Sunday, September 16, 2007

Ask Mary...How do you pick out the freshest vegetables?





There are ways to pick out vegetables so that you are getting the absolute best product.

1. How to tell if a vegetable is New or Old?
Typically you should check to see how heavy the vegetable is. When Vegetables get old they become much lighter due to water loss.

2.How can you pick out the best tasting vegetable?
Usually if a vegetables is smaller they will have more flavor.

3.How do you pick out mushrooms?
Make sure the mushrooms are firm and do not indent when you touch them. They should not be wrinkley, and have no moisture.

4.Use all of your senses
Taste-Take a bite if you can, (grapes, small tomatoes, if they offer samples) you don't want to buy something that doesn't taste good.
Smell-Always smell what you are going to buy. It should actually smell like the vegetable. If it doesn't have a smell I wouldn't suggest buying it.
Touch-Make sure that what you are buying is firm and not too mushy (even if it is tomatoes or avocados you don't want it to be too mushy because it won't last long.)
Hear-Ok so obviously you are not going to do this to all vegetables, but you can tap on vegetables, and listen for a nice solid sound. If it sounds hollow then it probably has lost a lot of water.