It can be difficult to chose fruits and vegetables at their optimum ripeness. I have the hardest time with melons and pineapple. I have found these tips from Mrs. Dunwoody's Excellent Instructions for Homemaking by Miriam Lukken most helpful.
Asparagus: Stalks should be tender yet firm; tips should be close and compact. Choose stalks with very little white, they are more tender. Use it immediately because it toughens rapidly.
Broccoli and cauliflower: Flower clusters should be tight and close together.
Brussel Sprouts: Should be firm and compact. Smudgy, dirty spots may indicate insects.
Cabbage and head lettuce: Choose heads heavy for size. Avoid cabbage with worm holes, or lettuce with discoloration or soft rot.
Cucumbers:n Chose slender cucumbers for the best quality. They may be dark or medium green, but yellow ones are undesirable..
Root Vegetables: Should be smooth and firm. Very large carrots may have woody cores; oversized radishes may be pithy; oversize turnips, beets, and parsnips may be woody. Fresh carrot tops usually mean fresh carrots, but the condition of the laves on most root vegetables does not indicate degree of freshness.
Cantaloupes: Thick, close netting on the rind indicates best quality. Cantaloupes are ripe when the stem scar is smooth and the space between the netting is yellow or yellow-green\. They are best to eat when fully ripe with a pleasant, sweet, fruity odor.
Honeydews, Honeydews are ripen when the rind has a creamy to yellowish color and velvety texture. Immature honeydews are whitish green.
Watermelons. Ripe watermelons have some yellow color one side. If melons are white or pale green on one side, they are not ripe.
Pineapples. Pineapples are ripe when a leaf at the top of the pineapple pulls out easily.
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