If you want citrus for juicing, tangelo is the one. Unlike an orange, there is very little of the membranous skin inside the fruit, so it's virtually all juice. While that's great for making juice because the fruits nearly juice themselves, it's not so great if you want to quarter one and snack on it. They're so juicy they get very messy after you've cut into them.

This goes for kalo or poi, but we just got into adding both to our fruit smoothies, and it's been a game-changer. The smoothies are more filling, keep you satiated longer, and kalo and poi go SO well with banana, blueberry, pineapple, or whatever your fave smoothie ingredients are. I've also been enjoying a simple kalo smoothie with coconut meat, goat's milk, and banana. Easy, delicious, and so dang nutritious.

ALSO - The 'Ulu Co-op's pre-cooked, frozen taro chunks make this even easier! (available in the online store)

I promise this one isn't (quite) as dumb or redundant as it sounds. I'm not here to shame any iceberg lettuce fans or anyone who calls a pile of lettuce and sliced tomato a salad. I'm just here to present you with a few more options. One way you can give your basic salad a little texture and nutrition boost while bulking it up is to add some new greens! My favorites lately are won bok (Napa cabbage) and kale. Slice your won bok into lovely little ribbons and fluff it into your regular salad greens. It adds a bit of that mustardy-cabbagey flavor and lots of delicate, crisp texture. Plus, all the texture on the leaves acts like little dressing pockets. For kale, remove the stems and massage the chopped greens with a pinch of salt before adding your other ingredients. Kale also gives a nice mustardy flavor, a little volume, and an excellent hearty texture.

We recommend slicing your bread as soon as you get it home and storing half of it (or more/less) in an airtight bag in the freezer. When you bring out a few slices to use, it will thaw to the perfectly bouncy, chewy texture of a fresh loaf. Or, if you're impatient (like me), throw the frozen slices right in a pan and toast for a quick fix!

We know, it sounds counterintuitive, but freezing your fresh bread is the best way to keep it, well... fresh! Bread that doesn't contain preservatives can lose its softness and develop mold pretty fast (especially here, in the tropics). And sometimes, you can't eat an entire loaf before the freshness starts to fade.

To get the most juice out of every lilikoʻi, remove all the fruit pulp and seeds and freeze it before juicing. Freezing breaks down the cell walls and causes the liquid to release from the pulp, producing a higher yield when juiced.

Everyone has tried to eat a rubbery avocado. You know, you were sure it was ripe and ready to eat, and yet... bleh, so close. The next time you check your avos for ripeness, CHECK THE BOTTOM. They ripen from the top down, so the bottom of the fruit will be the last place to get soft. If the top is soft, but the bottom is still firm, WAIT.

Also, it helps to know whether or not your avocado is a thick or thin-skinned variety. Thin-skinned varieties, like Sharwil and Malama Ki, are easy to tell when they're ripe and soft. Thick-skinned varieties, like Yamagata and Green Gold, have a shell-like exterior and will not give as easily when pressure is applied. You have to apply more pressure with these; if they give a little, they should be ready to open.

More like katsu, everyone! Who doesn't love something crispy and deep-fried? Next time you're craving good katsu, try adding some sliced lion's mane mushroom alongside your pork or chicken cutlets. Slice the Lion's Mane so they're a nice thickness (1/4-1/2-inch) and prepare just like your normal katsu. The fabulous pull-apart texture of Lion's Mane is so much like cooked pork and chicken it'll be a fun spin on a old favorite.

We all love mac and cheese, but sometimes it's nice to know we're getting some nutrition with all that cheesy goodness. Try subbing a portion of the pasta with pan-roasted cauliflower florets (maybe it's roasted with olive oil, maybe it's butter, who's to say?). Add the roasted cauliflower to your pasta and cheese sauce and finish cooking. If you're obsessed with greens, like me, stir in a bunch of steamed spinach or kale when you add the cauliflower. : )

If you've ever had a jar of honey in your cupboard for a while, you know what "crunchy" honey is. This process that causes to change honey from smooth and liquid to crunchy and solid is called "crystallization". This solidification happens as the sugars in honey begin to crystallize. It is a perfectly normal and natural process that all honey will go through eventually, some at faster rates than others. But, if you don't love this texture in your honey, just place your honey jar in a warm water bath to make it smooth again.

