Maturity and ripeness are not the same thing in fruit

We all want to shop the produce section and farmers markets for the ripest fruit we can find. Or do we? In some cases, the ripest fruit is not the best buy. In fact, in some cases it should be avoided.

To understand why, we first need to delve into the complexities of ripeness and maturity.

Ripeness and maturity are separate but linked processes. Think of it this way: Maturity is when the fruit has assembled all the building blocks necessary to create flavor; ripeness is the process by which those blocks are assembled into something greater.

Ripening is a little more complicated — it’s a bell curve that begins with hard green fruit and ends with rot. During that process, the cell walls of the fruit soften, allowing the various separated chemical compounds to mingle, turning what was once simple flavor into a perfume that’s much more complex and grand.

Some fruits mature and ripen at the same time. Citrus, berries, cucumbers and grapes, for example, will only ripen while they’re on the plant.

But other fruits — apples, peaches, plums, nectarines, some melons and tomatoes — will continue to ripen after they’ve been picked. These are called climacteric fruits.

Fruit that is picked before it matures will never ripen.

One key part of the ripening process for most fruits is softening. And with softness comes vulnerability. Fruit that is completely ripe is fragile and can be damaged very easily.

If you’re willing to wait a day or two, pick a piece of fruit that may feel firm now but that nevertheless will become fully ripe without you having to do anything.

There are ways you can speed up the ripening of climacteric fruit ( put it in a paper bag, add an apple or banana), but if left alone at room temperature, the fruit will take care of itself. To slow or stop the ripening process, refrigerate it.