Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Food

Produce picking 101

By JANET K. KEELER
Published February 14, 2007

Rule No. 1 about buying produce: If it doesn't look good, don't buy it.

That doesn't mean it can't look strange (like a dusty brown jicama) or ugly (like Florida's famous misshapen tomato).

Any fruits or vegetables you buy should look like they might in the field or grove. Strawberries should not be moldy or discolored. Broccoli florets should be tightly closed and green, not yellowing. Carrots with feathery green tops may be fresher than trimmed ones in bags.

Buying "in season" doesn't mean much anymore because so much produce is available year-round, imported from South and Latin America and even New Zealand (apples). Just because you can buy nectarines in February, though, doesn't mean they will be tasty. Fruits that come from faraway fields tend to suffer the most because they are picked long before ripe. Vegetables hold up better over the miles.

Some tips on knowing when to sniff, when to squeeze and what to look for.

Janet K. Keeler, Times food and travel editor

Melons

- Whole melons are fresher than cut ones.

- Melons should feel heavy for their size.

- Pass on those with cracks, scars or blemishes. Look for the spot on the skin where the melon sat in the field; it should be yellowish if the melon is ripe, especially on green-skinned melons and watermelons.

- Melons need to ripen on the vine. After picking, they will get softer but not sweeter. Melons detach from the vine naturally when ripe. Look at the stem end; if it was cut then it was picked early.

- Store at room temperature until cutting, then move to the refrigerator.

Tomatoes

- Ripe tomatoes yield slightly to the touch, and whatever color they are (red or yellow) should be vibrant.

- A ripe tomato should have a strong, earthy aroma. If you can't smell anything, it's not ripe.

- Tomatoes will ripen after picking. Place them on a counter or in a paper bag to hasten the process.

- Do not store in the refrigerator; cold destroys flavor.

Avocados

- Both the large Florida variety and the California Haas should feel heavy for their size.

- When ripe, both varieties yield to slight pressure. Very soft avocados can be used for guacamole or other dishes that don't require the fruit to hold its shape.

- Smooth Florida avocados are large and green with a yellow tint when ripe; smaller, pebbly-skinned Haas become dark purple, almost black.

- Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator after cutting.

Garlic

- Whole heads should be dry and encased with layers of paperlike covering.

- Pass on garlic heads with green shoots sprouting; they are old.

- The cloves should be firm when pressed; no part of the garlic should be squishy.

- Despite garlic's pungent aroma, a whole head doesn't have much odor.

- Store in a dark, dry place at room temperature. Properly stored garlic can last for months.

Stone fruit (peaches, nectarines, apricots)

- Trust your nose; if they have a sweet, fruity aroma, they are ripe.

- Avoid bruised or discolored fruit.

- Fruit should give to slight pressure.

- Buy fruit that's grown as close to where you live as possible. Though stone fruits will get softer with time, they will not get sweeter after picking.

- Buy only as many as you can eat in a few days. Ripe stone fruit does not store well.

- Don't wash until ready to use.

Apples

- Know which variety you like. A McIntosh will never be snappy-crisp, and a Granny Smith will never be sweet.

- Apples should be firm and smell fresh, not musty.

- Avoid those with blemishes or bruises.

- Apples are generally better in the fall when they are harvested in North America.

- Stored in a cool, dry place, apples can last several months.

Eggplants

- Avoid eggplants with cracks or obvious imperfections. Buy eggplants that are heavy for their size.

- Press the skin lightly. The indentation will spring back if the eggplant is ripe. If the pressure makes no indentation, the eggplant is underripe, and if the indentation remains, the fruit is overripe.

- Eggplants bruise easily, so place them at the top of your grocery bag.

- Store in a cool spot and use as soon as possible. Long refrigeration can make them bitter.

Greens

- Fresh greens should smell sweet.

- Look for crisp green leaves. Avoid bundles that are wilted or too wet. Inspect the whole bunch rather than just outside leaves if you can.

- Make sure stalks are not cracked.

- Buy untrimmed bundles rather than bagged varieties and you'll have more control over quality.

- Use soon after purchase.

Mushrooms

- Avoid mushrooms that look slimy or are shriveling.

- Fresh mushrooms that have not been handled a lot have a slight fuzz on them. That's a good thing.

- Pick mushrooms that feel light and have uniform color. Avoid those whose stems look like rotted wood; they are old.

- Store mushrooms in a paper bag in the refrigerator.

- Use within a few days of purchase, or at most within a week.

Sources: www.allfood.com, www.ehow.com, www.about.com and www.globalgourmet.com. Images: Times file, iStockphoto.com

[Last modified February 13, 2007, 10:36:56]