One of the most frustrating things as a consumer is coming home from the store expecting to be completely satisfied with your purchase only to discover that you’ve been oversold. This is especially true when it comes to the food we buy. Spending all that time looking for the perfect produce at the grocer’s or farmer’s market and then coming home to discover what you picked isn’t actually fresh can be very disappointing. To keep this from happening to you, here are three tips that will help you bring the freshest and healthiest produce home each and every time.
Understanding The Colors
Recognizing what the colors of fresh produce mean and how to tell which ones contain the healthiest elements is a great way to ensure you’re getting nutrient-rich food brought right into your home. According to Tracey Roizman, a contributor to SFGate.com, the color of the fruits and vegetables you buy and eat can tell you a lot about the nutritional value of them. For example, red and orange signifies vitamin C, green means iron, and dark colors are usually rich in antioxidants. So if you’re trying to get a larger amount nutrients, look for a fruit or vegetable in the corresponding vibrant color.
Know Individual Signs of Ripeness
Picking a ripe fruit or vegetable can be a challenge, especially if you don’t know the signs of ripeness for the individual fruit or vegetable you’re looking at. Luckily, Ashley Watson, a contributor to WiseBread.com, shares some secrets for how to tell if each fruit or vegetable is ripe enough to eat. Regardless of if you’re buying avocados, melons, or corn, this list can tell you the exact way to tell if you’re picking a winner.
Use All Your Senses
To ensure you’re getting the perfect ripeness and freshness of your produce, you’ve got to use your five senses: touch, taste, sight, scent and sound. Depending on what you’re purchasing, you may have to check how hard or soft it is, listen to how hollow it sounds, look for soft spots, smell its sweetness, or try a little taste. Not only does this information help you with finding ripe produce, but Julie R. Thomson, a contributor to the Huffington Post, gives other tricks to tell if specific fruits or vegetables are ripe. For example, Thomson suggests not using your fingers to check the firmness of fruits because you may bruise it inadvertently. Instead, squeeze it with your palm to see if it’s the ripeness you want.
The summer months are the perfect time to take advantage of fresh fruits and vegetables at their peak. Use the tips mentioned above to ensure you always make it home with produce you can’t help yourself but eat.