A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing Fresh and Healthy Fruits

We live in a country where arrays of colourful vegetables and fruits line every marketplace. We’ve grown up watching our mums effortlessly pick fresh, delicious vegetables and fruits for us. At times, when mum wasn’t around, we’ve removed wilted greens from the fridge and wondered where it all went wrong.

 

The First Step: Go Seasonal

Picking seasonal veggies and fruits mean that you’re eating the way nature intended. This also means that you’re eating produce that is at its freshest and healthiest, as it is sold soon after it is harvested.

The Second Step: Use your Eyes

Don’t go for glossy or shiny produce. Size really doesn’t matter either. Medium-sized vegetables and fruits that are colourful but not Photoshop-worthy are your best bet. Leafy veggies should be a fresh green that is soothing to the eyes; without yellowing on the edges or outsides.

The Third Step: Use your Sense of Touch

‘Firm’ should be your favorite word here. Apples, tomatoes, bananas and cabbage are all better when they are firm; please, go ahead and gently squeeze the merchandise. Leafy veggies should be crisp and springy to the touch. Fruit should be firm as described in the cases above, or tender in the case of fruits like pears. You must also watch out for the difference between firm and ripe, and hard and unripe. Melons, pumpkins and other watery veggies like bottle gourd should ideally be heavy, with a full-to-bursting kind of feeling.

The Fourth Step: Your Sense of Smell

This is probably one of the most important tests for checking the freshness of produce, yet it is a skill that takes time to develop. While it is easy to distinguish the smells of produce like bananas and coriander, which have a strong aroma; the same is less possible with uncut apples. However, a good rule of thumb should be to choose produce that has a fragrant smell – fresh in the case of produce like melons, and earthy in the case of produce like potatoes. Produce that has no smell or smells like its packaging, is not the best option.

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