FRUITS are usually at their best when served ripe and in season; however, a few cannot be taken in their raw state, and still others are rendered more easy of digestion by cooking. The methods employed are stewing and baking. Fruit should be cooked in earthen or granite ware utensils, and silver or wooden spoons should be employed for stirring. It must be remembered that all fruits contain one or more acids, and when exposed to air and brought in contact with an iron or tin surface, a poisonous compound may be formed.

How To Prepare Strawberries For Serving

1. Pick over strawberries, place in colander, pour over cold water, drain thoroughly, hull, and turn into dish. Serve with powdered sugar and cream.

2. Pick over selected strawberries, place in colander, pour over cold water, and drain thoroughly. Press powdered sugar into cordial glasses. Remove from glasses on centres of fruit plates. Arrange twelve berries around each mound of sugar. Berries served in this way should not be hulled.

How To Prepare Cantaloupes And Muskmelons For Serving

Canteloupes and muskmelons should be very ripe and thoroughly chilled in ice box before being prepared for serving. Wipe melons, - if small, cut in halves lengthwise; if larger, cut in sections, and remove seeds and stringy portion. If one-half is served as a portion, put in cavity one tablespoon crushed ice. Serve with salt or powdered sugar.

How To Prepare Grapes For Serving

Put bunches in colander and pour over cold water, drain, chill, and arrange on serving dish. Imperfect grapes, as well as those under-ripe or over-ripe, should be removed. Garnish with grape leaves, if at hand.

"Ways of Preparing Oranges for Serving

1. Wipe orange and cut in halves crosswise. Place one-half on a fruit plate, having an orange spoon or teaspoon on plate at right of fruit.

2. Peel an orange and remove as much of the white portion as possible. Remove pulp by sections, which may be accomplished by using a sharp knife and cutting pulp from tough portion first on one side of section, then on the other. Should there be any white portion of skin remaining on pulp it should be cut off. Arrange sections on glass dish or fruit plate. If the orange is a seeded one, remove seeds.

3. Remove peel from an orange in such a way that there remains a one-half inch band of peel equal distance from stem and blossom end. Cut band, separate sections, and arrange around a mould of sugar.

How To Prepare Grape Fruit For Serving

Wipe grape fruit and cut in halves crosswise. With a small, sharp-pointed knife make a cut separating pulp from skin around entire circumference; then make cuts separating pulp from tough portion which divides fruit into sections. Remove tough portion in one piece, which may be accomplished by one cutting with scissors at stem or blossom end close to skin. Sprinkle fruit pulp left in grape fruit skin generously with sugar. Let stand ten minutes, and serve very cold. Place on fruit plate and garnish with a candied cherry.