Is Your Fruit Ripe?

I have often asked myself this same question a thousand times, "Is this fruit ripe?"  I wonder if it will be sweet or still hard and sour when I bite into it.  And what about melons?  Watermelons, cantaloupe, honeydew???  How do you know if it is a good one?  I think we would all benefit from learning when our fruit is ripe, so check out Kristina's video here on ripe fruit...it is worth the watching!  If you don't have time to sit and watch I have created a list for you below.  Enjoy!

Ripe fruit is higher in nutrition and your body absorbs that nutrition more readily.

5 Things to Remember When Selecting Fruit
1. Sight
2. Smell
3. Taste
4. Touch
5. Sound

Melons: Slightly soft at the end where the stem was, smell super sweet.
Watermelon: Sounds hollow, tight skin (not wrinkled or bruised)
Bananas: Brown speckled to get all the simple sugars and nutrition
Plantain: Entirely black (very heavy in carbs)
Red Bananas: Dark maroon, very soft, give a little at tip
Berries: Immediately
Blue Berries: Can be kept in fridge 1-2 weeks and are sweeter when a little wrinkly
Beats: Cut off top and leave on counter up to 2 weeks, when wrinkly can eat like an apple
Zucchini/Cucumbers/Pickles: Best when fresh, can keep in fridge up to 2 weeks
Tomatoes: Never store in fridge, sweetest when left out or in sunshine
Citrus: Ready when picked off tree
Pears: Sit out 3-4 days until a little ugly and soft
Apples: Anytime
Mango: Smell sweet, very soft, oily shine and sweat
Peaches/Nectarine: Smell sweet, soft, very juicy
Avocado: Soft to touch
Persimmon: Mushy, almost melt
Papaya: Bright orange, look beaten up, soft to touch, smell sweet
Pineapple: Turn completely yellow/orange, smell delicious, leaves begin to curl under, can twist tip off by hand