OTHER ONE?”

I have learned that it is always BEST to seek Allah’s Guidance in EVERY STEP YOU TAKE. If you take the wrong step, you will have strayed from The Path of Allah and everything you do after it will be wrong. But All Praises Are Due To Allah! All You Have To Do Is Say “Astagfirullah” (“Allah Forgive Me.”) And you can continue back on the Right Path.

Can you imagine what the world would be like if EVERYONE sought Allah’s Guidance in everything we do?

We would all live in UNITY and HARMONY and PEACE in submission to the Will of Allah. This is the NATURE of the Black Nation and ALL of Allah’s Creations, but we have an enemy that was NOT Created by The God of the Nation and they have made mischief and caused bloodshed the entire duration of their time on our Planet. I am referring to the white devil Caucasian race.

Allah is going to destroy them so that we can once again live in peace and harmony, but if we want to survive the destruction we must be one who submits to the Will of Allah. And we must begin now – before the destruction comes – to show that we are qualified to live in the next life. We have to prove our worthiness here and now – in this life.

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad (May the Peace and the Blessings of Allah Forever Be Upon Him) Taught Us In How To Eat To Live that:

“Fruit is good for us. We should eat plenty fruits.”

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Here are some useful tips when selecting fruit.

#1 RULE – SMELL IT

If you smell it when you walk into the produce section – BUY IT!

I would say, even when you walk past it, if you smell it – BUY IT!

I always only buy the fruit that I smell. But if it is something that you just have to have:

SMELL IT – SQUEEZE IT – ASK ALLAH – SELECT IT.

Whenever selecting fresh fruits and vegetables, don’t be afraid to LOOOOOOK. INSPECT EACH ONE METICULOUSLY BEFORE YOU PUT IT IN YOUR BAG. You know you are going to inspect it again before you eat it, and you don’t want any surprises. Check for signs of decay, bruises, soft spots and insect holes. If it is packaged and can be opened, open the package and inspect its contents fastidiously. Perfection is perfectly attainable if you refuse to settle for anything less.

WATERMELON

Tap with four closed-fingers and listen for hollowness. If it sounds and feels like it’s empty on the inside – it’s good.

I’ll never forget returning from the farmer’s market, when my son, who was very little at the time, accidentally dropped a watermelon. And to my utter delight, it was YELLOW on the inside! I had never seen a yellow watermelon before and didn’t even know they existed. But according to Wisegeek, yellow and even white varieties of watermelon are even more ancient than the red! Watermelon are native to Africa. This explains why Black People in America are so fond of them.

Don’t be afraid to purchase fruit for your family, INSTEAD OF JUNK! Your children can only eat what you buy. Stay out of those aisles and SHOP THE “U”. Fill your refrigerator with fruits and seeds (The shelled kind are cleaner. Master Fard Muhammad, to Whom Praises are Due Forever, was eating sunflower seeds when I met HIM, so they are my snack of choice). Stop buying chips, cookies and NEVER EAT NUTS. Fruits are delicious, versatile AND all good. Feed your family foods that will give life and not take life away.

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CANTALOUPE, ORANGES, HONEYDEW AND ANY FRUIT WITH A “NAVEL”

Smell The Navel. If it emits a powerful smell, it’s good. The stronger the smell, the better the fruit. If you don’t smell anything, it’s probably not going to be any good. Keep looking. And always ask Allah.

If you’re interested, I had a friend who swore that honeydew are a well-kept beauty secret among devils. I haven’t tested this theory, but they taste good enough to try. 😉 If you are up to the challenge, comment and let us know what you find.

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MANGOES

Mangoes are overwhelmingly the #1 choice fruit in the world. But you would be surprised to learn how many Black people have never tasted them. They are becoming more common among Black people, now that the street vendors are offering them. But if you want to purchase your own from the store, the first thing to look for before you even pick it up and squeeze it, is color. You want a fruit that is a combination of red and orange as in the picture. Honestly, I have never even seen a mango that looks like these pictured above. They usually have some green in them too. More like these:

I would pick up the two on the bottom left – the one in the center first. Feel its firmness, then remove the stem stub, if necessary, and smell the location where I just removed the stub.

When you squeeze it, you want it to yield but not feel so soft that it’s mushy. It should be firm but not hard. Visualize how it will react when you slice into it. Same thing with Kiwi. I remember when Kiwi first started gaining popularity. Everybody went crazy because of its aesthetic interior. As a result, it became the fruit of choice for fruit salads. But after buying them as an adult I realized, I don’t like them, so I stopped buying them, much to my son’s disappointment! He LOVED them. That’s when I learned that I can’t just buy what I like. I have to buy what he likes too. That was new to me. Sisters, learn your family’s preferences and buy the foods that they like too.

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Bananas depend on personal preference. Some people, like my grandmother, like them Black. I have found that the ones offered on the regular shelf are never ripe enough. The stores want you to buy them like that and make you wait for them to ripen when you get home. That’s greedy capitalism and not practical for us at all. You want to eat them when you get home! The good ones are the ones that have been marked down, they are usually the perfect ripeness. But because there is such a stigma attached to buying the “marked down” foods that I feel funny buying those. It looks like I can’t afford the regular priced ones. pffffff. Not after writing this. 😉

*A caution about bananas. If you eat too many they can cause constipation. I LOVED them as a child. I would eat them all day. I still remember putting the stickers on my forehead. LOL But I was always constipated. I didn’t think anything of it because I was young and children are not easily affected by things like that. I wasn’t, anyway. Not too long ago, my son asked me to make him some cooked carrots. I never liked them so I had never made them. But since he asked, I made them and he became constipated. So, I researched them and learned that both cooked carrots and bananas can cause constipation. So, eat them in moderation. And especially, if you are feeding them to your babies.

