Tips for Choosing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

This is the third part of a series on shopping for fresh fruits and vegetables.
When you buy produce, you want the most for your money. But fruits and vegetables don’t come with an expiration date. I’ve collected these tips for helping you choose the freshest fruits and vegetables. Please share your tips in the comments.

Fruits and vegetables have seasons and you can’t always find the quality you want. Be flexible.

Always examine fruits and vegetables for blemishes, especially holes where insects may have entered. Many surface blemishes don’t affect the produce. But a soft spot will spread quickly to the rest of the fruit.

Produce, unless it is not ripe yet, should give off a fresh smell.

I’ve divided the produce into two categories: 1) Produce that starts going downhill from the moment it’s picked and 2) Fruits (mainly) and vegetables that can ripen or improve after you buy them.

Ten Questions to Ask When Buying Produce

This is Part II of a series on shopping for produce.

See Part I: Ten Questions to Ask Before Going to the Store.

Okay, you’ve assessed your supply and your future needs. You have a list and a plan. But it’s best to be flexible. Produce shopping is not an exact science.

Here are some questions to ask yourself as you walk through the market or the produce aisles in the grocery store.

1. Where did this food come from? For example, does it have a high level of pesticides? Is it grown locally, which saves on energy costs and pollution?
2. How ripe is it? You want a balance between produce that is ready to eat or will keep longer.

Ten Questions to Ask Before Going to the Store

I’m starting a short series on grocery shopping, with a focus on fruits and vegetables. Today I’m giving you questions to ask yourself when planning a shopping trip. Go here for more on menu-planning.

1. What food do you have in the house? Check what you need to use up. Look in your refrigerator to see what fresh and cooked produce is spoiled or leftover. Why didn’t it get used up? Keep receipts to compare from trip to trip.

Refreshment Help for Hosts

I often host clubs, committee meetings and speakers in my home. The standard refreshments in our community at these events are bought or homemade cakes, soft drinks, bottled water, packaged “snack” foods, fruit, and nuts. I prefer not to buy the prepared foods both because of health and cost. Whatever is left, my family will eat.

Don’t Bite the Bugs: How to Prevent Insect Infestation

Insects aren’t necessarily bad for you, and insects in grains have served as a source of Vitamin B12 for vegans in some countries. However, they can destroy your food. And most people prefer not to include them in their diet. Since bugs aren’t kosher, I’ve learned techniques for keeping bugs out of food in the […]