Tip of the Week: Fresh Produce*

As long as we’re talking vegetables, here is my tip for the week.  Garden produce should be used at its peak of size and freshness, which means no waiting until the zucchini look like small boats before inviting your neighbors to share in the bounty.  No tossing the cucumbers into the fridge and letting them roll around until they bend listlessly in half.  I once heard a farmer say he never picked his corn until the water was boiling on the stove.  This is good advice which can be applied to produce from the store as well.  No one will enjoy that limp parsley dangling from its stems because you forgot to use a zip-lock bag, or that cantaloupe over-ripening on your countertop.  Fruits and vegetables are expensive, and are investments in your family’s good health.  They should be treated with care and eaten while still full of the vitamins you’ve paid dearly for with both your time and your money.

*Originally distributed July 2014