Feelin' Fruity?

It's glorious to visit the fruiterers at the moment and find so much wonderful produce. The mango season has started early, and combined with so many other tropical fruits and in-season beauties, the obvious progession is from fruit shop to fruit salad. However, having made four fruit salads in the space of one week, the thrill of peeling and chopping is fast wearing thin. So, it must be time to have a look at some gadgets which will simplify the fruit preparation situation.

You have already been lectured upon the brilliance of the Avanti Mango Slicer, but the promised photos have not been forthcoming. Until now: here he is...

Amazing, no? But wait, there's more. Not for a mango, but for another messy, unpleasant fruit friend: the pineapple. I have erred on the side of cleanliness for most of my life, and avoided a real pineapple. Spiky, juicy, mostly unuseable lump of mess, I always thought. Cast those aspertions aside, readers, and meet the Vacu Vin Pineapple Easy Slicer. Just like the Mango Slicer, it seems a frivolity until you meet a fresh pineapple. After that, it will be indispensible. This corkscrew-like device will peel, core and slice the fruit for you in moments, leaving you with lovely pineapple rings. It even leaves the outer shell intact, meaning you can serve your fruit salad (or even a clever cocktail) inside it. Grab a maraschino cherry for a garnish, pop Club Tropicana on the record player, and you'll never look at a fresh pineapple with fear and trepidation again.

Now, how about the most popular pre-school purchase of recent times: the Apple Peeling Machine. Yet another machine which will peel, core and slice, it works in a similar way to the Pineapple Slicer, except you impale the apple on one end of the machine, and start cranking the handle at the other. This ingenious contraption also has a core-and-slice-only option (all the goodness is in that skin, remember!), or a peel-only option (which can also be used for potatoes). The suction base holds the machine firmly on your chosen surface, the stainless steel blade is adjustable, and there is even a release mechanism to pop the apple off the prongs.

You can also find simple corer/slicers, cherry/olive pitters, or a fabulous soft-skin peeler, perfect for delicate-skinned summer fruits such as peaches and nectarines. I would also recommend a couple of little Victorinox paring knives: these are cheap as chips, and absolutely invaluable in the kitchen. One of our best-sellers, anyone who buys one always comes back for more, and they can be used for just about any situation in which a small, manageable, sharp knife is required.

All you need now is the fruit. And to switch the record to The Best of Carmen Miranda.