Uncategorized
How To Pick The Perfect Fruits: Expert Farmer Shares His Best Tips
04
Aug
Aug
- There is nothing better on a summer day then a refreshing afternoon snack of watermelon, pineapple, cantaloupe and strawberries. However did you know that you can actually choose the sweetest fruit at the market? With just these few tips you will be able to spot the perfect fruit.
We’ve taken the advice of farmers and compiled the best tips they use to choose fruit (and some tips on how to make your fruit last longer too!
Picking The Perfect Watermelon
- Check the field spot- A field spot is the area where the watermelon was resting on the ground. Every watermelon will have a field spot, the best watermelons will have a creamy yellow or slightly orange spot.
- Does your melon have webbing?- The webbing is caused by the amount of times that a bee touched the flower. The more pollination the better the watermelon.
- Boy or Girl?- Watermelons have genders. The males are taller, more watery and more long. While the girl watermelons are more round and sweet.
- Does size matter?- Most times we think bigger is better that is not the case with watermelons. The best watermelons are average in size. Don’t go too big or too small…size does matter!
- What color is the tail? – The tail of a watermelon indicates the ripeness of the fruit. A green tail means the melon was picked too soon. A watermelon with a dried tail are the best tasting melons.
How To Pick The Perfect Pineapple
- For Pineapples you must examine the color- Do not go for the completely green pineapple thinking it will ripen when you get it home.Instead choose a pineapple that is mostly bright yellow indicating it’s ripeness.
- Check the leaves- This is the old trick we all know but what are we looking for? Does the leaf pull out easy then the fruit is probably too ripe. Is it hard to pull a leaf out of the middle then it might not be ripe at all. What is true about the leaf test is that the easier it pulls out the riper the pineapple gets. So aim for somewhere in the middle.
- Give it a squeeze.- Make sure it has a little give in it before you cut it open to eat it. Make sure it feels and looks plump and healthy.
- Smell the bottom of it!- Say what? This is the BEST way to pick the perfect pineapple. When you sniff you should smell a sweet aroma anything else just put it back and choose another.
Picking The Best Cantaloupe
- First check out the rind for any defects.- Pick up the lope and check the outside for soft spots, cracks and mold.
- Examine the skin color carefully- Inside of the best cantaloupes are a subtle orange, the outside however should quite different in color. Try to avoid a green rind, that’s a sign the fruit was picked too early and isn’t ripe. Instead go for a rind that has a soft beige color to it.
- Consider the weight- This rule is an easy on to remember, the heavier, the better.
- Gently push in on the blossom end of the fruit.- Just gently press the bottom with your thumb. You are looking for a little give- not too much. Too much and your melon is already been ripe and is about to start rotting.
- Give it a few gentle taps- Listen to the sound as you thump the rind with your flicking finger. If it gives off a hollow sound, it’s good!
- Take a big whiff.- When you put the melon up to your nose what do you smell? If it’s ripe it should smell sweet. If the cantaloupe smells any other way it a good sign that the melon is overripe.
Keeping Strawberries Fresh
- Keep the caps on! – The first step to strawberries staying fresh is to keep the stems on them. Wait till you are ready to eat them to remover this will prolong the shelf life.
- Out with the Mold- If you notice any moldy berries in your basket remove them immediately. This will prevent the mold from spreading to the other good berries.
Enjoy your produce and hopefully these tips will help you choose the best fruit for your fun summer days.
