EGGPLANT
Shape: Choose long, straight eggplants. Small, pointed spikes in the leaves at the base indicate freshness.
Color: Rind should be shiny and smooth, tending to black and without scratches.
Weight: The eggplant should be lightweight, otherwise there is risk that might it contain bitter juice.
Contact: When touching the eggplant, it should feel supple but not soft. The skin to be smooth, tight and free of defects.
For stuffing: Select a shell that’s as dark as possible, indicating its resilience.
After the purchase: Store in the refrigerator, but in a mild area, in a perforated bag, preferably in an uncrowded drawer.
TOMATO CLUSTER
Shape: Make sure the cluster’s stalk is green and fresh. If the tomato falls easily from the cluster it means some time has passed since it was picked.
Color: Red tomatoes are ripe, so it’s best to buy some pinkish tomatoes that will ripen gradually.
Weight: The heavier the tomato, the juicier it is.
Aroma: A fresh tomato aroma should be reminiscent of the smell of soil. If you squeeze a tomato gently and it doesn’t give off an aroma it’s probably not fresh.
After the purchase: Remove the leaves and stalk which might rot after the purchase and impair the tomatoes themselves. Store in the refrigerator.
CUCUMBERS
Shape: The cucumber should best come with a shrinking but not dry flower at its tip. If the flower has dropped it means the cucumber is a few days old. Cucumbers should be straight and not curved like a banana. The small cucumbers are less bitter and therefore recommended over the big ones.
Color: The dark shell means maturity, so chose relatively light-skinned cucumbers, but not yellow ones.
Contact: Make sure the cucumber ends are not soft.
After the purchase: Store in the refrigerator, preferably over a paper towel.
FRESH ONION
Check to make sure the roots are fresh and not yet dry.
Be sure to check that it doesn’t have a lot of layers of fallen shells
The bulb must be intact, rigid, smooth and ripe, but without a stalk which suggests excessive ripening.
A dirty onion doesn’t mean it’s low quality.
After the purchase: Store in a cool, dry place (not the refrigerator necessarily).
SCALLIONS
Shape: Pick shorter leaves, the longer ones are harder to cut.
Color: The darker the green leaves are, the higher their nutritional value.
Contact: The leaves should taut and rubbing the leaves together should make a squeaking sound.
After the purchase: Store in the refrigerator in a perforated plastic bag.
ZUCCHINI
Shape: Make sure that the lower part is wider.
For stuffing: The zucchini that’s best suitable for stuffing is harder and with a thick rind.
Weight: It is advisable to choose the heaviest zucchini.
After the purchase: Store in the refrigerator.
WATERMELON
Shape: Check the watermelon stalk is not withered, which would indicate over-maturity.
Color: One yellow spot is fine, it indicates ripeness. More than one suggests over-ripeness
Weight: The “drumming method” is always good. Tap the watermelon and check to hear a hollow sound which indicates ripeness and sweetness, but note that if the sound is too hollow you got yourself an old watermelon.