Photo: Anna Monette Roberts I'll admit to using several of these words interchangeably on a regular basis. For the longest time, I thought that if mashed-up fruit came in a jar, it was essentially all the same thing. But as it turns out, there is a difference between jam and jelly, and preserves and fruit butters. Upon learning what those differences are, I realized why I am typically drawn to Read more

A healthy gut is a happy gut. To keep your intestinal tract in optimal working order, it needs lots of "good" bacteria — no, that is not an oxymoron! There are only three types of basic bacteria in our digestive systems, so boosting the "friendly bacteria" with probiotics can help balance the pH of the intestinal tract, creating a less desirable environment for pathogenic bacteria (the bad Read more

You may not consider guavas to be a Winter fruit, but guess again. This tropical jewel has a long, luxurious season that kicks off in November and lasts until April. While guavas are native to Mexico and Central and South America, luckily for us, they're widely cultivated on the West Coast and Florida. Guavas are sweet and fruity with an enticing floral nature that keeps us coming back for Read more

Quince is one of those fruits that still manages to mystify us. Despite the fruit's rich history, up until recently, it was nearly forgotten! But lucky for us, lovers of the fruit have called for the revival. They've been coined the "quintessential slow food"; when eaten raw, the flavor of quince is rather displeasing, but once you cook one of these beauties up, a sweet aromatic scent fills the Read more

There's no better way to celebrate Spring than with fresh fruit cocktails. But if your farmers market still isn't turning up Spring berries, or you don't have ripe stone fruits on hand, there's another way to incorporate nature's candy into your cocktails: try stirring in your favorite homemade or artisanal jam. I can't take credit for this ingenious idea — it comes from Madam Geneva, a Read more

Are you a sucker for a morning glass of orange juice? Or do you prefer to eat an orange instead? Oranges are packed with vitamin C, the little miracle vitamin that helps protect against immune system deficiencies and cardiovascular disease. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends a daily intake of 75mg of vitamin C each day for women, and 90 mg per day for men. To get an idea of how Read more

The old adage "An apple a day keeps the doctor away" seems to be true. This common fruit is a powerhouse when it comes to nutrition. Here are five facts to ensure this fruit becomes the apple of your eye. Apples are in season now and they are a relatively inexpensive fruit. Plus they don't lose much of the nutritional punch if they are stored for long periods of time, making them a perfect Read more