APPLES A large selection of apples increases store sales, but might overwhelm consumers... which means that instead of trying new varieties, shoppers continue to buy the "tried and true" varieties they have always bought. Because so many apple varieties are available, produce clerks can help consumers with purchasing decisions. Apples vary not only in appearance, but also in taste, texture and how they are best used. This course provides information on how to handle and store apples properly, as well as how to answer consumer questions about different apple varieties.   Course duration: 1 hour

AVOCADOS The avocado is native to Central and South America. Today they are commercially cultivated in tropical and Mediterranean climates throughout the world. Avocados have gained in popularity and health experts praise them for their wide range of health benefits. Their rich and creamy texture make them ideal for a variety of recipes. Avocados are also known as the Alligator Pear, which reflects it's shape and the leather-like appearance of its skin. This course contains the necessary facts to care and maintain the quality of avocados. We will also present information that allows you to be a resource for the customers when they have questions. Course Duration: 1 hour

BANANAS Bananas are one of the oldest cultivated fruits. They are grown throughout the tropics, and are the most sold fruit in food retail stores. This means that food retailers continually have a fairly sizable supply of bananas on display and in storage at all times. This course provides information on how to keep all this fruit at its best by storing, handling, ripening and displaying them correctly. Since bananas are so popular, consumers may approach you with a variety of questions. This course also provides information that will help you answer some of these questions. Course duration: 45 mins

BEANS AND PODS The legume, pea or bean family is a large and economically important family that is the third-largest land plant family in terms of species, with over 19,400. It contains a number of important food plants, including soybeans, beans and peas. The only pod in this course not belonging to this family is okra. This course contains the information needed to keep them looking good from arrival until they go out the door in a customer's cart. Course duration: 45  mins

BERRIES In botanical language, a berry is a simple fruit having seeds and pulp. But many fruits commonly referred to as berries do not meet the scientific definition. These can fall into one of several categories including drupes, pomes, aggregates, multiples and accessory fruits. This course covers a wide variety of what most people consider berries, regardless of their scientific definition. And you will see what specific requirements they need while residing the in produce department. Course Duration: 1 hour

BLUEBERRIES With flavors ranging from mildly sweet to tart and tangy, the North American blueberry is bursting with flavor. And this berry has lots of cousins worldwide. In Europe, a nearly identical cousin is called the bilberry or European blueberry. There is also the huckleberry, winberry and hurtleberry. But whichever cousin to the North American blueberry you use, these little powerhouses are big on taste and big on nutrients. This course contains the information you need to supply consumers with great looking and tasting blueberries during the peak growing season as well as the berries that are imported at other times. They will look so inviting that consumers won't be able to resist them. Course Duration: 30 mins

  CABBAGES The Brassicaceae family is a medium sized and economically important group of flowering plants. They are informally known as the mustards, crucifers or the cabbage family. Within this family is the species Brassica oleracea. It contains ten of the most common crucieferous vegetables eaten by people today and establishes these vegetables as a very important human food source. This course gives you the information you need to maintain the quality of these vegetables from the time they arrive at the store until they are wheeled out the door. You will also learn tips and guidelines that you can relay to your customers so they can get the most from these vegetables.     Cabbages Topics: All About Cabbage Vegetables Cabbage Vegetable Facts Course Duration: 30 mins

CHERRIES The cherry is a stone fruit (drupe) related to plums, peaches and nectarines. They are one of the true seasonal fruits with a very short growing season that peaks in the summer. Peak seasons may vary a bit around the world with Australia in late December, southern Europe and North America in June, British Columbia, Canada July to mid-August, and the United Kingdom mid July. They are very popular with customers and part of this may be due to the short time they are available, about three months out of the year. This course presents the information you require to keep cherries at their peak and looking great before those customers snatch them off the shelves while the supplies last. Course Duration: 1 hour

CITRUS Citrus is a common term and genus for a flowering plant that orginated in the tropical and subtropical southeast Asia. The plants are large evergreen shrubs or small trees reaching 5-15 meters tall. The fruit from these trees are fragrant, juicy and contain citric acid, which gives them their characteristic odor and flavor. The fruit is made up of a brightly colored outer layer, spongey whitish middle layer (called the pith) and the fruit segments. There are many different types of citrus fruits and with each of these are multiple varieties. This course provides the information you need to keep citrus fruits looking and tasting their best. Since the citrus category contains so many different types of fruits, this course will also cover the distinguishing factors that help you identify them. Course Duration: 1 hour 30 mins

CUCUMBERS The first cucumbers are thought to have originated in western Asia, either in India or parts of the Middle East. The cucumber is mentioned as one of the foods of ancient Ur and the legend of Gilgamesh, a Uruk king who lived around 2500 BC. It took approximately 3,000 more years for cucumber cultivation to spread to parts of Europe, including France. It wasn't until the time of the European colonists that cucumbers finally appeared in North America in the 1500s. Course Duration: 45 mins