With the farmer’s market just around the corner from my new pad, I decided to put more of a focus on filling my fridge with more local and seasonal fruit and vegetables. With that new habit came a bit of a learning curve that included learning how to pick the ‘right’ fruits and veggies at the right time so I end up nourishing myself and not just becoming a generous contributor to our community’s compost heap. Here’s what I’ve learned so far:

1.  There are fruits that will not ripen after being picked. This goes for summer favorites like grapes, citrus, watermelon, pineapple and most berries.

2. There are a handful of fruits that ripen off the vine* but don’t necessarily get sweeter. Melons, stone fruit, blueberries and figs will get more colourful, softer and juicier making them perfect for baking and easier to emulsify in a blender for a quick morning smoothie.

* The exception: Avocados. My all time favourite fruit is only fruit that ripens off the vine.

3. Then there’s the special group of fruit that does exactly what you want it to do: The get progressively sweeter as the days goes by. This group includes mangos, kiwis, pears and apples.

4. Bananas are a funny one. I always end up over ripening these suckers, which isn’t a bad thing (hello banana bread and raw ice cream). You can use the paper bag (combined with an apple or tomato) trick I mention below, that being said if you do need to slow down the process separate them from one another and refrigerate. The skin will turn brown but the ‘meat’ will still taste awesome.

As I mentioned above, there are a few things you can do to speed up the waiting game and get these guys in your belly faster. In all instances what you’re looking to do is harness naturally occurring ethylene gas.

Paper Bag Trick: Snag the firm fruit in question, toss and seal it into a paper bag. If you’re in a rush, toss a couple additional pieces of ethylene-producing fruit (figs, kiwi, plums etc) in there to speed up the process. I tried this with tomatoes and found better luck wrapping them in newspaper. I wrapped them individually and twisted the seal to prevent mold.

Rice Bath: I learned this trick in India; it doesn’t require any additional fruit like the above tip. All you have to do is submerge the fruit in a bag or container of rice. Rice is great for harnessing ethylene and (as long as you don’t forget the super firm mango you tossed in there) it’s perfectly good to eat after!

Swaddle ‘em in cloth: Toss your super solid-staples on top of a clean and breathable cotton or linen napkin (keep terrycloth outta this). Make sure your fruit is stem-side down and not touching anything but cloth. Pop another napkin or tea towel on top and let ‘em marinate for a few days. You’ll smell their beautiful fragrance when they are ready for eating.

Did I miss an awesome tip here? Share in the comment below or feel free to tweet us your tips @Luvoinc. In the meantime, I hope this gets you and your family moving through more fruit!