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

判断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时看起来都一样(比如哈斯牛油果熟的时候会变成暗紫色，而其它品种还会保持着青色)，所以最好的鉴别方法就是用手按。按的时候成熟的牛油果会稍微凹下去。要用手掌按。用手指按可能会把牛油果按淤。

Peaches give it away with the color near the stem.

桃子熟不熟要看蒂周围的颜色。

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.

桃子成熟后会变成淡黄色加上淡红色。朝着太阳的那一部分会变成红色，其它部分会变成黄色，也就是它的底色。蒂附近的地方一定不能有绿色。然后就是真正的测试了：桃子完全熟了之后，用手按一下会感到微微有点软，闻起来也会很香甜。

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

从颜色很难判断李子熟不熟，但成熟的李子质感很好。

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.

从李子的颜色不能看出李子熟不熟。有些品种刚在树上长出来就已经是暗紫色的了，跟成熟后的颜色一样。成熟的李子是稍微有点软的，皮是光滑的。起皱的、硬梆梆的或者软绵绵的都不要买。

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

熟得快要裂开的哈密瓜会比较重。

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.

成熟的哈密瓜会比较重，闻起来会有点甜。(如果闻起来甜得过头的话，那这个哈密瓜很可能是熟过头了。)辨别哈密瓜熟不熟最可靠的方法是轻轻掰一下茎的末端，如果它断掉了一小截，就说明这个哈密瓜可以吃了。

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

成熟的茄子应该是紧致有弹性的，不会是软的。

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.

从茄子的每一部分都能看出茄子有没有熟。从茎和蒂能看出茄子新不新鲜。如果茎和蒂是青色的，那茄子就还是新鲜的。如果茎和蒂已经开始变黄或者发暗，那这个茄子就老了。茄子皮颜色应该要深，而且要没有疤痕。用手按一下应该会感到皮是紧致有弹性的。如果放开手之后凹陷还在的话，那这个茄子就还没熟。

Watermelon sounds hollow and feels heavy when ripe.

成熟的西瓜会比较重，敲着会感觉到是空心的。

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.

一个西瓜分量很大，所以当你要买一整个的时候，最好是能挑到最熟的那个。成熟的西瓜比较重，这说明它水分很足。要看西瓜熟不熟可以敲一下。如果听起来是空心的，那这个西瓜就熟了。另一个鉴别西瓜熟不熟的简单方法就是看它的底部。如果最底下有一个黄色或者白色的点，那这个西瓜就可以吃了。如果整个西瓜上面都布满了条纹，那它还需要一段时间才能熟透。

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

判断番茄熟不熟不能看颜色，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.

我们很容易就能挑到熟番茄，因为大部分番茄熟了都是红色的。但是不是所有的番茄都是红色的——番茄有可能是橙色的、黄色的或者是暗紫色的。判断番茄熟不熟最好的方法就是用手捏一下。如果捏下去感觉稍微有点软，那这个番茄就熟得恰到好处。如果软得比较厉害，那它就熟过头了;如果比较硬，那它还要过几天才会熟透。

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.

要知道玉米什么时候熟得可以吃了，最好的办法就是看它的皮。如果皮是绿色的而且没有干，那玉米粒就是熟的。玉米须也是玉米成熟的标志。玉米须应该要连着玉米粒，而玉米粒应该是饱满的。