What’s worse than biting into a bad peach? Biting into a bad peach that you’ve already paid for and brought home from the grocery store. But picking out produce doesn’t have to be a constant gamble. We asked Chris Romano, global produce procurement team leader for Whole Foods Market, for tips on how to select some of our favorite hard-to-read fruits and veggies. Hass AvocadoHold the avocado and give it a gentle squeeze with your whole hand (don’t just pinch with a few fingers—that bruises the fruit). If it gives just a little, it’s getting ripe. If it gives easily, it’s ready to eat immediately or the next day. A ripe avocado’s skin should be fully black—not green. If the display at the grocery store is full of rock-hard, under-ripe avocados, buy them anyway and let them ripen on the kitchen counter. (Make the most of those avocados with these 8 insanely tasty ideas.) CantaloupeFirst, check for a subtle, melon-y aroma. Next, make sure there’s no part of the stem still attached; when cantaloupes are harvested at the right time, they slip right off the vine, leaving no stem fragments behind. Honeydew Photo by Pworadilok/Getty Images Unlike cantaloupe, a bit of stem left on a honeydew melon is just fine (it’s because they’re cut from the vine instead of just slipping off, Romano explains). Instead, pick up the fruit and drag your fingers across the skin. If it feels totally smooth and slippery, like a bowling ball, the sugars haven’t yet risen to the skin, and the melon is still unripe. If it’s got a slightly tacky—but not sticky—feeling, it’s ready to eat. Stone FruitsFruits like peaches and nectarines ripen in a very specific way: from the stem end to the flower end and then outward from the pit. Choose ones that give gently when you press on the stem end of the fruit. If the outer flesh is already soft, the fruit is past its prime. Another important factor: weight. Stone fruits should feel heavy for their size when you pick them up—that means they’re juicy. MORE: 10 Perfect Peach Recipes KiwiTest a kiwi’s ripeness just like you would an avocado: Hold the fruit in your palm and gently squeeze with your whole hand. A little bit of give means it’s ready to eat today or tomorrow. Persimmon Photo by Ian Blasshofer/Getty Images There are two varieties to this citrus superfruit. Fuyus should have bright, uniform color, can be enjoyed both hard or soft. Hachiyas, on the other hand, should be eaten when they’re as soft as possible (otherwise they’ll be intensely tart). Buy them soft or let them ripen at home. PineappleFirst of all: forget the color. Whether a pineapple is green or golden depends on how much sunlight it got while growing, Romano explains. It’s got nothing to do with ripeness. Instead, choose a good fruit by smelling the base, where you should be able to detect a slight pineapple fragrance. (No fragrance means it’s under-ripe, and a fermented smell means it’s over-ripe.) Check out the skin, too: loose skin denotes dehydrated flesh. Once you buy your pineapple, here’s how to prepare it. TomatoesSqueezing delicate tomatoes will bruise them. Instead, check for color. Bright, even coloring is the best indicator that a tomato is ready for eating. Like avocados, tomatoes can also be purchased prematurely and ripened on the counter at home. (Try these 6 recipes created for ripe, fresh tomatoes.) Eggplant Photo by Dawn D. Hanna/Getty Images Choose eggplants that are firm with taut skin. The hood—the leafy bit at the top of the eggplant—should be as fresh and green as possible. Color is also essential: If the eggplant isn’t uniformly dark purple, it was picked too soon. BlueberriesLook for dark, plump berries that feature a whitish-gray, waxy deposit. This coloring is called bloom, and it’s a surefire marker of ripe berries. Check the package for moldy, wrinkled, or red berries, too—all indicators that the batch may not be ideal. Leafy greensEver been burned by greens that go bad after just a day or two in the crisper? Blame water. Try to choose greens that aren’t overly wet from those produce misters, since H2O will speed up the decaying process. Or give wet greens a few shakes over the sink before storing. MORE: 25 Foods You’re Probably Storing Wrong
