How to pick ripe fruit and vegetables
To pick fruit that is ripe, use your senses rather than colour alone. Ripe fruit usually smells sweet and fragrant at the stem end, gives slightly when pressed gently, and feels heavy for its size, which means it is full of juice [1]. Fresh vegetables should be firm, brightly coloured and free of soft spots, wrinkles or sprouts. Buying in season makes the biggest difference of all [1].
The How To Cook Recipes guide above goes through 31 kinds of produce one by one. The tips below group them by type, because fruits in the same family tend to show ripeness in the same way.
Which fruits ripen after you buy them?
This is the most useful thing to know before you shop. Fruits fall into two groups [2]:
- Fruits that keep ripening after picking (climacteric fruits): apples, pears, bananas, avocados, melons such as cantaloupe, apricots, most stone fruits such as peaches and plums, mangoes, kiwis and tomatoes. They release ethylene gas, which drives ripening, so you can buy them firm and let them ripen at home [2].
- Fruits that do not ripen after picking (non-climacteric fruits): citrus fruits, grapes, berries, cherries, pineapples, pomegranates and watermelon [2]. What you buy is as ripe as it will get, so choose ones that are ready to eat. The guide makes this point about blackberries: only buy them in season, because they do not continue to ripen [1].
Some fruits behave differently depending on the variety [2], but as a rule, firm avocados and pears will ripen in your fruit bowl while a sour pineapple or watermelon will not get any sweeter.
How to tell if a melon is ripe
Melons are the hardest to judge from the outside, so use several checks together [1]:
- Cantaloupe: a sweet, pleasant smell at the stem end (overly sweet can mean it is starting to spoil), tan rather than green skin beneath the netting, a slight give when pressed, and a hollow sound when tapped. It should feel heavier than it looks.
- Honeydew: a creamy pale yellow or golden skin rather than green, a slight give at the end opposite the stem, a sweet scent, and sometimes a faint rattle of seeds when shaken.
- Watermelon: the pale patch where it rested on the ground should be yellow, not white. The skin should be smooth with a dull sheen, and it should feel heavy for its size.
Choosing berries and cherries
Since berries do not ripen after picking, look for fruit that is already fully coloured [1][2]. Blueberries should be plump and deep blue with a light grey bloom; red or pink ones are unripe. Strawberries should smell sweet and have no green or white around the shoulders under the leaves. Raspberries should be plump and brightly coloured; a stained punnet is a sign they are overripe or crushed. Check the bottom of the container for mould. Cherries should be firm and deep red with their stems still attached [1].
Stone fruit, tropical fruit and pears
For peaches and nectarines, look for golden undertones with orange and red, and fruit that is tender to the touch: firmer ones keep longer, softer ones are ready to eat [1]. For pears, press gently near the stem: a slight give means it is ripe, and colour rarely tells you much [1].
Colour is also a poor guide for mangoes. A ripe mango has a sweet, strong smell near the stalk and is soft enough to keep a light fingerprint [1]. Avocados should yield slightly to pressure, like firm memory foam rather than squishy, and the skin under the stem should be green or yellow, not brown [1]. Bananas are at their sweetest when yellow with some brown spots; buy them green if you will not eat them for a few days [1]. A ripe pineapple smells sweet at the base and has an even golden colour; no smell means unripe and a vinegary smell means it is past its best [1]. Kiwis should give a little under your thumb [1].
How to pick citrus fruit
With oranges, lemons, limes and grapefruit, weight is the best test: the heavier the fruit for its size, the juicier it is [1]. Look for firm fruit with smooth, thin, glossy skin and even colour, and avoid soft spots or wrinkles. Lemons should have no green, while limes are best a light yellow-green. For grapefruit, slightly flattened or oval fruit tends to be sweeter than perfectly round fruit [1].
How to choose fresh vegetables
With vegetables you are judging freshness rather than ripeness. Tomatoes, which do ripen after picking, should be heavy, smell fragrant at the stem and yield to real pressure [1][2]. For the rest, the guide’s checks are [1]:
- Potatoes: firm, with no sprouts, wrinkles or green tinges.
- Onions: dry, papery skin, firm and heavy, with no soft or brown spots.
- Peppers and aubergines: firm, glossy skin and a green, firm stem; aubergines should be heavy for their size.
- Broccoli: tight, deep green buds and firm stems. Yellow or open buds mean it is past its best.
- Asparagus: firm stalks with tightly closed tips.
- Brussels sprouts: small, tight and bright green; smaller ones are sweeter.
- Mushrooms: firm, dry and plump, with no slime or dark spots.
- Beetroot: firm and round; smaller beets are more tender.
- Artichokes: heavy, with tightly packed leaves that squeak when rubbed.
Buy in season
Shopping in season is the creator’s main general tip [1]. The guide gives US buying months for each item, such as cherries from April to July and Brussels sprouts in autumn [1]. Seasons vary by country and climate, so in the UK check a local seasonal calendar rather than the US months. Be wary of produce that looks too perfect, uniform, waxy or shiny, which can hide poor quality [1].
Questions about how to pick fruit
How can you tell if fruit is ripe without cutting it?
Smell the stem end, press gently for a slight give, and feel the weight. Ripe fruit is fragrant, yields a little and feels heavy for its size [1].
Does fruit ripen after it is picked?
Some does. Bananas, avocados, apples, pears, stone fruit, cantaloupe and tomatoes keep ripening; citrus, grapes, berries, pineapple and watermelon do not [2].
How do you pick a good watermelon?
Look for a yellow, not white, ground spot, a dull rather than shiny rind, and a melon that feels heavy for its size [1].
How do you know if an avocado is ripe?
It yields slightly to gentle pressure without feeling squishy, and the skin under the stem is green or yellow rather than brown [1].
Sources
- How To Cook Recipes, How to Pick Out Perfectly Ripe Fruits and Veggies, the original infographic and article.
- Wikipedia, Climacteric (botany).
Last reviewed 2 November 2026
