How to identify fresh fruits and vegetables while grocery shopping

I remember the first time I went to the market to buy vegetables. All through my childhood, it was my mom’s or dad’s responsibility. Never did I care what they bought and how they bought except for the fruits and toys and candies. 

But when I first entered the market to buy fruits and veggies, I could not tell what was fresh what was stale, what was ripe and what was pale. And we all face this indecisiveness, this perplexity when we first enter the market. 

Don’t worry. This guide will teach you how to identify fresh fruits and vegetables while grocery shopping so that you don’t fall pale and buy everything fresh. 

Indicators That Matter When Buying Fruits and Veggies

Not all vegetables are bought the same way, and so are with fruits. For example, you would want to buy cucumbers when they are slightly curled if you are using them for salads because they’d have a crunch in them. 

However, the same doesn’t stand true for carrots. Carrots get curved as they get old. 

When buying fruits and vegetables, there are different ways you’d want to look to ensure their freshness. It might look burdensome and tiring at first, but with time you’d become as much expert as your mother (maybe slightly less). Here are some:

• Appearance
• Texture
• Smell
• Weight

Now, let’s pick these freshness indicators one by one. 

The Look Test: Appearance for Freshness

Most often, the very appearance of fruits and vegetables tells us about their freshness and how long they’ve been harvested. The fresher they are, the brighter and more vibrant their outlook will be. This is because youth is such. They look highly appealing when at the peak of their youth. 

Here is what fresh veggies must look like:

• The colour must be bright and vibrant
• Their surface must have a sheen
• The texture must be smooth except for veggies that have a natural rough texture. For example, bitter gourd, ridge gourd, ginger, etc.

The same stands true for fruits as well. Just have the knowledge of what colour they look like when fresh. 

Here are a few examples of ideal fruits and vegetable colours representing their freshness:

• Potatoes: Dry and Brown with no cuts or deep scratches
• Tomatoes: Bright red
• Spinach: Deep green
• Carrots: Bright orange
• Bell Peppers: Various colours (e.g., red, green, yellow)
• Oranges: Bright orange
• Eggplants: Deep purple
• Strawberries: Deep red
• Cucumbers: Vibrant green
• Onion: Dry and papery skin with no green sprouts,
• Papaya: Vibrant orange
• Bitter Gourd (Karela): Bright green with a firm texture (avoid those with soft spots or yellowing)

Just know how quickly you want to consume them. For example, because tomatoes are kept for a long time at our homes and we buy them in larger quantities like onions, you might want to buy a few yellow-coloured ones so that they become ripe red by the time it is their turn to get cooked. 

The same stands true for papaya and other fruits and vegetables. 

If you want to consume fruits immediately, buy them ripe, otherwise buy them slightly unripe.

Also, when buying leafy herbs and vegetables, avoid them if they show any signs of wilting.

Now, let’s touch the produce and see if it is fresh or not.

The Touch Test: Feel and Texture

Once you’ve identified the freshness through your eyes, pick them up, feel them, and see if there are signs of staleness or not. But you don’t know it yet, right? Be with us as we now look for their somatosensory appeal.

Squeeze: Most often, a gentle press on your fruits and vegetables will tell you about their history. But you’ve to check them differently. 

For vegetables, they must be firm when touched. Just that when you press them gently, they must yield to your pressure. If they are too much spongy, they are overripe and most probably old. 

Most vegetables should not feel squishy with bruises and textures on them. For example, cucumbers must not be soft or rubbery. 

When it comes to the fruits, they must be soft to touch when perfectly ripe (not too soft or mushy). 

• Avocados – Gently squeeze the fruit in your palm. If it is ripe, it will yield slightly to your pressure without feeling mushy. You find it too soft? Put it back. It’s overripe. You find it hard? Put it back. It needs more time to ripen.
• Tomatoes – Same as avocados. Avoid those with excessive softness or bruising.
• Mangoes – Mango will have a slightly more give when squeezed. Bring it closer to your mouth and it must have a fragrant aroma near the stem. Just avoid hard or mushy mangoes.
• Corns – If you have a corn year, the freshest is the one that has fulsome seeds and oozes out milk when pressed with your nail. If no milk is coming out or the seeds are wrinkled or dry, it is old.

Soft Spots: There are two types of soft spots that make home in fruits and vegetables. Some soft spots happen when fruits get pressed against each other during transportation. Apples are most vulnerable to these spots. Other soft spots happen due to ageing. These soft spots often indicate areas of spoilage or overripeness. 

• Apples – Check for bruises, soft spots, or shriveling. Also, slightly press one of your fingertips against its surface. If it is going inside easily with a mushy sound, it is an old apple. Fresh apples are juicy and don’t fall off while eating. 
• Peaches – Soft spots are a sign of overripeness.

The same stands true for almost all other vegetables such as eggplants, cucumbers, etc. Too hard or too soft vegetables mean over or under-ripe. No wrinkle or soft spot must be there. 

