Produce can be a girl’s best friend. But it can also be super intimidating! I always feel like it’s weird to pick up the fruit or veggies and feel them and then put them back if I don’t like it. The fact of the matter is that there is a right way and a wrong way to purchase produce.
Once you’ve found the right produce, using a Veggoodle. can take your veggies to the next level. So, here are ten quick tips for purchasing produce from Queen Martha herself!
- Buy locally if you can. The reason? Local fruits and veggies are usually more on the fresh side since they have less distance to travel to get to the market. Having said that, if you’re busy and a big box store is all you’ve got, then #2 is for you!
- Take your time! It’s okay for you to spend some time looking over the produce. This is where I struggle the most, especially if I’m shopping with my kids. So, looking at #3 is the next best step.
- Look at the produce visually-is it the right color/texture? Does it have bruises or soft spots? Regardless of the produce, fresh fruits and veggies will have a vibrant and fairly unblemished appearance.
- Feel the produce! Are there soft spots? Most fruits and veggies will be firm to the touch, but if you’re looking at something softer (like plums) handle them gently and just make sure they have an equal firmness.
- Look for unified color! For example, bananas that have a green tint are a few days from being truly ripe and ready to eat. Leaving them at room temp (or putting them in a brown paper bag) will allow them to turn yellow and ripen fully.
- Smell. This is one of the more underrated ways to check out fruit. Melons, for example, should be fragrant when you pick them out. Most fruits should give off a heavy fragrance.
- Weight! You want your produce to have some heft to it. Especially with melons-they should feel heavier than they look.
- For stone fruit (think plums, peaches, apricots) you want fragrant fruits with taut skin. They should give when gently pushed, but avoid fruit with a lot of bruising or too much give.
- For veggies like cucumbers, asparagus, and corn, look for vibrant color and a firm texture.
- When all else fails, ask the grocer! I’ve struggled picking melons in the past, but some of the best we’ve ever purchased have been because the grocer was willing to help us out.
Hopefully these ten tips can help you feel a little less intimidated in the produce aisle or at the farmer’s market! Best of luck!
Tips via MarthaStewart
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