Everyone has their own unique way of picking out their fresh fruits and vegetables. Some may like to judge by color, shape or scent before taking those choices to the checkout counter. Nonetheless, those methods are not always as accurate as we may believe. Therefore, here are some valuable tips for buying fresh fruits and vegetables that can help in choosing more wisely.
Melons such as cantaloupes can be tricky. The best way to judge a better cantaloupe is examining the design for thick close netting on the rind. Also, you should check that the stem scar is smooth and the distance between the netting should be yellow or a yellow-green color. You’ll also enjoy that cantaloupe even more once it has a fruity odor that indicates it is fully ripe.
Honeydew melons to look for are ones with a rind that is creamy to yellow in color. They also should have a velvet feel when touching them. Avoid any honeydews that are whitish-green because they were picked too soon and have a way to go until mature.
Ripe watermelons have some yellow on one side. I also found ones with those bee sting marks that appear like brown lines or a few brown dots denote even sweeter watermelons. After all, if the bees want them, they must be good and full of sugary taste. Steer clear of those dark green watermelons because they are far from ripe.
Berries should be plump and solid when inspecting them in their containers. What else is good idea is to check those containers for any stains or signs of wetness. In addition, ones such as blackberries and raspberries with clinging caps suggest they are not mature. Leave those behind since they won’t continue ripening further with age. Instead, search out deeply colored and bright berries with a great gloss to them. In regard to strawberries, steer clear of those without caps because they are already overly ripe and won’t last.
Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits and lemons are another matter. The best rule to remember is checking out the rind. The thinner the outer rind is, the more juice the fruit will have inside. Another thing is about the color of the rind. You may think that one like oranges need to completely orange in color to be ripe. However, they can still be just as sweet with a slight green tinge to them. Lemons are a different case. Light yellow or greenish-yellow lemons are more tart than others with a deeper yellow color so keep that in mind when selecting them.
When selecting broccoli and cauliflower, there is a trick to that. You want to pick out ones with the flower clusters that are tight and close together is another of these tips for buying fresh fruits and vegetables.
Brussel sprouts should be firm and compact without any marks or spots. Those can mean insects.
Cucumbers should be long and slender and never possess any yellow color within their green coloring. Look for ones that are dark or medium green.
Cabbage and a head lettuce should feel heavy when you touch them. Leave any cabbage that was worm holes or lettuce with signs of discoloration.
Carrots just like oversized beets and parsnips that are too large are not worth buying. The reason is that the cores may be woody.
These are just a few tips for buying fresh fruits and vegetables that may help you make you better choices to get the most out of those purchases.
