Tips for selecting ripe produce
Have you ever bought fruit from the grocery store only to discover it wasn’t ready to eat when you got home? The trick is knowing how to select fruit that’s already ripe and flavorful from the grocery store. With a few simple tips, you can confidently pick fruit that’s ready to enjoy immediately.
When it comes to picking fruit, three senses are your best friends: sight, smell, and touch.
-
Sight: Look for produce with bright, vibrant, and consistent colors. This is often a sign of freshness. Avoid dull, wrinkled, or bruising on the skin.
-
Smell: Your sense of smell can be a valuable asset in selecting the best fruits. Fragrant produce is often more flavorful.
-
Touch: Most ripe fruit should feel firm and plump with just a little give when gently squeezed. Avoid fruit that are too soft or squishy, as they might be overripe or spoiled.
While this is a great place to start, each type of fruit has unique characteristics to watch for. Here’s a comprehensive list of what we look for when picking:
Fruits that Will Ripen After Being Picked
It’s important to know some fruits will continue to ripen once picked. To slow down the ripening process, it’s best to refrigerate them.
Apple
Firm, smooth skin and a bright, even color are key. For red and yellow apples, the background (the part not red or yellow) should be yellowish, not green. Fresh apples have an intact stem, a crisp snap when bitten, and a subtle apple scent.
Apricot
Golden-orange with a little softness is best. They should smell fragrant and sweet. Skip ones that are green, overly firm, wrinkled, or bruised.
Banana
Yellow with a few brown freckles means sweet and ready to eat. Green bananas will ripen at home. If they’re too soft or heavily spotted, they’re past their peak but are perfect for baking.
Cantaloupe
A ripe melon smells sweet at the stem end and feels heavy for its size. The netting should look creamy beige with a golden hue underneath. It should give slightly at the blossom end and sound hollow when tapped.
Guava
Pick guavas that are firm but give slightly under pressure and have a strong, floral fragrance. Avoid fruits that are too hard or have bruised, translucent spots.
Honeydew Melon
Look for creamy yellow or light golden skin, slightly soft at blossom end, heavy for its size, and fragrant. Avoid green, soft, or bruised melons.
Jackfruit
Ripe jackfruit will have a strong, fruity aroma, slightly soft spiky skin, and a yellow color. A hollow sound when tapped is a sign of ripeness. Avoid dark green or hard jackfruit.
Kiwi
Choose kiwi that is round, slightly soft, and sweet-smelling. Avoid fruits that are very hard or shriveled.
Mango
Ripe mangoes are heavy, slightly soft, and give off a sweet, tropical aroma. Color varies, so rely on feel and smell rather than just color.
Nectarine & Peach
Look for fruit that is fragrant and slightly soft when gently pressed, especially near the stem. The skin should have a rich red blush over a golden background without green patches, bruises, or wrinkles. Heavier fruit usually means juicier flesh inside. Avoid ones that are rock hard, overly soft, or blemished. A sweet, floral aroma is a good sign they are ready to eat.
Papaya
Choose papayas that are turning from green to yellow-orange, slightly soft, and fragrant. Avoid deep bruises or black spots.
Passion Fruit
Ripe passion fruit is heavy, fragrant, has wrinkled skin, and a deep color. Smooth skin indicates it is underripe.
Pear
Slightly soft at the stem end, fragrant, and free of bruises is ideal. Avoid overly soft or damaged pears.
Persimmon
Fuyu persimmons can be firm but deeply orange, while Hachiya persimmons must be very soft and rich orange. Check that the leafy cap is dry.
Plum
Look for deep-colored, smooth, slightly soft (especially near the stem), juicy fruit. Avoid wrinkled or overly soft plums.
Fruits that Need to Be Ripe Before Being Picked
Other fruits need to be picked ripe as they will not ripen once picked or might ripen very slowly.
Blackberries
Pick blackberries that are deep purple or black in color, plump, slightly soft, and not shiny, as shiny berries are usually underripe. Avoid berries that look dried out, crushed, or moldy.
Blood Orange
Choose ones that feel heavy and smell sweet and citrusy. The skin should be firm, smooth, and brightly colored.
Blueberries
Choose blueberries that are deep blue with a slight silvery “bloom” on the skin, plump, firm, and free of wrinkles or moisture in the container. Red or greenish berries are not fully ripe.
