Pomegranate

Let a pomegranate sit in your hand before you buy it. Weight tells you more than color ever will. Compare two fruits of the same size — the heavier one means the seeds inside are plump and full of juice, packed tight against each other. A light one feels hollow when you cup it in your palm, and no amount of blush on the skin will fix that. The skin itself should feel taut, with no soft spots, and the crown at the top should be dry, not damp or moldy. One average pomegranate weighs around 250 grams, and the seeds inside are what you're paying for — the rind and the pale membranes take up more of that weight than people expect.

Some people say a smooth, perfectly round pomegranate is the best one, and an odd, angular shape is a flaw. No! Don't judge a pomegranate by how round it looks. I've picked plenty of lopsided, flat-sided fruit that felt heavy and hard as stone in my hand, and they cut open full and juicy every time. What matters is what your hands tell you: heft it, press it gently, look at the crown. Chase looks alone at the market, judging only by roundness or color, and you may walk home with a fruit that seems fine but pours out dry, half-shriveled seeds when you cut it open.