Fruits and Vegetables tips:

1. Sweet Ideas for Overripe Bananas
Don't throw away overripe bananas. Peel them, place in a zip-top plastic bag, and freeze. You can add more bananas to the bag, and when you have enough, thaw at room temperature until softened, and make banana bread. Or whirl the frozen fruit in the blender to make a delicious smoothie.

2. Plumping Up Dried Fruit
To plump up dried fruit, place in small pan, cover with water or wine, and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes.

3. Keep Cut Fruit From Browning
Dip cut pieces of apple in pineapple juice or a mixture of lemon juice and water. Toss sliced bananas in a mixture of 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of water.

4. Baking With Berries
To keep berries from sinking to the bottom of baked products, toss them with flour, coating well, before adding to the batter.

5. Make Frosted Cranberries
Frosted cranberries add a pretty, festive touch to holiday parties. Brush the berries lightly with thawed egg substitute and then toss them with granulated sugar. After they dry, they can be arranged to garnish platters of turkey or meat.

6. Limp Vegetables and Herbs
Restore crispness to limp salad greens by placing them in ice water and refrigerating up to 1 hour. Drain well, wrap greens in paper towels, and refrigerate in plastic bags at least 4 hours.

Fresh herbs wilted? Just snip the lower stems and place the bunch in a glass of cold water. Loosely cover the leaves with a plastic bag, and chill in the refrigerator. They will perk up in no time.

7. Chopping Basil
Make quick work of slicing fresh basil by rolling up a small bunch of leaves and snipping it into shreds with kitchen shears. To chop it, snip the shreds crosswise.

8. Bitter-Tasting Eggplant
If eggplant tastes bitter, salt it and let it sit on a wire cooling rack for about 20 minutes to extract bitter juices. Peeling will also help reduce the bitterness.

9. Overcooked Vegetables
Vegetables overcooked? Try turning them into a casserole. Just mix the veggies with some cooked rice or pasta, place in a casserole dish, and top with some grated cheese. Heat and serve. Another option is to puree the veggies, add chicken stock or tomato sauce, and turn them into a soup.

10. How to 'Pit' an Avocado
Slice all the way around the pit and through both ends of the fruit with knife. Then twist the halves in opposite directions, and pull them apart. Tap the pit sharply with the knife, and twist the blade to lift the pit out.