Some things are just synonymous with summer: baseball, fireworks, swimming pools and fresh fruit. If you like fruit, July and August can be heaven when everything is fresh off the farm and at its tastiest. But all fruits are not created equal, not even in summer. Pay careful attention to what you're buying so you're not disappointed.
Blueberries
Blueberries are at their best beginning in July and through mid-September. Choose dark ones, deep purple to almost black. They should be firm to the touch. Avoid those with leaves and stems, with one exception: A small white bloom means the berry is at its freshest. When you get them home, remove them from the basket you bought them in and store them in a sealed container.
Strawberries
Strawberries are good whether they're large or small, and the best are first available in early summer. While white blooms are a good sign on blueberries, the same doesn't hold true for strawberries: The leaves should be green and firmly attached. Select those that are fat and fully ripe because once they're picked, the ripening process stops. The berry itself should be a deep red; a white or green top means that it hasn't finished ripening, and that situation is not going to improve when you get it home. After you've bought them, pick out any bruised berries, which can contaminate the healthy ones through contact. Store them in an open container.
Melons
Watermelon is another fruit that stops ripening once it leaves the vine, so test it before you purchase. The old wives' tale of thumping a melon for freshness isn't foolproof, but it's a good start. The sound the melon emits should be hollow. Choose one that's not too green. The bottom should be yellowish. The Food Network says that when it comes to melons, heavier is juicier. When you cut it open, if there are white threads in the flesh, you've probably made a bad choice, according to Fabulous Foods. You can store melons in your kitchen at room temperature up to four days before cutting and serving.
Peaches
A good peach will feel heavy in your hand. Once it passes that test, press your finger against it. The fruit should gently yield to your touch. If the peach you've chosen isn't quite ripe yet, that's OK. Peaches do keep ripening after picking. If you want to hasten the process along, the Food Network recommends putting the peach inside a paper bag, crumbling the bag closed tightly and leaving it at room temperature for a couple of days. Avoid overly hard peaches, which means they were picked way too soon and will never be able to fully ripen.
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