How to: Pick Ripe & Ready Summertime Produce

Eating fresh and feeling healthy can definitely go hand in hand. Unfortunately, sometimes walking through the produce aisle or checking out the local farmer’s market can get complicated and extremely overwhelming. Looking at large piles of seemingly identical cantaloupe attempting to crack the ripeness code is not always second nature. If you’re anything like us, wanting to purchase the ripest produce in the smallest amount of time is important and learning how is valuable. Below is a list of popular produce and quick tips for telling whether or not to buy or walk away!

1) Cantaloupe: Starting out simple with the cantaloupe touch test, feel the top stem for a soft give. If it isn’t too hard then it’s safe to say, eat up!

2) Strawberries: Scent says it all when it comes to strawberries. If you begin to sniff in anticipation of sweet satisfaction and find your reaction is bland, then it’s best to hold off on that purchase.

3) Corn: Never judge a book by its cover…well, except for corn’s cover that is! The best way to confirm corn is consumption ready is by checking for a green colored husk; green certainly means go when it comes to buying ripe corn.

4) Avocados: Picking the best avocado is all about squeezing gently and feeling for a soft yield. If the proper precision is given and the result is prime then it looks like its avocado time!

5) Pineapples: Sight and smell are the two senses most efficiently used in deciding pineapples’ edibility. If it looks like a perfectly toasted marshmallow (golden brown) and smells sweet like sugar, you’ve found yourself a winner!

6) Watermelons: If you’re going to buy a full watermelon it’s important to do a thorough sound check. Seems weird we know, but the best way to determine if a watermelon is ready to eat is to tap the outside and listen for a hollow noise.

7) Tomatoes: It’s a widespread belief that the largest “red” flag in determining a tomato’s ripeness is by checking color. Often overlooked however is its true test of ripeness; tomato touching is extremely important to ensure that it is not too soft, not too hard, but instead just right!

8) Mangos: Very similar to the avocado, in order to verify if a mango is ripe you must gently grip while applying minimal pressure. You’re good to go if it gives slightly when touched.

9) Peaches: Definitely putting many of your senses to the test, figuring out if a peach is ripe can be done by sight, smell, and touch. A peach should be red and yellow, should not have a “green tint” at the top, have a sweet smell, and be soft when squeezed gently.

10) Honeydews: When searching for the best and ripest honeydew, just envision you’re looking for a golden ticket! That’s right, picking the perfect honeydew is all about finding one with a golden outward appearance.

The next time you’re feeling overwhelmed on picking the proper produce for guaranteed ripe eating, we hope this alliteration guide will come in handy and leave you freshly satisfied all summer long! Do you have any tips or tricks to see if your favorite fruits or veggies are ripe? Let us know in the comments below!