Appearance
When choosing strawberries, experts recommend paying attention primarily to the appearance of the berries, their color and general condition. Depending on the variety, the color can range from bright red to dark red, the berries should be clean, without damage and dents. The presence of spots on the berries may indicate plant disease, various injuries. Ideally, the berries should be firm, without any damage and spoiled parts. And, of course, they should look ripe. But it's not good when strawberries are overripe either. It's better to choose fresh berries, with or without the "stem", but always with a "cup" - green leaves adjacent to the berry.

Smell
The smell when choosing strawberries is no less important than appearance. Strawberries should smell nice, having a pleasant natural aroma, without unpleasant odors such as rot or dampness. If the berry has no smell at all, then it's very likely that it didn't ripen naturally.

Size
The opinion that large berries contain nitrates and are therefore harmful, while small and medium ones don't, is incorrect. It should be noted that the size of the berries depends not on nitrates that might have been used in cultivation, but on the strawberry variety. There are different varieties of strawberries, and nitrates are found in berries of any size, everything depends on how and where they were grown.

Taste
Good strawberries should be tasty. And if there is such an opportunity, it's better to taste the strawberries before buying them, just don't forget to rinse them with water beforehand, so it will be useful to take a bottle of water from home when going to the market.

Packaging
It's better to buy strawberries in open containers. The berries are packed in small decorative baskets or plastic containers. This way, strawberries can be evaluated by their appearance and aroma, which cannot be done if they are in closed packaging. Condensation can cause the beginning of the rotting process and it's almost impossible to notice spoiled berries if the packaging is not transparent.