Picking Fresh Fruit

Your family loves fresh fruit and there is a UPick lot that you want to check out. Unfortunately you have no idea how to select ripe fruit. Here are a few tips:

Grapes: Look for bright color and slightly soft fruit. You may see a bit of "chalk" on the surface. Trim the cluster of grapes at the stem and lay gently into basket. You can usually find ripe grapes from September to October.

Apples: Look for a tree that has apples on the ground around it. Select your apples directly from the tree. Look for apples on outside branches as they riped before apples toward the center of the tree. You can usually find ripe apples from September to October.

Strawberries: Strawberries start out green, then white to red. Look for mostly red fruit before you pick. They should be firm and plump. You can usually find ripe strawberries from May to June.

Blueberries: Blueberries should come off of the stem with the slightest pull. If part of the stem or "hull" remains on the fruit it is not quite ripe yet. Blueberries are usually ripe between June and August.

Raspberries: Raspberries should come off of the stem with the slightest pull. If part of the stem or "hull" remains on the fruit it is not quite ripe yet. Raspberries are usually ripe between July and October.

Peaches: Ripe peaches will pull off the branch easily when pulled. Look for fruit that is brightly colored and is plump. Peaches are usually ripe between July and August.