Picking the best corn, pineapple and watermelon

For me, summer is synonymous with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Even the most “I-hate-fruits-and-veggies-only-want-to-eat-french-fries-and-burgers” person can be caught eating a refreshing piece of watermelon in the heat of the summer. Friends and family have complained to me about picking the best produce, and in fact I have one friend (who shall remain nameless to prevent embarrassment LOL) who literally spends up to 30 minutes in just the produce section because she struggles that much on deciding which produce is best. So, I decided to do some research and give you all the tried and true tips to pick the best corn, pineapple and watermelon. Because really, would it be summer without these three gems?

Corn

Choosing the best corn is pretty easy, and if you live in my area, you can’t go wrong with purchasing it from Duffield’s Farm or Puglia’s. Deeeee-licious! Some people peel their corn right then and there in the store, and then can easily see if it’s good, but there is some debate about whether this is “proper corn-buying etiquette”, and some stores don’t welcome it like others.

So, here’s how to pick those babies without peeling them. Corn

Look for tiny brown holes at the top of the husk. Those are wormholes, which everyone wants to avoid, but actually aren’t a concern until later in the season.
Next, feel the kernels through the husk. You want to make sure that they’re plump and plentiful.
Then, look for tassels (or hair as I always called it, who knew corn was on trend this year? Haha) that are brown and sticky to the touch. If they’re dry or black, then it’s an old ear of corn.
And finally, examine the color of the husk. If it’s a bright green and tightly wrapped against the cob (and may even feel damp), then the corn is fresh.

Pineapple

The pineapple should have a sweet scent (if there is no scent then it is not ripe) and be plump and fresh looking. Fresh, green leaves in the crown are a good sign. When you squeeze it, the body should be firm, with a very slight give to it. It should feel heavy for its size, which indicates that there is more juice.

Also, bigger isn’t always better. The larger the pineapple, yes, the more fruit to eat, but that doesn’t mean that it is better tasting or any riper than smaller fruit. The pineapple’s shell color is not necessarily a sign of maturity or ripeness. Interestingly, a pineapple can be ripe when it is practically all green outside, and it will not ripen any further (get any sweeter) after picking.

Here’s a fun fact that might allow you to forget everything I just told you: grab any pineapple and go. Fresh pineapples from Hawaii are picked at maximum ripeness for delivery to U.S. markets. The sooner they are eaten, the better. If you don’t plan to use a fresh pineapple right away, store it in your refrigerator. It will keep better and longer.

Watermelon

Ever see one those yellowish spots on an otherwise perfectly vibrant green watermelon and think, “ew, that must be a bad spot”? Yeah, I thought that for a while too. Well, it’s actually a field a spot and it is a good sign! It is where the watermelon rested while growing and the more yellow (even an orange-yellow) the better, because it indicates that it was picked when ripe. A white or white-yellow field spot proves that it may have been picked too early. Watermelons

Next, look at the webbing. Webbing indicates how many times bees touched the flower. The more pollination, the sweeter the melon!

Third, did you know that there are male and female watermelons?! Who knew! Males tend to be thinner and longer (more of an oval shape) and are watery. Female watermelons are round and short (the look more like a ball) and are sweet. As I said with picking pineapple, size doesn’t matter. It’s best to go with an average size melon, not too big or too small. Finally, the tail of the watermelon indicates its ripeness. If it is green, then it was picked too soon, though a dried, brownish tail means that it is ripe and ready to be eaten (or inhaled if you’re anything like my family and me).

Putting it all together

I found these unique recipes while doing the research for this post, I’m planning to give them a try soon! Once you’ve found yourself the best corn, pineapple and watermelon, you might want to try them as well!

Recipes

Grilled Picnic Corn http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/kelsey-nixon/grilled-picnic-corn-1961004

Tropical Dog (who knew hot dogs could be so fancy?) https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/popular-ingredients/pineapple-recipes/tropical-dogs

Mediterranean Style Watermelon Pistachio-Mint Couscous http://simplecravingsrealfood.com/mediterranean-style-watermelon-pistachio-mint-couscous/

I love hearing from you guys, so let me know how the above tips work for you, if you tried these recipes, or if you have any tips or recipes of your own to share!