Spring is here and temperatures are just starting to rise. While fruit can be enjoyed all year long, there’s nothing quite like biting into a juicy plum, slurping down a slice of watermelon or munching on sweet and crunchy grapes on a sunny day. Whether you pick your fruit from the grocery store, a farmer’s market or your own back yard, there are certain must-know tips that can help ensure your fruit is perfectly ripe and delicious! The next time you go on the hunt for pineapples, strawberries, melon, peaches or avocados, you’ll want to keep these sweet tips in mind.
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- Pick the perfect pineapple
You know the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Well, a similar rule rings true when it comes to picking out the perfect pineapple. On many fruits, a green color often signifies that your produce is not quite ripe. But a pineapple that’s green on the outside may still be perfectly ripe on the inside. Instead of sight, your go-to sense when choosing pineapple should be smell. If you can’t smell anything, it’s not quite ready. A smell that’s too strong — sharp and vinegary — is a sign of an overripe fruit. If your pineapple smells sweet and fresh, it’s time to enjoy it!
- Select the best strawberries
The general rule with strawberries is: the bright red ones are usually the most sweet and delicious. But strawberries can be tough to gauge. Sometimes the ones that look red and juicy turn out to be mushy and sour. Once strawberries are harvested, they’ll continue to redden, but not ripen. So what’s the best way to tell that your strawberries are ripe? Just like pineapples, the scent they give off can help clue you in. Go with the pint that smells the freshest and sweetest!
- Choose a ripe melon
Melons have a tough rind, which can make it difficult to tell when they’re ripe. But there are a few tips and tricks that can help you choose a perfectly ripe cantaloupe, honeydew or watermelon over their unripe or overripe counterparts. First, make sure your melon is unbruised and blemish-free. Keep in mind that watermelon and honeydew should be matte, instead of shiny. A shiny exterior can be a sign of unripe fruit.
Next, check for a sweet smell to quickly rule out other unripe options. The last test is a weigh-in. Melons that are ripe will feel especially heavy for their size. If it feels heavy, there’s a good chance it’s full of ripe and delicious fruit! Another quick tip for choosing a ripe watermelon: Tap the outer shell. If it’s ripe, it will sound hollow inside.
- Pick a juicy peach
Peaches come in various shades, but that’s usually caused by which part of the peach received the most direct sunlight during the growing process. You don’t need to rule out peaches with yellow spots, but ones with green or white spots probably aren’t ripe yet. Choose the peach with the healthiest looking exterior and give it a light squeeze to confirm. If it’s overripe, it’ll feel too mushy.
- Choose a ripe avocado
Avocados come in different shades of green, depending on the variation, so color isn’t the best way to determine ripeness. The easiest way to pinpoint a ripe avocado is to pull at the stem or cap at the end of the fruit. If it falls off easily, it’s ready to go. If it’s hard to remove or leaves behind a brown patch, the avocado isn’t quite ready to eat.