​For the past several summers, my kids have enjoyed taste testing. They’ve already asked about it this year, and school isn’t quite finished yet. I would go to the supermarket and pick out three to five new foods to try, usually exotic fruits that they didn’t typically get on a regular basis. I’d only get one of each and cut them into pieces for each of us to have a taste. If we really liked something, we’d go back to the store for more.

This is truly a great summer activity. Try new foods, offer healthy choices, add to our vocabulary, increase kitchen skills, and tick another day off the countdown back to school. At this age, the kids join me about halfway through wanting to return to their friends and schedules.

Not everything will go over well. My son desperately wanted anchovies. We ordered a pizza with two slices only with anchovies. The picture of his face is priceless and still makes me laugh. Just mentioning the word anchovy makes his whole face scrunch up. He did not like them at all.

Here is a list (below the cut) of some of the things we’ve tried, some we’re still thinking about fot this year, and suggestions for your own taste test day.

Anchovies

Apples

– Snapdragon is my favorite, but try all the varieties you can find

-Applesauce

-Apple chutney

-Apple tarts, apple blossoms (we live in NY – we can do almost anything with apples!)

Avocado

-we also made homemade guacamole

Banana vs. Plantain

Bread, Homemade

Canteloupe

Caramel, homemade

-vanilla flavored, chocolate, raspberry, ginger, maple, sea-salt

Carrots

-try the multi-colored varieties

Cheese Plate

Cherries

Goo Goo Cluster

Grapefruit

Grapes

-green, purple, black

Honeydew Melon

Kiwi

Lemon

Lime

Mango

Naan

Nectarine

Orange

Peaches

Pear

Pineapple

Plantains

– try them fried in butter and brown sugar. Tastes just like French toast

Plum

Pluot

Pomegranate

Prickly pear

Smoothies (great use for bananas, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)

Saturn Peach (we called it a donut peach because of its shape.)

Starfruit

Watermelon