The Express 30s Guide On How To Choose Durians
1) Look for holes on the husk exterior. Holes are signs of worms.
2) Look at whether the bottom of the durian has cracked open. Open indicates it has been some time since harvested.
3) The inner part of the stem should be white. If it is black, it has oxidized from being too long off the tree. But this does not mean that it’s a bad durian. Just means that it’s not fresh.
4) Hold the durian with both hands. One hand on top, one hand below. Rotate it to a horizontal position and give it 2 good shakes. You want to feel movement inside the fruit which indicates ripeness.
5) Smell the top and bottom part of the fruit. If there’s something terribly wrong with the durian, you should be able to tell with the aroma. And you’d look very pro in front of other people when doing this 😀
6) If you are having the seller dehusk and packed into a box for you, press the flesh when it is open to ensure that it is soft.
This is a quick express guide to choosing durians. Sometimes we get into intense high-pressure moments to buy durians and just need a very fast primer on what to look for on durians.
If you have more time, do check out the extended guide where more factors are elaborated about picking good durians.