Apples should smell fresh and their stems should be intact. They should have firm, shiny, and smooth skin. Avoid apples with bruises.
Look for bright green asparagus. The stems should be crisp and firm and should snap (not bend) when bend them. Look for dark green spear tips that have a hint of purple, which shows freshness.
Look for leaves that are smooth and whole, that have a strong aroma, and that are bright in color.
Purchase beets that still have the leaf stems attached. Look for small beets with firm, blemish-free skin and that have bright green leaves that are not wilting.
Pick berries that are firm. Avoid bruised, damaged, or leaking berries.
Look for fresh green leaves and firm stalks. Avoid bok choy that is wilted.
Look for dark green bunches that have no yellowing or odor. Floret leaves should be evenly colored with no wilting. Avoid thick, fat, or woody stalks.
Look for bright green, firm sprouts, and avoid sprouts with loose leaves. Brussels sprouts flavor should improve in cool weather and after a frost.
Pick cabbage that is firm and heavy and that has a compact head and crisp, fresh leaves. Avoid cabbage with yellow leaves, splits, or soft spots.
Choose a cantaloupe that is fragrant and that has a cream or yellowish undertone between the netting (the pattern on the outside skin).
Carrots should be firm, evenly shaped, and smooth with a bright skin color. Avoid carrots that are cracked, rough, shriveled, or green at the top.
Look for cauliflower with bright green leaves. The curds (the head) should be brightly colored and compact.
Look for celery stalks that are pale to bright green and crisp when you pull apart the stalks. Avoid celery with wilted leaves or that has black or brown spots.
Look for full leaves that are bright in color. Avoid yellow or wilted leaves.
Look for large, firm, bright, shiny cherries. Make sure stems are nice and green.
Sweet cherries should be a darker red or yellow and larger than sour cherries.
Chose cilantro that has bright green leaves. Avoid cilantro with wilted or limp leaves and leaves with yellow or brown spots.
Look for crisp, dark green, plump leaves. Avoid yellowish and torn leaves.
Chose firm, slender-shaped cucumbers that are green. Avoid cucumbers that are ripening to yellow or enlarged in the middle.
Leaves of fresh dill should be green and feathery. Choose dill that has hardy stems. Avoid stems and leaves that are wilting or yellowing.
Select an eggplant that is firm and with a calyx (the leaves on top) this is fresh and green (not brown or dry). Avoid eggplant that has cracks or discolorations.
Look for white bulbs that are heavy for their size. Avoid bulbs with soft spots and discoloration. If stems and fronds are present, look for firm, long stems with green color.
Select firm, plump, smooth, and crisp fruit. Grapes that are firmly attached to the stem are fresh.
Chose medium-size, bright green, firm pods with no sign of wilting or decay.
All honey is not created equal. This choice is up to the consumer.
If leaves are still attached, make sure they are bright green and firm. Avoid kohlrabi with wilted leaves, brown spots, or cracks.
Look for healthy stems and vibrant colors. Avoid lavender with wilted stems.
Look for firm, smooth leeks that are white at the base and dark green toward the top. The stalks should be firm and crisp.
Look for lettuce that is vivid in color and has fresh-looking leaves. Avoid lettuce that has leaves that are wilted or have brown edges.
Fresh lima beans are usually sold in their pods, which should be dark green, plump, and firm.
All grades of syrup are naturally delicious.
It has been historically recommended to use lighter syrup as table syrup and darker syrup for baking applications.
Look for crisp, fresh greens (leaves and stems). Avoid limp or wilted greens.
Look for vibrant green leaves. Avoid brown or wilted leaves.
Select firm dry onions that have little to no scent. Avoid bulbs with blemishes, cuts, or bruises.
Look for deep-green, crisp leaves. The leaves and stems should not be wilted or yellow.
Choose fruit that gives a little to the touch, like an avocado or peach.
Look for firm, fuzzy peaches that yield to gentle pressure. Inspect at the bottom of a peach for its color. Chose yellow peaches. Avoid blemished peaches.
Chose pears that are firm. Check the "neck" for ripeness by gently applying pressure to the narrow end of pear with your thumb. If it yields to pressure, then its ready to eat.
Choose plums that are slightly soft when gently pressed with your thumb.
Pick potatoes that are about the same size, and that are firm, dry, and clean
Look for pumpkins that are deep orange and heavy for their size. Avoid pumpkins that are soft, cut, or bruised.
Choose firm, smooth, brightly colored radishes. If the tops are attached, they should be green and fresh.
Look for slightly soft and plump berries that are deep in color. Avoid soft or mushy raspberries.
Look for crispy stalks that do not have scars, cuts, or visible decay. Make sure stalks aren’t pithy inside.
Look for fresh green leaves. Avoid rosemary with wilted, yellow leaves.
Look for healthy, tender green-gray leaves. Avoid sage with discolored or wilted leaves.
Look for evenly colored, fresh, blemish-free beans that snap easily when bent.
Look for bright red, shiny strawberries that are firm. The caps should be attached and green.
Choose squash that are heavy for their size, glossy, and small to medium size.
Look for fresh, green husks that are insect-free. If the kernels are visible, make sure they are plump.
Peppers should be firm, and the stem should be fresh and green. Avoid peppers with wrinkles, black spots, or cuts.
Look for small to medium sweet potatoes that have smooth, even-toned, and deep-colored skin. Avoid sweet potatoes with holes.
Look for vibrant green leaves. Avoid leaves that are yellow or have dark spots.
Tomatoes should be firm with shiny skin. Avoid tomatoes with breaks in the skin or bruises.
Choose turnip roots that are heavy for their size and free of soft spots.
Look for a yellowish spot where the watermelon rested on the ground. Pick a symmetrical melon that seems heavy for its size.
Pick winter squash that are heavy for their size. Avoid winter squash that have moist, black, or shriveled stems.