How to Pick the Best Produce

Look for fruit that’s firm and brightly colored, with no bruises, wormholes, or wrinkles.

The best artichokes are heavy and usually dark green, with tight leaves that squeak a little when squeezed together.

Stalks should be straight, with tips that are intact. Green asparagus should have a vibrant color; white asparagus should have an ivory hue. Thicker stalks usually have more flavor than the popular pencil-thin variety.

Look for firm fruit with no soft spots. If there’s a soft rattle when you shake the avocado, the pit has separated from the flesh, which is not a good sign. Avocados ripen quickly and go from ripe to mushy in a day or two, so buy a firmer one if you’re not going to eat it immediately and then check it daily. If the tiny stem, called the calyx, comes off easily, the avocado is in prime eating condition.

Ripe bananas are bright yellow (unless they’re a species with skin of a different color). A few brown spots are normal, but skin that’s mostly brown indicates a banana better for cooking (as for banana bread) than eating plain. Buy firm green fruit if you don’t plan to eat it for a few days and let it ripen on the kitchen counter.

These should be fairly heavy and vividly colored, whether green, red, or yellow. Avoid those with wrinkles or soft spots.

Look for firm berries and don’t buy those that show mold or have cracked. If the berries are packed in cartons, turn them upside down to see if any bad fruit shows through or has leaked.

Broccoli should be dark green, with tightly clustered florets (unless it’s the thin-stalked, loose-leafed farmers market variety). Avoid any that’s beginning to turn yellow.

You’ll want firm heads, with no yellowing. A few black spots are okay, as the outer leaves are easily peeled off.

Aroma is a good indicator of quality here. These melons, and especially cantaloupe, should have a sweet fragrance. Both should be heavy for their size, without dents or bruises. Cantaloupe’s exterior shouldn’t be too green. Honeydew should have a creamy greenish-white color and a smooth surface.

Choose firm, straight carrots with no cracks. If they bend slightly in your hands or look leathery, they’re too old.

Look for smooth green husks and greenish-yellow tassles with dark tips. If the husks are dry and papery or the tassles are completely yellow or dry, the corn is too old to have much sweetness or flavor. Some people, annoyingly, strip back the husks at the market to make sure the ears are full of kernels, leaving carnage behind in the produce aisle. Instead, just feel the ears firmly through the husks. You’ll be able to tell if there are appreciable gaps.

Numerous varieties of eggplant are now available, especially at farmers markets, in various sizes, shapes, and colors. Whatever the particulars, look for bright colors and unblemished skin. Larger eggplants should feel hefty, and all varieties should feel resilient when lightly squeezed.

The best grapes are plump and nicely colored, attached firmly to their stems (with the stems attached firmly to the bunches), and without cracks.

Look for those with a smooth surface and a bright green color. Avoid limp beans; those in good condition should snap when bent.

The best lemons have a rich lemony perfume. Avoid those with particularly thick skins, which you can detect by gently squeezing. Lemons should be firm, but if they don’t give at all, they probably won’t yield much juice.

Avoid any with brown edges or spotting. Pay special attention to heads that are secured with wire ties, as these often cut into the lettuce and leave brown scars.

You’ll want firm, shiny fruit with good color. As limes age, they get lighter in hue and shrivel slightly — signs that they’re drying up inside.

Choose fruit that’s smooth-skinned and heavy for its size. The color of most varieties should be bright.

The best indicator of quality here is fragrance, especially with peaches. Don’t be afraid to pick one up and smell it; you’ll know you have a good one if the perfume is sweet and intense. If the fruit is rock-hard or bruised, though, avoid it, even if it smells good.

Look for fruit with no bruises or discoloration at the stem end. Fruit should give slightly to the touch, with the exception of Bosc pears, which remain very firm even when ripe.

Avoid shriveled or discolored pods. If you have the patience, pick through the pods one by one and choose those that are full of rounded peas (you’ll be able to tell by the way they look). If you just buy them by the handful, do your culling when you’re shelling them: Don’t waste time on the pods that are flat or mostly empty.

A sweet smell is a good sign of a ripe, sweet pineapple. The leaves should be attractively green but not too dark in color. If you can gently tug a leaf out of the top, the fruit is at prime ripeness.

Don’t choose spongy or shriveled potatoes, and avoid those with sprouts or large eyes.

Raspberries are more delicate than blueberries or strawberries, and are often mashed or moldy. Avoid those and look for berries that are dry, intact, and evenly colored.

Look for bright green leaves with no yellowing, and choose younger (or “baby”) spinach if possible, to avoid fibrous stalks.

Unlike blueberries and raspberries, ripe strawberries have a pronounced fragrance. If they don’t smell good, don’t bother. As with other berries, though, watch out for bruised or moldy fruit.

A rich red color isn’t necessarily an indicator of quality, as the redness can be obtained through forced ripening. Good tomatoes have a subtle but attractive aroma, though, so that’s something to look for. Beyond that, avoid tomatoes with bruises or cracks, or — a problem with some farmers market tomatoes — those that are so misshapen that they’ll be difficult to slice.

As a general rule, the heavier the watermelon the sweeter it will be. Good watermelons also sound hollow if you thump them with your knuckles. The best were vine-ripened; these may be identified by a yellow or yellow-white spot on one side, where the melon sat on the ground.

Look for smooth skin with no nicks. The color should be bright and the fruit should feel heavy for its size.