If you grew up thumping watermelons in the grocery store but aren’t quite sure why, this new booklet is for you.

From the Farm to Your Table: Consumer’s Guide to Fresh Fruits and Vegetables is intended to help consumers select high-quality produce from their grocery store shelves.

It explains why there is more to fruit and vegetable quality than meets the eye. Handy tables show the steps between the field and table, which fruits and vegetables should be refrigerated and which should be stored on the counter, and what to look for when selecting produce.

The guide was written by James Thompson and Adel Kader, both of the UC Davis Postharvest Technology Research and Information Center. Thompson, a UC Cooperative Extension agricultural engineer emeritus, and Kader, a professor emeritus of plant sciences, are both authorities on the appropriate handling of fruits and vegetables after harvest.

The 16-page consumer guide is published by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources and can be ordered online for $7 each or 10 for $42.