Don’s Tips: When Are Fruit & Vegies Ripe

 pumpkin

A pumpkin ripening on the vine

Many fruits are ripening now:  pumpkins, zucchinis, apples, pears and many more.

But how do you know when they are ripe?

Pumpkins are ripe at any age or size.  The best time to pick them is when the fruit is full grown and the stem has turned brown: cucumbers, zucchinis are so on are best eaten while small as they taste better. 

Beans and peas likewise are better as baby peas or baby beans.  Broad beans can be eaten raw while only about ¾ grown.

Harvest corn when the silk at the top of the cob turn brown.

In general, with softer fruit – like tomatoes, stone fruits etc – havest them a little before full ripening to avoid birds and fruit flies.

As a general rule – harvest early for best results.

Bananas in a bag with other fruit will speed up ripening if you harvested too early.

 

Did you know

Any plant that is fertilised via its flowers is regarded as a fruit, so even though you may know pumpkins, zucchinis, etc as vegetables, they are actually fruits!