Boysenberries
Look for berries that are dark purple to almost black, glossy, plump, and slightly soft, with a sweet, floral aroma. Avoid any with red or green coloring, crushed berries, or moisture in the container.
Cherries
They should be plump, shiny, firm, unblemished, and deep in color depending on the variety. Darker cherries tend to be sweeter. Stems should be green and flexible.
Clementine / Mandarin / Tangerine
Pick small citrus fruits that feel heavy for their size, have vibrant color, slightly loose skin that peels easily, and a sweet, citrusy aroma.
Cranberries
Look for firm, plump, and glossy berries with a deep red color. A simple ripeness test is to drop one: if it bounces, it’s fresh and ripe.
Currants
Choose shiny, plump, and slightly soft berries that detach easily from the stem. Avoid ones that are firm, shriveled, or have pale/green areas.
Dates
Fresh dates should look glossy, feel plump, slightly sticky, and have an even amber to dark brown color. Avoid overly dried or hard dates and those with excessive white crystallization spots.
Dragon Fruit
Look for bright pink or yellow skin that is firm with jade-green scales. It should feel heavy for its size and slightly soft when ripe. Avoid fruits with brown spots or shriveled scales.
Figs
Choose figs that are plump, soft, slightly wrinkled, are mildly sweet-smelling, and have a dewy bottom with a small amount of clear, oozing liquid. Avoid figs that are hard, bruised, leaking too much liquid, or have thick white latex sap.
Gooseberries
Depending on the variety, ripe gooseberries may be green, red, or yellow, and should feel slightly soft and plump. Underripe berries are very firm and sour. For cooking, slightly under ripe berries are ideal, but for fresh eating, pick fully ripe berries.
Grapes
Choose grapes that are plump, firm, and firmly attached to flexible green stems. Avoid wrinkled or mushy grapes, bunches with wetness or mold, and brittle stems.
Grapefruit
Choose grapefruit that feels heavy for its size, has smooth, slightly glossy skin, and a subtle sweet smell. Avoid fruits with soft spots or overly wrinkled skin. The shape can indicate ripeness; slightly oval or flattened grapefruit are often sweeter.
Jujube
Ripe jujubes turn from green to red or reddish-brown. They should feel firm but not rock hard. Overripe ones wrinkle and taste more like dates.
Kumquat
These small citrus fruits should be bright orange, firm, and have smooth, shiny skin. Since you eat the skin, avoid any that are shriveled or spotted. To check ripeness, gently rub or squeeze the kumquat between your fingers—it should smell sweet, fragrant, and citrusy.
Lemon & Lime
Look for lemons and limes that feel heavy, have smooth, glossy skin, and give slightly when squeezed. Thinner skin usually means more juice. Avoid fruits that are bumpy, shriveled, or discolored.
Lychee
Pick lychee that has red or pink skin, feels heavy, and gives slightly when pressed. Avoid brown, brittle, or shriveled fruits.
Olive
Fresh olives are very bitter and usually eaten after curing. If buying fresh, choose plump, firm, smooth-skinned fruit.
Orange
Pick oranges that are heavy for their size, firm, brightly colored, and fragrant. Minor blemishes do not affect taste.
Pineapple
Choose a pineapple that is heavy, smells sweet at the base, and gives slightly under gentle pressure. The central leaf may pull out easily when ripe.
Pomegranate
Pick pomegranates that are heavy, firm, and have taut, deep reddish-brown skin. Avoid soft spots, large cracks, or deflated shapes.
Prickly Pear (Cactus Fruit)
Ripe fruit is deep red, purple, or yellow, slightly soft, and heavy for its size. Handle carefully to avoid tiny spines.
Raspberries
Pick raspberries that are bright, plump, and uniform in color and size. They should be tender but not mushy and should not leak juice. Avoid berries that are moldy, stuck together, or still have their hulls attached.
Star Fruit
Golden-yellow with green edges and slightly soft to the touch. Avoid fruit that is too green, browning, or shriveled.
Strawberries
Look for strawberries that are bright red all over, with fresh green caps, a natural shine, a sweet aroma, and medium firmness without soft spots or mold. White or green tips indicate they will not ripen further.
Watermelon
A ripe watermelon will have a creamy yellow spot where it sat on the ground, feel heavy, and sound hollow when tapped. Avoid shiny rinds or green stems.
Armed with these tips, you’ll be able to confidently pick the juiciest, sweetest fruits for your table. No more surprises at home—just fresh, delicious flavor every time. Happy fruit picking!
