Cheff Dogg

How do you ensure that the stuff you buy from market for cooking is always fresh? You are at luck. Here is a list of 21 common fruits and vegetables and tips to pick up the fresh ones.

Here is the first thing you should always bear in mind. There are several ways used by the supermarkets and shops to lure the customer into buying their fruits and vegetables. Most often they make the fruits look fresh by making them look colorful.

Please bear in mind that organic fruits and vegetables may not look as colorful or smooth as inorganically grown ones but they often taste better. As a general rule, try to avoid those that have any blemishes in them.

Below are some of the common fruits and vegetables you use every day and the tips to ensure that you are picking up the good ones.

• Apples — Always look for bright colored apples. Avoid bruises or blemishes
• Bananas — Good bananas will be firm and yellow and they will not have any dark bruises. If banana has got any bruise, it is likely to get spoiled quickly when compared to other fruits.
• Beets — Good Beets will have a firm and round shape. Other qualities to keep in mind while selecting this are smooth surface and rich red or gold flesh color. Always try to choose the slender main root.
• Broccoli — They should have dark green florets and should be crisp. There should be no yellow flowers.
• Carrots — Always choose well-shaped, smooth, firm and bright. Don’t pick up the ones with splits or wilting.
• Cauliflower — Check whether there are any dark spots. If they have black spots then avoid those cauliflowers. Try to pick the ones with firm white heads.
• Celery — Pick up the celery with light green crisp leaves.
• Cherries — Dark sweet cherries are deep red and some are almost black. One of the bad things about cherries is that they bruise easily. Because of this you should ensure that you should consume it as quickly as possible. The fresh varieties comes to the market in May to August time period.
• Corn — Choose the one with fresh husks, bright color and silk ends. They should be plump but not mature.
• Cranberries — Deep burgundy color indicates ripeness. Avoid blemishes. Bright color indicates that it is unripe. Cranberries can be frozen for up to one month. We get fresh cranberries during the October to December period.
• Cucumbers — Cucumbers will be having green to white green color when ripe. Shriveled ends yield bitter, tough taste and texture.
• Garlic — Select the Plump ones with firm bulbs.
• Lemons and limes — For more juice, choose smooth skin and a thin peel that gives easily to hand pressure. For zest or slicing, choose firm, rough skinned fruit. Avoid the limes with yellow spots.
• Onions — Choose brittle paper skin. There should not be any soft or moldy spots. Sprouting or woody center indicates spoilage. Onions should be stored in a dry place at room temperature otherwise there is a chance of them getting spoiled fast.
• Parsley — Choose the ones that are fresh looking and not wilted. Trim and inch of the stem bottoms and store the bunched parsley in a glass of water in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.
• Pears — Select the ones that are Ripen in closed paper bags at room temperature with no light. Color depends on variety.
• Peas — Always remember that the peas are sweetest when plump. Choose full pods and pale green color. Fresh peas are available from February to September period.
• Raspberries — Berries mold rapidly and crush easily. Prepare and use within a 24-hour period. Fresh raspberries are available from May to January.
• Strawberries — Select the ones that have a deep bright color with full green caps.
• Tomatoes — Color can vary depending on variety. Choose tomatoes that appear firm, plump, well-shaped and smooth. They should not have any blemishes. To ripen them evenly, place in a closed paper bag.