Exactly How to Tell When Fruits Are Ripe

Ripe when: The peel is lightly spotted. Grocery stores typically display underripe bananas because they look better, so go ahead and buy them a bit green. Then wait a few days before peeling and eating.

Ripe when: They have just a few brown spots, like bananas. They should be relatively soft and smell sweet.

Ripe when: The area under the stem is bright green. If that area is brown, the fruit is overripe. If it’s difficult to get the stem off, it’s probably not ripe yet.

Ripe when: The skin slightly yields to the touch but doesn’t mush.

Ripe when: They smell like they should taste and are totally red (with no white around the stem).

Ripe when: They smell like they should taste, like strawberries. Their skin should also be tender to the touch but not too soft.

Ripe when: They are also soft to the touch. Their skin should be slightly wrinkled but not shriveled, and most varieties should have a deep brown color.

Ripe when: Their skin is dark and firm. The stems should also be attached.

Ripe when: They smell sweet, feel heavy and have healthy, green leaves.

Ripe when: It also feels heavy and smells sweet.

Ripe when: It sounds hollow and feels heavier than the others in the bunch. It should also smell slightly sweet but not overwhelmingly so.