Tips for Choosing Summer Produce

Tips for Choosing Summer Produce

This is a wonderful time of year to enjoy summer produce.  Below are some tips for choosing some favorites.

Watermelon. When choosing a watermelon, look for one that feels heavy for its size.  When you tap it with your knuckles, it should give a resounding know and feel firm.  Also, find the round spot where the melon rested on the ground. The spot should be yellow rather than white. A white spot may mean a melon was picked too soon.

Sweet Corn.  Look for ears with husks that are still green and slightly moist.  The threads coming out of the top of the husk should be slightly sticky.  Pull back the husk a little and slice into one kernel with a thumbnail.  Some milky liquid should flow out.

Tomatoes.   Select tomatoes that are deeply colored and firm, with a little give. Sniff all tomatoes if you can. If they’re missing that sweet, woody smell, leave them behind. Check grape tomatoes for wrinkles, a sign of age.

Cantaloupe.  Begin by smelling the cantaloupe. Ripe cantaloupes give off a sweet, cantaloupe smell . A ripe cantaloupe with be golden/orange in color underneath and within the outer rind. An unripe cantaloupe will be green underneath. Also make sure the cantaloupe is not too soft, a classic sign of being overripe.

Peaches. When selecting peaches, begin by smelling the fruit. The peach is a member of the rose family and should have a pleasingly sweet fragrance .Look for a creamy gold to yellow under color. The red or "blush" of a peach is an indication of variety, not ripeness. Peaches should be soft to the touch but not mushy. Don't squeeze peaches; they bruise easily. Place firm peaches on the counter at room temperature and they will ripen within a few days. Promptly refrigerate ripe peaches, and eat them within a week of purchase.

Plums.  When selecting plums, look for plums that show good color for their variety with a slight firmness, but plums with a little give to the touch are fine too.