Now, bring the fruits and veggies closer to your nose.

The Smell Test: The Aroma and the Freshness

Nature gives us hints in all the ways we can perceive. Fruits and vegetables smell different during different stages of their ripeness. 

You know it, the sweet and fresh smell means ripe, poor and unpleasant means spoiled. Here are a few examples:

• Herbs – If you’re buying fresh herbs like basil, mint, cilantro, coriander, etc. look for a strong and pleasant aroma. It sings about their strong scent of youth. And if they lack this robust scent, their time is over. 
• Citrus Fruits – Their very appeal exudes a sense of summer. Oranges, lemons, limes, all these citrusy delights should emit a zesty and citrusy fragrance upon giving them a gentle squeeze. If they lack it, they might not be as juicy and flavourful.
• Sweet Fruits – When ripe, sweet fruits such as cantaloupes and mangoes release a sweet and fruity scent. If there’s little or none, they might need some more time to ripe.

Veggies such as onion emit a gentle oniony scent when in a perfectly fresh state. Avoid them if you see any green sprouts on them. If they smell strong and unpleasant, please put them down. However, when it comes to potatoes, the fresh ones don’t smell at all. If there is a smell, they are old. 

The Sound Test: Listening to Fruits and Veggies

Nature speaks to us, only if we are willing to listen. A few taps on the surface and there you have it, a recipe to know the freshness of fruits and vegetables. However, different items will produce different sounds according to their nature. 

Here are a few examples:

• Bell Peppers – A gentle squeeze and a gentle tap, and it should emit a satisfying crunching sound. Mushy, wrinkled, overripe peppers won’t emit such crunch. 

Other vegetables such as brinjals and cucumbers will sound the same.  

Fruits such as watermelon, when tapped, will emit a hollow sound if ripe. A dull or flat sound means they are over or under-ripe. 

Just know that the sound test can be used mostly for hollow items. For example, you might not be able to tap root vegetables, leafy greens (haa-haa), berries, etc. 

And here it is – you have done your post-graduation in identifying fresh fruits and vegetables while grocery shopping. 

Now, a bit about what types of produce are best to consume. 

Local, Imported, Frozen, Seasonal – Which Fruits and Veggies Are Best?

Alright, you’ve chosen the freshest item based on the way it looks, smells, and feels. But, is it yet the best one you can have? We say no. 

Firstly, the question comes if seasonal fruits are the best ones or if can we eat them beyond their season too (if they seem fresh). 

Choose seasonal and local fruits and vegetables to ensure their freshness and maximum benefits

Because India has a diverse geography, climate, and seasons, different varieties grow in different seasons.

Seasonal fruits grow and are sold in a natural way. Furthermore, our bodies accept seasonal fruits greatly as we’ve evolved in such a way. 

• Summer (March to June) – This is the season of tropical fruits like mangoes, lychees, watermelons, muskmelons, etc. Vegetables such as cucumbers, okra, drumsticks, jackfruits, bottle gourd, eggplants, etc. thrive in the summer heat.
• Monsoon (June to September) – Leafy greens, such as spinach, fenugreek, mustard, corn etc. flourish during the rainy season. And fruits? Lychees, guavas, jamun, etc.
• Autumn (October to November) – Grapes, pomegranates, apples, guavas, etc. are among the fruits in season. Cauliflower, peas, and carrots are popular vegetables.
• Winter (December to February) – Oranges, strawberries, and apples are winter fruits. You’ll also find hearty vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, radishes, fresh peas, bell peppers, etc.

Now, as we see that seasonal fruits and vegetables are the best, so stands true for native ones. 

Imported fruits and vegetables can be cherished for their taste, but our bodies are not well adapted to them. When we eat, our physiology doesn’t respond as well as it does when nourished with seasonal and native produce. 

Also,

Eat fruits and vegetables harvested by local farmers rather than buying from superstores (if possible). 

Firstly, it ensures that you get the freshest produce possible. Secondly, it supports the local community. And lastly, it reduces the environmental impact that happens due to transporting vegetables over long distances. So, visit the farmers’ market nearby you. 

Fresh produce is much better than the frozen ones.

If you have access to fresh vegetables such as peas, give them priority over frozen ones such as frozen peas. 

A Fresh Conclusion

Armed with your newfound knowledge of the look, touch, smell, and sound tests, we hope you buy everything with confidence. To hard or mushy means underripe or overripe. If it smells bad; it is bad. And the surface must be bright and vibrant with that glossy natural touch.

Remember, choosing fresh produce isn’t just about quality. You also need to embrace the flavours of the season. Seasonal and local fruits and vegetables are nature’s secret treasures. They offer the best taste and nutrition.

So, let’s keep the tradition alive, one juicy mango at a time and a crunchy bell pepper in tow. And the next time you wander through the market, you won’t be the one in perplexity. You’ll be the expert. Happy shopping, and may your cart always be filled with the freshest picks!

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