Pineapple

Listen, pineapple will not sweeten up after picking the way an apple or a banana does. What it has at harvest is what it keeps. So choosing a good one at the moment of buying is everything.

Forget the leaves. Pulling a leaf from the crown feels like a clever trick, but it tells you nothing you can trust. Use your nose instead. Bring it close to the base, near the stem end, and smell. A good pineapple smells warm and sweet right there. No smell at all — too early, leave it on the shelf. Look at that base too: it should be clean, dry, golden. Any wet, dark or moldy patch means the fruit is past its best. Pick it up — it should feel heavy in your hand, heavier than you expect from its size.

Some people say a pineapple left on the kitchen table for a few days "sweetens up." No! Leave it there and watch — the base goes soft and dark, and the smell turns sharp, almost boozy, nothing like the fruit you bought. That mistake leaves you with a soft, winey, disappointing pineapple instead of a crisp, honestly sweet one. Buy it ripe, eat it soon, keep it cold.