Selecting Produce: Tips for Buying Fruits & Veggies

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The discussion focuses on selecting high-quality fruits and vegetables, emphasizing specific criteria for various produce items. Key points include the importance of firmness and specific tactile qualities, such as potatoes being free of green spots, avocados being slightly squishy, and carrots needing to be very firm. The thread highlights the significance of smell as a ripeness indicator for cantaloupes and the necessity for garlic bulbs and onions to be firm. Participants share tips on how to assess freshness, such as the snap test for asparagus, carrots, and green beans, and the squeak test for pea pods and lettuce. There is also a debate about the appropriate way to inspect corn, with some advocating for feeling through the husk rather than peeling it back, which can damage the produce. The conversation touches on the cultural differences in produce handling, with some recalling experiences at specialized grocery stores where knowledgeable staff assist customers. Overall, the thread serves as a guide for consumers to make informed choices when purchasing fresh produce.
  • #61
you can't trust that guy, he works for Big Pineapple.
 
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  • #62
GeorginaS said:
That would be my guess, too, if they don't "ripen" in the actual sense of the word.

I've purchased two pineapples at the same time that were mostly dark greenish on the outside and cut one up right away. The fruit had a hard texture and really tart flavour. The other I let sit on the counter until the skin was more yellow and, when cut, the fruit was more tender and sweeter tasting. Now, maybe the second pineapple was just like that the whole time, but, my experience with yellowish skinned pineapples has yielded consistent results. I don't cut up the really green ones because I didn't enjoy the one that I did. Given the small sample size, it could have been simply a hard, tart pineapple that wouldn't have changed over time. I don't know.
I think they're wrong. I *know* that pineapples become softer and sweeter with time. It happens with every pineapple, I've been doing this before some members were born, that's too many to be a fluke. That's *ripening* in my book. I don't care if chemically the amount of sugar hasn't changed, the flavor and texture changes noticeably. But don't let it sit too long, it starts to turn into alcohol. I guess they would disagree there too.