Selecting is one of the most complicated of the
39 Melachot, mostly because the prohibition
includes separating
unwanted portions of food by
hand.
Thus, for example, if one is eating berries, he
may not pick out the bad ones before eating the good
ones, but rather take them one at a time, the good from
the bad. It is likewise permitted to peel fruits
and vegetables for immediate consumption.
'Selecting' also forbids one to pick the bones
out of fish. This is one reason for the custom
of eating Gefilte Fish on Shabbat, since the
bones are already removed.
If one must
remove something inedible, a small amount of
food should be removed along with it.
The spirit of this category also forbids all
sorts of sorting and filing activities.
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Most of this information is taken
from the book "SABBATH Day of Eternity"
by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, published by NCSY.
In the book itself, there are notes that refer the
reader to detailed footnotes.
I am lucky to have found such a clear, concise manual
with these brief overviews of laws so vast and complex
there are Rabbis that specialize in them.