Smell. First and foremost, you should pay attention to fragrance when picking strawberries. Good berries have a strong and full aroma without additions. If the smell is weak, it was probably grown with chemicals.

Color. Strawberries should be bright red and a bit glossy. Dark red berries should be treated with care: vendors could have artificially added color to them. Pale strawberries that are green in places aren’t ripe and won’t ripen after they’ve been picked, so don’t take them.

Shape and size. The shape and size of strawberries depend on their variety, so there’s no general advice on that. Just don’t be tempted by berries that are too big: they could be filled with water for volume. Also, pay attention if the strawberries are damaged: they’ve already started to rot.

Seeds. The farther away the seeds are from each other and the deeper they sit, the sweeter the berry is.

Leaves. A leaf at the base of a berry can also say much about its quality. First of all, it should be there: a strawberry won’t last long without it. Secondly, if the leaves are dry or yellow, it means the berries have been on the shelf for a few days. And the last piece of advice: if there’s a gap between the leaf and the berry, then it’ll probably be sweet.