How to pick fresh fruits and vegetables

By Martin Lew

We usually go to a grocery store for food that is fresh, ripe, and good to eat, but sometimes the food that you buy is not always like that. You should listen to these tips closely to choose the best groceries for homemade meals. You can mostly tell by using your 5 senses. Touching, seeing, feeling, and smelling could now make a difference in picking ripe food.

                                         Fruit          
-For bananas to be good, they have to be yellow and not have a lot of spots. If they are brown or you can feel they are mushy, they should definitely be left behind. The banana can be green and that doesn’t mean it is bad. It just means it needs to be out longer.
-Berries are good if they have a fragrant smell. They should be juicy and if it is in a container, look for stains or leaks.
-Apples should be firm and have a rich color lke the color red. If it looks like it is flattened a little or dented, it is best not to be eaten.
-Grapefruits, oranges, and pineapples should be heavy, firm, and also really jucy if you pick it right. Also when you squeeze it, it should stay in place not mushy. Also underipe pineapples should be room temperature and avoid sunlight.
-If pears are your favorite fruit, you should gently squeeze the area around the pear. If it gives, it is good to go.
-You should always pick cherries by feeling them. They should be plump, dark red like blood, and have a green stem.
-To pick a peach with ripeness and deliciousness, you can tell by the color. They should be golden yellow not light yellow. Red is mostly on peaches because when we see things that are red, we usually think it is ripe like apples.
-Cantaloupes should have a sweet smell and have a nice orange color on the inside.
-If you buy a whole watermelon, the watermelon should be well rounded, a light greenish color, and it should be heavy no matter the size.
-Strawberries should have a cap shaped stem and you should avoid strawberries with no seeds.                                              

                                      Vegetables
 If you are looking for some asparagus, keep your eyes open for some smooth, dark green asparagus. Also look for dense closed points on the spears. Don’t buy more than you could eat for 2 days because they won’t be fresh.
-Red bell peppers are actually sweeter and riper than green ones. Get smooth, heavy peppers and shake one. If you can hear the seeds, it is past its due date.
-Broccoli should be light green, compacted heads are ripe while avoiding bruised ones. The smaller buds should be dark green and shouldn’t be open because that would mean it is too “old.”
-Cabbages should have a dense heavy head and usually come in many colors. They can last for a very loooong time if kept in the fridge.
-Beets should be 1 and one fourth to 2 inches in diameter. Also the leaves should be 4 to 6 inches to be fresh.
-Brussel sprouts should be firm and about 1 inch in diameter to be ripe.
-Cauliflower should be white, firm and the head of the cauliflower should be together with its buds. - Chard leaves should be 8-10 inches for it to be tender.
 -Corn should be picked when it is a mixture of green and light green. The inside when it is good is bright yellow, very juicy, and should be sweet.
-Bok Choy should have dark green leaves with white stalks, but young ones will have light green leaves.
-Cucumber should be 6-8 inches if you want to chop it up for your dish. The cucumbers will be past it’s due date when it is large or the color has changed to yellow.
-Onions should be firm and dry. They should also have a thin skin. They shouldn’t be too dry or have soft wet spots.
-To pick garlic, you should pick it when it is yellow and dry.

Finally, I hope you enjoyed these tips and next time you go to the grocery store, pick wisely while picking veggies and fruits