From thumping to smelling to carefully inspecting, there are a lot of tricks to check whether fruit is ripe, and if you’re trying to buy the best blueberries, try out these tips.

When it comes to blueberries, their color is one of the most important cues to their freshness and taste while other factors like size aren’t as important.

Perfectly ripe blueberries should be blue. White or green blueberries are unripe and any reddish or pinkish hues mean the berries are almost ripe.

Since blueberries will not further ripen after they’re picked, choose already-ripe, blue or bluish-purple blueberries for the best flavor.

Aside from their color, look for a dusting of white or whitish-gray “bloom,” which is the coating blueberries develop as protection from the sun to guarantee their freshness.

Ripe blueberries should be firm to the touch and while size doesn’t indicate freshness, blueberries should be a little plump to indicate they were properly watered.

Avoid any wrinkled or mushy blueberries as this is a sign of overripeness, and look for berries in well-ventilated packaging, otherwise, mold may be an issue.