Here's the Deal with Mini Fruits and Vegetables

For all the articles we've read about how to prevent an avocado from turning brown, there is only one surefire, never-fail technique we know of, and that is to just eat the entire avocado in one sitting. Unfortunately, unless you're making guacamole or avocado toast for at least two people, that usually isn't feasible. Enter Gator Eggs, aka baby avocados; they're grown by Shanley Farms in California, are available nationwide and taste just like regular-size avocados but weigh only about three ounces (a typical avo weighs six or seven). The 100-calorie fruits, which are sold in egg cartons of six, are the perfect size to dice for one salad or to slice for one sandwich, leaving you nothing left over to brown.

If you think you don't like eggplant, it could be because you've been eating the wrong kind all your life. Mini eggplants—of which there are dozens of intriguingly named varieties, from "Fairy Tale" to "Graffiti" to "Bambino"—can taste vastly different from their oversize counterparts. They're often less bitter, have fewer seeds and don't absorb as much oil (so they don't taste greasy when fried, a common complaint with bigger eggplants). And with the increased general interest in eggplants distributors such as Frieda's Specialty Produce have been seeing, mini eggplants are becoming available beyond farmers' markets, says Karen B. Caplan, president and CEO of Frieda's. Try sautéing, grilling or roasting these approximately three-inch-long fruits (yes, they're technically fruits) halved or sliced—there's no need to peel them first, since their skins are so tender.

Produce doesn't get much cuter than a five-inch-high pineapple. But so-called Queen pineapples, which are grown in South Africa and sold by Frieda's to retailers around the U.S., aren't just adorable Instagram fodder. The fruits are intensely sweet and low-acid; plus, they have a soft, edible core, so there's less to discard. For as gorgeous as these itty-bitty pineapples are, though, they are quite perishable, so only leave them at room temperature for a day or two (or refrigerate them and eat within five to seven days).

A 20-pound watermelon may be your go-to summer dessert for a crowd, but a healthy snack you can munch on when you aren't expecting company? Not so much. That's why we love the mini melon, which clocks in at around four to seven pounds and yields about eight servings. Michael Castagnetto, global sourcing VP for the produce company Robinson Fresh, says Robinson has spent years working with seed companies to develop the mini melon. The juicy, sweet melons are more manageable for smaller households, have a higher fruit-to-rind ratio (their thin rinds mean more fruit, and less for you to toss)—and with 75 percent of melon sales taking place between May 1 and September 30, now's the time to enjoy them.