How to distinguish whether strawberries are ripened or not

Whether strawberries are ripe can be comprehensively judged by observing their appearance, smelling their aroma, tasting their taste, examining their stems, and measuring their hardness. Ripened strawberries usually have uneven color, light aroma, hard flesh, white or green stems, while naturally ripe strawberries have a rosy color, rich fruit aroma, and soft and juicy flesh.

1. Observe the appearance

Naturally ripe strawberries have a uniform surface color, gradually turning red from the tip to the stem, and the seeds are golden yellow. Ripening strawberries may have red and white patches, with a deep red tip and a bluish white color near the stem. The color of the seeds may be light or green. Due to insufficient growth cycle, partially ripened strawberries have smaller and irregularly shaped fruits overall.

2. Smell

Mature strawberries emit a sweet and fruity aroma, which can be smelled even from a distance. Ripening strawberries may have a light or grassy aroma due to incomplete sugar conversion, and some may have residual chemical agents that cause a pungent odor. Strawberries can be placed in a sealed container and left to stand for a few minutes before opening the lid. The naturally ripe strawberry aroma will be more prominent.

3. Taste

Naturally ripe strawberry flesh is soft and juicy, with high sweetness and moderate acidity, and the flesh is tightly bound to the seeds. The ripened strawberry flesh is hard and has a noticeable fibrous sensation when chewed. The part near the stem has a strong sour and astringent feeling, and some may be bitter. The juice of mature strawberries is bright red, while the juice of ripe strawberries is lighter in color.

4. Look at the fruit stem

Fresh and mature strawberry fruit stems are bright green, and the leaves are stretched without wilting. The stems of ripening strawberries often turn white or yellow, the leaves curl and dry, and some may leave longer stems due to premature harvesting. If there is a white hard core at the junction between the stem and the fruit, it may be a ripening strawberry forcibly picked when it is immature.

5. Hardness measurement

Gently press the surface of strawberries with your fingers. Naturally ripe fruits have elasticity and slight sinking, while ripe strawberries have higher hardness and poor rebound. Mature strawberries have thin and easily damaged skin, while ripening strawberries have strong skin toughness due to insufficient cell development, making them less prone to damage during transportation.

It is recommended to choose local products of the season when purchasing strawberries, and avoid choosing strawberries with drug stains or abnormally bright surfaces. Soaking in light salt water before consumption can remove some surface residues, and those with gastrointestinal sensitivity should peel and consume. Strawberry is rich in vitamin C and anthocyanin, but its nature is cold. It is recommended that the daily consumption should be controlled within 200g. diabetes patients should pay attention to sugar intake. If strawberries are found to be hollow or have color stratification inside, hormones may be used to ripen them and should be avoided from consumption.