12個絕招讓你挑到最好的水果（下）

　　When testing avocados, use the palm of your hand, not your fingers.

　　判斷牛油果熟不熟要用手掌，不能用手指。

Since not all avocado varieties look the same when ripe (some of them, like Hass avocados, turn dark purple when ripe and others remain light green), the best way to check for ripeness is through touch. An avocado should give slightly to touch when ripe. Use your palm to test for ripeness. If you test with your fingers, you may bruise the fruit.

不是所有的牛油果成熟時看起來都一樣(比如哈斯牛油果熟的時候會變成暗紫色，而其它品種還會保持着青色)，所以最好的鑑別方法就是用手按。按的時候成熟的牛油果會稍微凹下去。要用手掌按。用手指按可能會把牛油果按淤。

　　Peaches give it away with the color near the stem.

　　桃子熟不熟要看蒂周圍的顏色。

When peaches are ripe, they turn a reddish and yellowish color. The part of the peach that was in direct contact with the sun becomes red, and the part facing away -- what is known as the ground color -- becomes yellow. You want to be sure there's no green tint around the stem. That's the true test. When perfectly ripe, a peach will give slightly to touch and will smell as a peach should taste.

桃子成熟後會變成淡黃色加上淡紅色。朝着太陽的那一部分會變成紅色，其它部分會變成黃色，也就是它的底色。蒂附近的地方一定不能有綠色。然後就是真正的測試了：桃子完全熟了之後，用手按一下會感到微微有點軟，聞起來也會很香甜。

　　Plums show their ripeness in the quality, not color, of their skin.

　　從顏色很難判斷李子熟不熟，但成熟的李子質感很好。

You can't judge a plum by its color. Some varieties are the same deep purple color when they first begin to grow on the tree as they are when ripe. When looking for ripeness in a plum, you want a slightly soft and smooth skin. Skip any that are wrinkled, hard or mushy.

從李子的顏色不能看出李子熟不熟。有些品種剛在樹上長出來就已經是暗紫色的了，跟成熟後的顏色一樣。成熟的李子是稍微有點軟的，皮是光滑的。起皺的、硬梆梆的或者軟綿綿的都不要買。

　　Cantaloupes that are ready to crack open show it in their weight.

　　熟得快要裂開的哈密瓜會比較重。

A ripe cantaloupe will feel heavy and smell sweet. (If the cantalope smells overly sweet, chances are it's overripe.) The most dependable sign of a cantaloupe's ripeness is to slightly push at the stem end; if it gives a bit then it's ready to eat.

成熟的哈密瓜會比較重，聞起來會有點甜。(如果聞起來甜得過頭的話，那這個哈密瓜很可能是熟過頭了。)辨別哈密瓜熟不熟最可靠的方法是輕輕掰一下莖的末端，如果它斷掉了一小截，就說明這個哈密瓜可以吃了。

　　A ripe eggplant should be tight and elastic, never soft.

　　成熟的茄子應該是緊緻有彈性的，不會是軟的。

Every part of the eggplant provides signs of its ripeness. The stem and cap indicate freshness. If they're bright green, the eggplant is still fresh. If it's starting to turn yellow or brown, it's past its prime. The skin of an eggplant should be deep and dark in color and free of scars or blemishes. When you put pressure on the fruit, the skin should be tight and elastic. If indentations remain were your fingertips where, the eggplant isn't ready yet.

從茄子的每一部分都能看出茄子有沒有熟。從莖和蒂能看出茄子新不新鮮。如果莖和蒂是青色的，那茄子就還是新鮮的。如果莖和蒂已經開始變黃或者發暗，那這個茄子就老了。茄子皮顏色應該要深，而且要沒有疤痕。用手按一下應該會感到皮是緊緻有彈性的。如果放開手之後凹陷還在的話，那這個茄子就還沒熟。

　　Watermelon sounds hollow and feels heavy when ripe.

　　成熟的西瓜會比較重，敲着會感覺到是空心的。

When you buy a whole watermelon, you're investing in a lot of fruit and should be sure that it's perfectly ripe. A ripe watermelon is heavy; this indicates that it's full of water. To check for ripeness you can tap on the watermelon. If it sounds hollow, it's ripe. Another easy way to ensure ripeness is to check the underside of a watermelon. If it has a yellow or light spot on the bottom, it's ready to eat. If the stripes of the melon are found all around the melon, give it more time.

一個西瓜分量很大，所以當你要買一整個的時候，最好是能挑到最熟的那個。成熟的西瓜比較重，這說明它水分很足。要看西瓜熟不熟可以敲一下。如果聽起來是空心的，那這個西瓜就熟了。另一個鑑別西瓜熟不熟的簡單方法就是看它的底部。如果最底下有一個黃色或者白色的點，那這個西瓜就可以吃了。如果整個西瓜上面都佈滿了條紋，那它還需要一段時間才能熟透。

　　Don't judge a tomato by its color -- for ripeness do a touch test.

　　判斷番茄熟不熟不能看顏色，要用手捏。

You can tell most tomatoes are ripe thanks to their red color. But not all tomatoes are red -- they come in orange, yellow, green and purple shades. The best way to check for ripeness is with the touch test. If it yields slightly to the touch, it's at optimal ripeness. Any more than that and it's past ripe; any less, and it needs a couple more days.

我們很容易就能挑到熟番茄，因爲大部分番茄熟了都是紅色的。但是不是所有的番茄都是紅色的——番茄有可能是橙色的、黃色的或者是暗紫色的。判斷番茄熟不熟最好的方法就是用手捏一下。如果捏下去感覺稍微有點軟，那這個番茄就熟得恰到好處。如果軟得比較厲害，那它就熟過頭了;如果比較硬，那它還要過幾天才會熟透。

　　Corn tells you everything by its husk.

　　玉米好不好，看皮就知道。

The best way to tell when corn is good to eat is by its husk. If the husk is green and hasn't dried out, the ear of corn is still ripe. Corn's silk threads are also indicative of ripeness. They should cling to the kernels, and the kernels should be plump.

要知道玉米什麼時候熟得可以吃了，最好的辦法就是看它的皮。如果皮是綠色的而且沒有幹，那玉米粒就是熟的。玉米鬚也是玉米成熟的標誌。玉米鬚應該要連着玉米粒，而玉米粒應該是飽滿的。