Fruits You Should Only Buy Once They're Ripe

Shopping for fruit can be tricky, especially if you've tried to game the system by buying green fruit in the hopes that it might ripen at home. On the flip side, no one wants to buy fruit that's too ripe, only to have it go bad before you can use it at home. But believe it or not, there are some fruits that you should only buy once they're ripe. Though some fruits will continue to ripen after you buy them, there are a few surprising picks that will not. 

Climacteric fruits are those that tend to give off gas that allow the fruit to continue to ripen, like bananas and apples. But for fruits that do not ripen, it means if you buy them green, they will stay green. These fruits are known as non-climacteric. Essentially, when non-climacteric fruits are harvested, they stop ripening. However, they don't stop aging, because the fruit continues to breathe. That's how this fruit ends up going bad without ever getting perfectly ripe (via The Produce Nerd).

There are quite a few fruits that you should only buy when they are perfectly ripe. The list includes berries like blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries to start, though blueberries will continue to ripen. Citrus is a fairly inclusive non-climacteric fruit category. Everything from lemons and limes, to oranges and grapefruits, will not ripen any more than they are when you buy them. Cherries, grapes, and watermelons are also as good as they get by the time they hit the grocery stores.

Pineapples are a particularly tricky one for many people. "There is a common misconception that pineapples will continue ripening on the counter, but that is not true," says Megan Crivelli, a produce expert (via Taste of Home). Indeed, pineapples also fall into this category of non-climacteric fruits. So if you buy it green, then you might have to deal with a tougher, less sweet fruit.

So, use some discretion the next time you go shopping and keep this division of fruit in mind.