How To Choose The Best Fruit
It's happened to most of us. We go into the grocery store and buy some fruit only to get home, cut it open and realized it's either too ripe or waaay underripe. There isn't a big window between when a fruit is at it's perfect ripened state before it goes mushy and the flavor is compromised.
So how you do go about picking fruit that is sweet, juicy, firm and perfectly rippened?? There are few ways to tell using scent, color, feel, sound and of course, taste.
Here are a few ways to help you choose the best fruit in the bunch without having to taste it first!
CantaloupeA ripe cantaloupe will feel much heavier than you'd expect when you go to pick it up. It will have a sweet smell. The blossom end (the end opposite the stem end) will feel tender. A ripe cantaloupe has well defined netting on the skin and
will be an even orangish or golden color. Do not purchase cantaloupes that have bruises, dents or soft spots.
Honey Dew MelonA ripe honeydew melon will feel heavy for it's size. They will also have a light fragrance. The skin should be a very pale yellowish-green. Do not purchased honey dew that has defined veins since this suggest that the honey dew has not rippened fully. A ripe honey dew will look smooth and have very fine veins on the skin when you runs your fingers over it.
WatermelonWatermelon is one of the hardest fruits to tell the ripeness. They don't give us many signs to look for at the supermarket. And even the few signs of ripeness that they do give aren't always accurate. For watermelons you have to really get hands-on. If you've ever seen people knocking on watermelons then chances are they were checking for that dull thump that ripe watermelon have (if not, they have some serious to overcome). A ripe watermelon will not have a huge difference in the color of the stripes. It other words it won't look like the pretty dark green and light green striped watermelons you'd probably expect to be ripe. Look for little contrast between the the stripe. Although these tips may help, when it comes to watermelon you're mainly just gonna have to cross your fingers and wing it.
BerriesColor is a good indicator of ripeness in berries. Ripe strawberries will be bright red without any green or white color on the flesh. Blueberries should be a dark bluish- purple with a dull appearance. Ripe berries are have a bold color and are free of soft spots or blemishes. A ripe berry will also smell sweet.
Citrus (oranges, lemons, limes, etc.)
Have you ever peel an orange that was dry and bitter tasting? Chances are it was picked before it had a chance to ripen. Ripe citrus are smooth with a bright, uniform color. Avoid buying citrus with spots, bruises, blemishes, wrinkling, or uneven color on the peel. Ripe citrus will have a thin skin and feel heavy in your hands. It should not feel spongy or soft. Smell the citrus. You should be able to smell it's crisp scent whether it's an orange, lemon or lime.
BananasBananas give us easy clues to let us know when they are at their optimum sweetness. A banana that had a thick skin, feels firm and looks greenish in color is under-ripe. A banana that begin to ripen is yellow with a little green on the ends. It is will sweet in taste but not as sweet as it will get. A perfectly ripe banana will be sweet in taste, have a thin skin, soft but not mushy to the touch, and will be yellow with a couple of brown spots. A banana with more brown spots that yellow spots is probably over-rip and mushy. However, even though over rip bananas are not very pretty, they are still very sweet and great for baking.
KiwisA ripe kiwi will look plump all over and feel firm, yet tender to the touch. Avoid kiwis that are starting to wrinkle, have soft spots, bruises, or feels mushy or hard. It should also have a very light fragrance (although sometimes hard to tell)
PineapplesA ripe pineapple is golden yellow in color and will have a strong, sweet fragrance. If the pineapple has no scent then it is not ripe, leave it at the store. A ripe pineapple will feel firm without any soft spots. Look at the leaves. They should look healthy an green.
AvocadosA ripe avocado feel firm but still yields somewhat to gentle pressure. If you press the avocado and it feels soft and mushy it is over-riped. The skin should look healthy. It should have a plumped, wrinkled skin but not shriveled.
