Picking the Right Fruits

Picking the right apple is tricky. Picking the right grapefruit is trickier. James Parker, a national produce buyer for Whole Foods, rides to the rescue with a bushel of helpful hints.

In general, fruit is better when it's in season. When in doubt, ask your produce manager. In a hurry? A store will often promote the best fruit with a large and prominent display.

Citrus: For grapefruits and oranges, look for fruit that is relatively smooth. A more textured peel suggests a thicker rind and an immature fruit.

Go for a relatively firm texture. A fruit that's too soft is probably overripe.

Check the weight. If two fruits of the same variety and size have different weights, the heavier one is probably juicier. You can put a fruit in each hand to test which is heavier.

Don't worry too much about color. A ripe grapefruit can be green. A ripe orange can be yellow or slightly green.

Still confused? Pull out your trump card: "The best way to tell if you're making the right purchase decision is to sample it right there," Parker says. Ask a produce worker to cut you a piece.

Apples: Look for firm fruit with no bruises or wrinkles.

Pears: Look for firm fruit with no bruises or wrinkles. Buy a couple of days to a week before eating and leave the fruit out on the counter to ripen. Place near citrus to speed the ripening process.

Bananas: Look for fruit with no visible bruises and store at room temperature. Fruit that's more green than yellow should keep three to four days.