Some folks prefer the solid nature of crystallized honey because it's not as messy or drippy as liquid honey. But they're both delicious!

Pumpkins and winter squash continue to develop their sugars after being harvested. They are sweetest after about a month if left in a cool, dark place.

Did your 'ulu turn into pudding overnight? It happens and it is often a glorious accident. 'Ulu will continue to ripen, just like a banana, as its starches turn into sugars. What your left with is a very soft, sweet, pulp.

Scoop the soft fruit out of the skin and place in a blender. Puree until smooth. Now you've got a sweet, guava-flavored batter to add into just about any recipe that relies on a batter - cake, cupcakes, muffins, pancakes, waffles, doughnuts, doughnut holes, etc. Depending on the recipe you can start by subbing 50% of the flour called for with the 'ulu batter, and use appx 25% less liquid.

This pureed pulp will also keep in the fridge for a week (FYI it will oxidize (turn brown) but will still be great).

I love Mammea because it's one of the least messy fruits to eat. You want your fruit to have just a slight softness to the skin when you squeeze it, but it'll still be pretty firm. The easiest way to eat it is like an orange. Quarter the fruit (watch out for the giant seeds), and then peel back the skin with it's white membrane so all that's left is the beautiful yellow-orange flesh and chow down. The texture is firm and crunchy, not juicy, with an excellent citrus flavor. They're really good with something rich and creamy, like yogurt.

Veggies add bulk, texture and flavor to thick, hearty sauces and chilis. These are great dishes to pack with those veggie scraps you need to use up. If you're making a marinara-type sauce, roast up some zucchini, carrots, eggplant or peppers with your tomatoes and garlic. If you're making a meat-based sauce, sub minced vegetables like zucchini and eggplant for half of the ground meat. Sauté these with your onions, garlic and meat and continue your recipe as usual. Done and delicious!

For the best texture, place your shredded or cut mushrooms in an unoiled hot pan. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. The heat will help remove some of the water that can make mushrooms seem mushy, creating a firmer, chewier texture. (You can also sprinkle some salt as they "dry fry" to help pull out even more moisture and really concentrate the flavor and texture.)

If refrigerated, your carton of fresh eggs can last about a month, if not more. To make sure you're still working with good quality, crack each egg, one at a time, into a small bowl before adding it to your pan or recipe. A good egg will still have a firm yolk and no strong, bad smell. Eggs can be naturally gamey-smelling, but a rotten egg is pretty unmistakable.

If you don't want to rush to use your 'ulu before it gets soft, quarter and steam it right away. I don't even peel mine, the skin is so thin you won't even know it's there. Once it's steamed, pop it in the fridge and it will keep for a week.

Wait! Don't throw out those juicy, flavorful pineapple skins!

Before you cut up you pineapple, scrub the outside really well wish soap and water, especially the top and bottom. Trim all the skin off as you normally would and put it in a small sauce pan (or larger depending on how much pineapple skin you have) and just barely cover it with water. Bring it to a simmer for 15-20 mins, then strain all the water off and compost the skins. Tah dah! Pineapple tea! There's still so much juice and flavor left in the skins, it's a shame to waste them and this quick, easy step gets you little more bang for your buck.

If you like yours a little sweeter, throw in a bit a brown sugar after straining, while the tea is still warm.

Mix with lemonade, add some fresh mint or basil and enjoy!

If you're doing a quick, simple pasta dish, here's our go-to method for "greening" it up:
Once your pasta water is boiling, add a generous pinch of salt. Start your pasta cooking. Rinse a bag of spinach. When pasta is almost done (3 mins to go), stir in the spinach with the pasta and cover. When the pasta is done cooking, strain it all in a colander
Tah dah! You've got steamed spinach mixed in with your pasta and are ready to go!

Lemon and lime season can feel like a feast or famine; loads one day and gone the next. You can juice several pounds at a time and freeze the juice in ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop all the citrus cubes in a freezer-safe container and save it for the off-season. Each cube is about serving size, making quick lemonade and delicious cocktails!

Like storing greens, the key is to keep excess moisture off while giving room to breathe but not dry out. Store them in the fridge, in a lidded container lined with a bit of cloth, paper towel, or a paper bag to wick moisture away. The lidded container will help prevent drying out too much.