Ripe or not ripe? That is the question. We all wrestle with this confusing question when visiting the produce section of our local supermarket. Luckily, you can easily check the ripeness of fruit by following using the advice below.
Touch the Fruit
When shopping for fruit, first feel it. In many cases, this is as simple as giving it a slight squeeze. Perfectly ripe fruit should “give a little” when you squeeze, but it shouldn’t be too soft. As a rule of thumb, fruit should feel like the cartilage at the end of your nose.
In addition, to check larger fruit, such as watermelons, hold the fruit in one hand while thumping the outer fruit skin with your finger from your other hand. A ripe watermelon sounds full when thumped this way.
Smell the Fruit
Smelling a fruit helps determine if it is ripe enough. Ripe fruit has a sweet aroma reminiscent of the fruit itself. If the fruit smells vinegary, the fruit is too ripe. If the fruit hardly has any smell at all, then it is not ripe enough.
Keep in mind that smelling a fruit for ripeness only works at the farmer’s market. The refrigerated conditions fruit are under in supermarkets eliminates any aroma from the fruit.
Check the Weight of the Fruit
The weight of a piece of fruit helps determine its ripeness. Fruits that are heavy and dense typically contain a lot of water weight and should be juicy. This indicates it’s ripe. Light or puffy fruit, on the other hand, usually lacks a ripe, moisture-laden interior — although this type of fruit is great for making zest.
Compare the Fruit Color
As a piece of fruit ripens, it also changes color to indicate just how ripe it is. The ripest fruits tend to display bright colors due to the acids within the fruit breaking down into sugars and turning the skin of the fruit from green to brighter colors as the ripening process takes place.
Fruit that has discolored spots also indicate a ripe piece of fruit. Bees and other insects prefer sweeter fruit and leave black spots on the skin of the fruit as a sign of their presence. In addition, some fruits, such as pears, actually develop brown spots, indicating that they are ripe.
Check the Fruit Size
Size is also an indicator of ripeness. A normal-sized fruit indicates ripeness. On the other hand, an undersized fruit could indicate an unripe fruit. Likewise, an oversized fruit indicates it’s grown out of season, usually has no taste, and should be avoided.
Check the Fruit Sticker
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Some fruits, such as avocados, actually have stickers that alert you to their ripeness. But don’t always trust the sticker. The best way to check a piece of fruit for ripeness is to check it with your hands by using the simple methods listed above.
A perfectly ripe piece of fruit is delicious. By paying attention to the fruit’s texture, feel, and smell, you can pick out the best pieces of fruit on your next visit to the supermarket.
