Buying produce can get very expensive. So there’s nothing more disappointing than bringing a bunch of fruit home, only to find out that it has gone bad a day or two later.
Fortunately, there are many tips you can bring with you to the grocery store to ensure that you are picking the most perfect fruits on the shelves. You might even want to print off this list for the next time you plan on stocking up your fridge with yummy fruits.
1. Watermelon
You may have noticed that many watermelons have white-yellowish spots on them. Although you may think those spots make the watermelon unhealthy, they are actually just field spots — the spot where the watermelon has rested on the ground while growing. The best, most flavorful watermelons generally have cream-yellow or orange-yellow field spots.
You may have also noticed the webbing that covers some watermelons. Again, this webbing does not mean the watermelon is unhealthy. It simply reveals how many times bees have come in contact with the watermelon flower. The more webbing you see, the sweeter the watermelon will be.
If you’re looking for a cantaloupe you can eat the second you take it home, try to find one that doesn’t have any green in the skin. You should be looking for one that has a beige skin color with maybe just a hint of green to it. The really green skin means the cantaloupe isn’t ripe yet.
You can also pick up a few cantaloupes and compare their weights. Generally speaking, the heavier cantaloupes are the ones you want to take home.
The next thing you want to do is to gently push on the bottom end of the cantaloupe. If the fruit gives a little bit to a gentle press, it is ripe enough to eat. However, if the fruit seems extremely soft, the cantaloupe may already be going mushy inside.
As with pineapples, another thing you can do is to give the cantaloupe a sniff. If it has a slightly sweet aroma, the cantaloupe is likely ripe. If the fruit smells too sweet, it is likely already going bad.
Now that you know these helpful tips for picking the perfect fruits, you can save money and enjoy the best fruit possible.
