Summer is quickly approaching and honestly it can’t come soon enough for me. I am ready for days of sunshine and warm weather. BBQs at the beach and eating fresh fruit! One problem I always have is I never really know how to pick my fruits. Here are some tips to help you next time you are at the grocery store:

melons – sweet smell, pale skin (if there are green veins, then it is not ripe), and the tapping rule: look for a deep hollow sound
watermelons – feel heavy for its size, underbelly should have a splotch of creamy yellow

stone fruits (peaches and nectarines) – tender but not soft, good smell, stay away from green-tinted peaches and look for a full color

cherries – deep rich burgandy color, not too soft, and have stem attached

berries – color, avoid strawberries with white shoulders (picked too early), for blueberries the bigger the better

apples – look for a tight, hard skin, and firm

oranges – bright color and firm

pears – sweet aroma and slightly tender (not firm!)