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Cooking Tips Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Selection
Fresh Fruit Selection
Look for Fruit that is . . .
- Apples
- Firm, of good color, with no sign of brown scald.
- Avocados
- Bright looking with no bruises and just beginning to soften.
- Bananas
- Plump, bright yellow or red, not bruised or split.
- Berries
- Plump, fully ripe, clean, dry, and with no signs of mold. (Check berries at bottom of container.)
- Citrus Fruit
- Firm, heavy for size. Green tinge does not affect quality.
- Cranberries
- Fresh, plump, firm, with bright color and luster. May be damp but not sticky with fluid.
- Grapes
- Plump, ripe, firmly attached to stems.
- Melons
- Smoothly rounded with coarse netting on rind of cantaloupes. Sunken and callused scar on stem end.
- Peaches
- Ripe but firm, free from blemishes or brown decay spots.
- Pears
- Firm but not hard, free from blemishes or scald.
- Pineapple
- Heavy for size, firm, ripe, with sweet fragrance. Center leaves loosen easily when ripe.
- Plums
- Plump, full colored for variety. Slightly soft with no brownish sunburn.
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Fresh Vegetable Selection
Look for Vegetables that are . . .
- Artichokes
- Compact, plump, heavy globes with tight, fleshy scales and good green color.
- Asparagus
- Tender, bright green, compact tips.
- Beans, lima
- Well-filled, crisp, dark green pods.
- Beans, snap
- Firm and crisp pods that snap easily.
- Beets
- Medium size, smooth and blemish-free with no soft spots.
- Broccoli
- Compact and green clusters with no show of yellow flowers.
- Brussel Sprouts
- Firm, compact and bright green with no signs of worms or lice damage.
- Cabbage
- Solid, hard, and heavy for size.
- Carrots
- Firm, clean, of good shape and color.
- Cauliflower
- Heavy and compact with clean, white color and no smudgy spots indicating lice.
- Celery
- Crisp, clean, of medium length with fresh looking leaves.
- Corn
- Fresh green husks and cobs filled with milky kernels.
- Lettuce
- Clean, crisp, tender, free from brown areas.
- Mushrooms
- Young, plump, small to medium, clean, white, with closed caps.
- Okra
- Tender, fresh, small to medium pods that snap easily.
- Onions (all kinds)
- Firm, well shaped with dry skins and no sign of sprouting.
- Parsnip
- Smooth, well shaped, small to medium size.
- Peas
- Young tender pods with right green color.
- Peppers
- Mature, firm, well shaped of bright green and/or red color.
- Potatoes, sweet
- Smooth, firm and bright yellow (sweet potatoes) or reddish orange (yams).
- Potatoes, white
- Reasonably smooth and clean with no signs of green or sprouting.
- Spinach
- Crisp, crinkly, and unbruised with good green color and no spindly or overgrown stalks.
- Squash, summer
- Firm and heavy for size with tender rind.
- Squash, winter
- Firm and heavy for size with hard, dry rind.
- Tomatoes
- Firm and of good color but not over ripe.
- Turnips
- Firm, smooth of medium size with few fibrous roots.
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