Got Fruit?

The other day I sat down with a big, bright, juicy looking orange. I carefully peeled it, spending extra time removing all the weird little white pieces and pulling apart the sections perfectly. I haven't had a real orange in forever and I was so stinking excited I wanted it to be magical. I took a bite, savoring the sweet but slightly tangy taste while forcefully spitting it to the ground.

It tasted like crap.

The best looking orange in the bunch had turned out to probably be the worst. How could this be? Where did I go wrong?

I realized I know nothing about picking out produce. Oddly, just because an orange is big and shiny doesn't mean it is ripe. I know, weird huh?

Now for my point...

Here's what I learned about choosing some common fruits.

Oranges: When looking for a ripe orange, don't worry about color. Oranges with green or brown patches can be just as ripe (and some very orange oranges are even injected with food coloring to get that bright color). For the best flavor, look for a firm, heavy orange with a thin, smooth skin.

Apples: A ripe apple will be firm and deeply colored. Depending on the variety, there should also be a slight rosy tone (such as with yellow and green apples). Rub your finger across the skin. If it wrinkles, put it back and move on.

Strawberries: Strawberries are ripe when they're a deep red color with a shiny skin. Avoid buying any with green or yellow patches, as they're unripe (and won't ripen any further). Also stay away from very large strawberries. Though they look tempting, their flavor is often inferior to smaller berries.

Pears: Most pears in the supermarket are not yet ripe, so choose those that are firm and free from dark soft spots. Once you get the pears home, leave them on the counter to ripen for a few days (or put them in a paper bag to speed things up). They are ripe when they are slightly soft and usually speckled with tiny light brown spots.

Watermelon: Choose a firm, heavy watermelon with a smooth skin -- and be sure it has a well-defined yellow area on one side. This is the spot where the watermelon has been resting while ripening, and if it's not there it means it may have been harvested too soon.

Enjoy your fruit! Hopefully there will be no spitting involved.