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How to Choose Perfectly Ripe Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Every Time

January 10, 2019Updated January 23, 2020 By Barbara Davidson Leave a Comment

How to choose cauliflower

It’s always the same, a couple of hours after you get home from the grocery store, you decide it’s time to eat that avocado. But it’s not ‘ripe and ready to eat’ as the packaging claims, it’s rock solid. Then you ruin it just trying to cut the thing. So, you reach for the mango instead.

But your mango is a mess. You pick it up and your fingers seem to squish right through it. What a waste of money. And what a disappointed stomach! The charts in this post will show you how to choose fresh, perfectly ripe fruits and vegetables every time. 

You can feel confident in choosing perfectly ripe fruit and vegetables thanks to this kitchen resource: a visual guide to selecting produce so it’s ready to eat when you want to eat it.

How to choose ripe strawberries

Most of us know the feeling of buying fruits or vegetables only to find out that they’re either already spoiled on the inside or so under-ripe that they need to be left out for days before eating. If only there were a way to know, in the shop, which fruit and veg is ready to go, and which pieces are going to be too stubborn or too mushy to eat. Luckily, there is! 

How to choose ripe mango

Take fresh pineapple, for example. Prickly and wild-colored, it hardly invites prodding and poking to see if it’s ripe. Fortunately, you can use your eyes and nose: a green pineapple is under-ripe, an orange one is past it, so an evenly-coloured yellow pineapple is the best choice. Give it a sniff to check there’s no vinegary, fermented smell, because that would mean it’s already long past edible.

How to choose rhubarb, broccoli, and corn

Broccoli is another of those items that sends false signals. You come home from work expecting to be greeted by a floret in the fridge, but it falls apart in the cooking pot. The trick is to make sure those stalks are still firm when you buy your broccoli. And make sure it’s bright green, as yellowing broccoli is already on the way out.

how to choose fresh apples, grapes, and watermelon

Let your fruit and veg know who’s boss by consulting the chart below before you go to the supermarket. Because a mango that holds itself together is a beautiful thing!

How to choose fresh tomatoes, cherries, and kiwi
How to choose ripe avocados and blueberry
How to choose ripe asparagus, green beans, and mushrooms

Sources

Ashton, K. (2015). Tip of the Week-How to tell if a Melon is ripe?
Belluz, J. & Zarracina, J. (2016). You’re probably shopping for vegetables wrong. Here’s how to do it better.
Benedict, Z. (2014). How to Ripen an Avocado – The Definitive Guide. 
California Kiwifruit. (2009). Selecting Kiwifruit. 
Delany, A. (2018). How to Tell if a Pineapple Is Ripe. 
Fuller, J. R. (2015). How to Make the Most of Apple Season. 
Fuller, J. R. (2016). How to Buy and Store Corn Like a Pro. 
Gleiter, S. (2015). Sweet corn guide: How to buy, cook and eat this summer favorite. 
Grainger, C. How to Pick the Best Green Beans.
Han, E. (2011). Best Tips for Choosing and Storing Cherries.
Hines, S. (2016). How to tell if an avocado is ripe. 
Krishna, P. & Krishna, S. (2016). How to Pick the Perfect Ripe Mango.
Lodato, J. C. (2018). Don’t Pick the Pretty Watermelon.
Mango.org. How to Choose a Mango.
Markham, D. (2015) How to tell if a watermelon is ripe.
McBride, L. (2016). How to Choose & Store Ripe Strawberries.
Mendelson, M. How to Tell When a Mango is Ripe.
Michaels, K. (2018). How Do I Know When My Tomato is Ripe.
North Carolina Blueberries. (2017). Blueberry Tips When Picking Your Own Fresh Blueberries.
Northcarolinablueberries.com
Parker, M. What Does an Over-Ripe Watermelon Look Like?
Parsons, R. (2016). All About Rhubarb: How to Select, Prepare, and Store It.
Phillips, C. (2018). Tip: How To Choose The Best Sweet Corn. 
Pick Your Own. (2018). Strawberry Picking Tips, Facts and Recipes. 
Raddatz, A. & Smith, J. (2011). Cherries Food $ense Guide to Eating Fresh Fruits and Vegetables. 
Real Simple. Fresh Pick: Asparagus. 
Richardson, N. (2017). How to Buy Rhubarb Like You’re Some Kind of Rhubarb Expert. 
Ryan, J. (1997). How to Select Mushrooms & More Mushroom Tips. 
Shales, B. 6 Tips for Selecting the Perfect Apple. 
Spark People. Kiwi. 
Spices Inc. A Guide to Summer Berries. 
Splawn, M. (2017). A Guide to Picking the Best Tomato at the Grocery Store. 
Sun World. How to Choose Grapes. 
Walfred, M. Blueberries could be a small wonder for Delaware. 
Watson, M. (2017). Broccoli Basics Buying, Storing, and Using Broccoli. 
Watson, M. (2018). All About Cauliflower. 

Contributed by Barbara Davidson for Pound Place

About Barbara Davidson

Babs is a content writer at Enova International, Inc. with a Bachelors in Cinema Studies and English from the University of Illinois (ILL-INI!). She loves binge watching musicals, reading in the (sporadic) Chicago sunshine and discovering great new places to eat. 

  • You may also enjoy: Creative Ways to Use Overripe Fruits and Vegetables

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