How to Tell Your Summer Fruits Are Ripe
It's that time of year again when every other type of food seems less tasty and way too heavy. I feel like, after dinner, I'm always reaching for something sweet and during the summer months, that includes eating plums, raspberries and a handful of cherries (although not all at once). There's just something lovely about having a small bowl or plate of fruit to munch on but how can you tell if they're ready to be devoured? Let me tell you :)
Strawberries
Strawberries that are just right should be plump and a rich red colour. If the strawberry has any white, yellow or green areas on it, then it's likely they're not ripe enough and so they'll be sour rather than sweet. Once picked, strawberries won't ripen, much like other berries. So what you see in the punnet is what you get. Avoid ones that aren't red all over.
If your strawberries have over-ripened...
- Whizz up a jam
- Add them to homemade bakes, like sponges and scones
- Make a smoothie
- Try your hand at milkshakes
- Bake a fruit pie
- Turn into a sauce and drizzle over puddings and ice cream
Plums
Determining how ripe a plum is can be difficult when compared to other fruits. A Ripe, juicy plum will be heavy in the hand and slightly soft. If it's extremely soft, then it's likely over-ripe and it's time to do something else with it. Its colour, generally, won't change. Purple or almost black plums will generally get darker in colour, however.
If your plums have over-ripened...
- Make a jam
- Caramelise and use it as an ice cream topping
- Make a plum sauce and drizzle over fruit pies or crumbles
Cherries
These stop ripening from the moment they're picked off the plant. But ripe cherries will be plump and full as well as deep in colour. They will also still have their stems attached. It's important to note, however, that there many different varieties of cherry out there, so be sure to do a bit of research if you're after anything other than a bog-standard cherry.
If your cherries have over-ripened...
- Turn into a jam
- Make a fruit crumble
- Bake a fruit pie
- Throw into a smoothie
- Blend and use it to dress a salad
- Use as a sauce for grilled meats
Mangoes
Mangoes are at their best when they smell - that's right, smell - strong and tropical. They will also be slightly soft rather than rock hard or squishy. If you find that the skin is a bit speckley or bruised, then don't worry because this is actually quite a good sign :) If you want to keep it for any length of time, then store it in an air-tight container and place in the fridge. You should then use it within a week, whether over-ripe or not.
If your mangoes have over-ripened...
- Add them to smoothies
- Make baby food from it
- Turn it into a puree
- Chop it up and put it in the freezer to use as delicious ice cubes in fruity drinks
- Rustle up a chutney
- Decorate the tops of cakes
Raspberries
Raspberries will, unfortunately, stop ripening up as soon as they're picked off the plant itself. But if you're at the supermarket and want a ripe, juicy punnet of raspberries, then you should choose the box with the largest fruits inside that are also rich in that red, pinky colour. However, if you find that there's some juice at the bottom of the punnet, then this is a sign that they're overripe, so you probably shouldn't choose this box if you're wanting raspberries that are just right!
If your raspberries have over-ripened...
- Turn them into jam
- Add them to homemade bakes
- Make a smoothie out of them
- Throw some into an Eton Mess
- Use as an ingredient in a cocktail or mocktail
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I hope you enjoyed this blog post? Which summer fruits are your favourite and how much are you looking forward to tucking into them when they're ready? I love raspberries and cherries around this time of year! I'll see you again very soon with a brand new blog post :)
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