How do you know whether a fruit is good or bad? How can you tell whether a vegetable is tasty or not? Well, there are no guarantees, but this guide should put you on the road to fruitful shopping.

Have you ever found yourself having to consume your fruits or vegetables in quick succession because they were going bad too fast?
Or have you on the other hand had to wait for what seemed like ages before you enjoyed the fruits or vegetables because you bought them before they were ripe?
Or maybe every time you want to buy fruits and veggies you have to enlist the help of a friend or the vendor?

While selecting the right fruit or vegetable may seem straight forward in some cases (I mean, it doesn’t require rocket science knowledge, you may argue), there are certain things to look out for if you want to go home with nature’s best. Each fruit or vegetable found in Kenya has a unique characteristic that indicates whether it is ready for eating or not. Here are some of those:
•    Pineapples: Now I know better than to simply judge it by the sweet, fresh smell. A ripe pineapple should be heavy and its rind tinged with orange. It should not be bruised or have any soft, moist spots. Pull out a leaf from the middle of its plume (which should be green). If it comes off easily, the fruit is ripe. If any resistance, keep looking…
•    Watermelons: This should be fun. Since it is not easy to tell its readiness from the outside colour, gently thump it with your ear close to it. If it is ready, the result should be a hollow sound. Also there should be no damage to the skin or any soft spot on it.
•    Mangoes: Colour cannot be a standard measure since there are different kinds of mangoes in Kenya. Gently press the fruit and it should yield slightly to the pressure if it is ready. The skin should be smooth and even; soft spots indicate rotting. Wrinkled skin tells that they were picked too early, and thus not sweet.
•    Apples: The skin should be shiny and not wrinkled. The fruit should be firm, no soft spots, bruises or blemish. Its shape should be round.
•    Bananas: Forget the ones you see being hawked when you are stuck in traffic in Nairobi… a good banana should not be bruised and it should be partially green at the time of purchase. Bruises will make the fruit go bad faster.
•    Tomatoes: They should be partially red, smooth and yield slightly to pressure.
•    Onions: While I would rank the size as my number one, the ones you choose to pick should have dry, papery skin. They should be intact at the base of the bulb, not soft or moist. Waste no time if they have green sprouts.
•    Cucumbers: Again, I would naturally go for the fat ones. Wrong! Apart from being firm, smooth and green, the medium sized or small ones are better. This is generally true of all fruits and vegetables. Bigger than ‘normal’ is not always better. Go for medium sized items. They are usually sweeter and juicier.
•    Kales and spinach: They should be dark green, firm and have a fresh look.
In summary the main indicators to watch out for are colour, smell, weight and response to pressure.

By Wilhelminah Wabuke
Additional information from www.ehow.com, www.culinaryseduction.com, www.about.com