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CHERRIES

Another one of my favorite fruits, and unfortunately the most expensive. I think cherries were the inspiration for the popular saying among Black People: “The Darker the Berry, the Sweeter the Juice.”  Pick the dark ones.

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PERSIMMONS

Delicious firm or soft, but I have never had one that wasn’t sweet.

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STRAWBERRIES

I never really cared for strawberries until I was in the hospital giving birth to my daughter. It was the last day in May and they gave me the BEST strawberries I had ever tasted. I made everybody who came to visit take one. They were absolutely delectable! Ever since then I’ve bought them every Summer and ALWAYS if I smell them.

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BLUEBERRIES/BLACKBERRIES/RASPBERRIES

I don’t really like berries (except strawberries) unless I’m making something else and using them for added flavor. However, blueberries are my son’s favorite fruit. So, I buy them for him. I usually just let him taste one. But be cautious because it seems as if berries spoil faster than other fruits, so be sure and check for spoilage before you buy them.

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APPLES

So many different varieties! Apples are renown for their health benefits and since apple season is approaching, wisdom dictates taking advantage of their added nutrients!

If you need help in deciding which kind you prefer at the moment, ask Allah for confirmation and then look for perfection. Smell each one and inspect them loooooking for any bruises, soft spots and insect holes. Always cut the skin off. It just tastes better. 😉

To get an idea and be better informed of the thousands of different varieties of apple, click here.

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PEARS

 Next to apples, pears are probably the most variegated fruit you’ll find in the grocery store. I prefer the crunchiness of Bosc. But if your palette demands something soft and juicier, go with Bartlett. Smell. Squeeze. Inspect. Ask Allah. Select. I found this interesting article on the many different varieties of pears.

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PLUMS

Plums are another fruit that my son loves that I don’t care for. Different people have different preferences. Some people, like my son, prefer tangy/tart flavors. So, I buy plums for him. They also come in different varieties and can be good firm or soft. I used to squeeze and mash them almost, before I ate them to make them really soft. I always just ask Allah, when decided which ones to purchase – red or black – or whatnot. After that I just look for bruises and soft spots, always seeking perfection.

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PINEAPPLES

If you don’t smell them when you walk past, don’t buy them. Pineapples have a very strong smell. You should be able to smell them as soon as you enter the produce section. Look for a yellow hue. Smell the bottom. Remove the leaves before you buy, if it is being sold by the pound. This will bring the cost down. Pineapples are my favorite fruit (along with mangoes) so, I did a little additional research on them and found this:

“The two features to watch for when selecting a pineapple are ripeness and deterioration. Ripeness is indicated by a bright yellow/gold color on the skin that at the very least should be present on the eyes around the base of the fruit. Though industry literature states that a fully ripe pineapple may be entirely green, ”mature green,” it is also true that it may not be ripe.

“Buying a fully green pineapple is risky. The stem end of the fruit has the highest sugar content and is the ripest portion. The higher up that yellow color goes, the more evenly a pineapple will be flavored. That color, plus a pleasant, mild pineapple aroma at the base are the best guides to ripeness. The surface of the pineapple should be firm and gently yielding to the touch. The ability to pull a leaf from the crown proves nothing about ripeness, despite the enduring popularity of that myth.

“Deterioration is marked by a wrinkled skin, a cushiony softness and an aroma of fermentation that suggests vinegar or acetone. An overripe pineapple may be green or a reddish bronze color. Other negative signs are leakage, mold, cracks, gumminess or softness, and brown, withered leaves. All pineapple is sprayed with a fungicide that dries the leaves somewhat, but they should remain fairly green and bright.”

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GRAPES

It is common enough and common sense enough to just open the bag and taste one. I know stores don’t like it, and I don’t like eating them without washing them, but one won’t hurt much, and I don’t care what the store employees nor the owners think because they are not the one who is going to be mad when I get home and taste them and find that they are sour.

As far as variety, I prefer Black grapes, but as long as they are sweet, that’s all that really matters. And if you really want a treat – FREEZE THEM. 😉

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PEACHES

I prefer nectarines to peaches, but my son likes peaches. Again, always smell them. You should be able to smell them as soon as you enter the produce section. Firm or soft? Depends on your preference. But sometimes peaches can be soft and dry on the inside, which unfortunately, you won’t know until you bite into it.

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NECTARINES

I like nectarines that look just like this. They used to come really huge in the nineties. Now, I can’t find those big crunchy and juicy ones. They should be kind of bumpy and textured with spots, like the one on the far right. The harder the better. I used to LOVE biting into one of the big hard crunchy ones, but I fainted one day and fell and messed up my front tooth, so now I have to cut them. It’s just not the same. 😦

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LEMONS

The fruit I am never without, but still haven’t figured out how to pick. I am starting to feel for softness, because the juice is what you want, so they have to be squeezable. Skin thickness doesn’t really seem to be a factor in juiciness, neither size. But, since soda is not good for you and my son and I cannot agree on juice, I just buy lemons and make lemonade with honey, which we both love. We also eat a lot of fish and they are indispensable for seasoning fish.

HERE IS WHAT OUR BELOVED MESSENGER – THE HONORABLE ELIJAH MUHAMMAD (MAY THE PEACE AND THE BLESSINGS OF ALLAH FOREVER BE UPON HIM) WROTE CONCERNING FRUIT IN HOW TO EAT TO LIVE

“FRUITS – Fruits are all good and best for our consumption in their natural state. Fruits should never be cooked to get the better value out of them for our health. Fruits should be eaten raw and not cooked. The drying of fruits is only for preservation so that it can be eaten later but not with the value that it contained when it was fresh.”