To peel a banana like a pro, do it like the monkeys. Hold the banana stem side down and pinch the top firmly with your fingertips until it tears. Pull back on the peel...and presto, a ready to eat banana is revealed. The still intact stem creates a nice handle and there is no fumbling or prompting to get the last bit out. It just happens easily and naturally. Even better, the monkey method of peeling from the non-stem end means those nasty, stringy bits are a thing of the past.

Don't be afraid of picking up nectarines that have a nice array of spots - not of the brown rotten variety, but of the beautiful blushing type.  These sugar spots mean the nectarine had the privilege of growing on the outer side of the branch and as a result received a good dose of sunshine and sweetness. To put it simply, sun = sugar = sweet nectarines.

No, it is not residue pesticide! That white powdery finish found on blueberries is actually a sign of freshness.  The white stuff (called the bloom) is the blueberry's natural protection against the sun and if you can see it, it means the berries have been picked in nice, dry conditions.  Blueberries with this dusty white bloom will be firm and plump instead of soft and squishy.  They will also have a greater shelf life.