Most fruits are only tasty when they are ripe. The problem is some fruits are not as easy to select as others are. The ones that are especially dicey for me are pineapples, avocados and watermelons. I always rely on the vendor to make the selection for me. This strategy is as likely to be a hit as it is to be a severe miss. If you are anything like me, here are some tips for selecting ripe fruits. The key things to look out for are colour, smell, stems, and firmness.
Watermelon
If you’re buying pre-cut watermelon, look for a slice that’s a deep red. If you’re buying a whole watermelon, look for one that’s firm. Slap it or rap it with your knuckles to see what sound it makes. You want one that sounds hollow. If it makes a high-pitched sound, it’s likely underripe and it if makes a low-pitched ‘thud’ sound, it’s like overripe. Make sure it has a yellow area on one side. This is the spot where the fruit was resting on the ground before harvest. If there’s no yellow area it may signal that it was harvested too early. Watermelons do not continue to ripen after they are harvested so you want one that stayed on the ground on the farm for a while, hence the yellow colour. Avoid the ones with a white field spot. Choose a watermelon with a dull surface. Shiny watermelons are often underripe. Food: Health And Nutritional Benefits Of Watermelons
Pineapple
A ripe pineapple should have a sweet smell, especially near the stem. You want one with yellow skin, deep green leaves and that’s slightly firm to the touch. Pineapples ripen from the bottom and slowly turn golden yellow up toward the leaves. This means a pineapple may be ripe even if it’s green towards the top. Pineapples become heavier as they ripen, so compare the weight with another similarly sized pineapple. Choose the heavier one. Make sure the pineapple doesn’t have any dark spots. If the leaves pluck out too easily, it may mean the pineapple is too ripe. If it’s orange, it may also mean it’s too ripe. Choose one with leaves that are close to the fruit not sticking out. Pineapples will not continue to ripen after they are picked. Health Benefits Of Pineapples
Avocado
Ripe avocados will have dark green skin with a slight green tint for the green varieties. They could also be greenish brown. They should be firm but have some give when squeezed. Pull out the remaining stem and see what colour is underneath. If it’s green, that means it’s underripe, light brown means it’s ripe and dark brown overripe. If the stem doesn’t come off, that means it’s underripe. Avocados only ripen after being picked and if you want them to ripen faster, you place them in a paper bag. Lifestyle: 7 Benefits Of Adding Avocados To Your Diet
Mango
A ripe mango will be yellow or orange. If it’s green with no yellow or orange patches, it’s likely underripe. If it has dark brown spots and the skin has turned bubbly, it’s likely overripe. A ripe mango should have some sap at the stem where it was connected to the tree. It’s likely underripe if it’s green with no sap at the stem. It should be slightly soft to the touch when you squeeze but not mushy. Also, choose fruits that are fragrant near the stem end. Lifestyle: 8 Health Benefits Of Mangoes
Oranges
Select oranges that are firm and evenly shaped. Skin colour may not always be a good guide because some varieties are ripe and delicious even when slightly green and others only when they are a true orange colour. Small to medium-sized oranges tend to taste sweeter than larger ones. Health And Nutritional Benefits Of Oranges
Bananas
Ripe bananas are usually yellow in colour. Bananas ripen fast so if you don’t plan to eat them immediately, you should buy greener ones. Ripe bananas can be refrigerated to increase their lifespan, although the peel will turn black from the cold, they’ll still be safe for consumption. Just don’t put green bananas in the fridge because the cold will stop the ripening process. Bananas Are Good For Your Health – Here Is Why You Need To Eat More Of This Delicious Fruit
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