Your brief and concise guide to buying the best fruits and veggies!!!
We as Canadians, really can’t imagine our lives without fruit featured dessert delicacies or yummy salads!!!! Fresh fruits and vegetables are part of a healthy diet and lifestyle in our everyday busy lives. But present day reality suggests otherwise; how fresh actually are these food sources which we consume on a daily basis and is there a need to look for signs so as to determine their level of freshness so as to eat healthy? Here are some important things to ponder upon when you are on the grocery run!!!
The important thing to keep in mind is to make use of all our senses when purchasing fruits and vegetables just like meat and fish, mainly smell and feel, in order to see how fresh they really are. In fact, June 7 is observed as World Food Safety Day, in which the quality of food, unadulterated products and it's overall health benefits are looked at.
Some Easy Tips To Check Freshness
- The intensity of the green color and how crispy they look give an idea regarding their freshness.
- Pale, yellow, wilted or brown vegetables are not to be bought since they won't last long.
- Cabbage can give off a healthy appearance externally, but internally it would be a different story, especially the ones with a hole in it which screams NOT FRESH!
- Root vegetables such as turnips, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, and such are considered fresh based on their weight. (The more they weigh, the more fresh they are. A giveaway is if the skin isn’t smooth and wrinkle-free)
- As for potatoes, wrinkle-free, has dirt from the soil, non-sprouted and not-green ones are considered fresh.
- Onion and garlic, being hard and heavy and without sprouts, come off as fresh as well.
- Whiffing the vegetables or fruits to take in the smell is also a way to find out how fresh they actually are.
- Grapes, when lifted off their bunch, if it starts to fall, indicate their low level of freshness.
- Needless to say is the fact that lemons, oranges, grapefruits and tangerines with brown spots are usually spoiled.
- A light aroma is the ideal smell, while a strong one may be due to ripening in excess.
- If the fruit smells sour or stinky, it is well beyond its prime.
- In short, a light and sweet smell can tell that the fruit is ripe and very much fresh.
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Any sort of coloration on the surface of fruits and vegetables, dark marks/spots, white streaks are all signs of spoilage.
- Some vegetables and fruits may show presence of softness at specific regions, which can mean rotting or bruising.
- It is also wise to avoid those with cracks, which means the vegetable or fruit may be dry.
Seasonal Availability Of Fruits & Veggies
Another main thing about finding fresh vegetables and fruits clearly depends on their seasonal availability.
When it comes to availability of fruits and vegetables, let's go through a quick accessibility guide on some of the most popular fruits and vegetables
What’s in Season in December
Pears, Brussels Sprouts, Rutabagas, Turnips, Beets, Carrots, Cabbage, Red Onions, Garlic, Leeks, Potatoes, Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Pears
What’s in Season in January
Rutabagas, Turnips, Beets, Carrots, Cabbage, Red Onions, Garlic, Leeks, Potatoes, Squash, Sweet Potatoes
What’s in Season in February
Rutabagas, Turnips, Beets, Carrots, Cabbage, Red Onions, Garlic, Leeks, Potatoes, Squash, Sweet Potatoes
What’s in Season in March
Rutabagas, Turnips, Beets, Carrots, Cabbage, Red Onions, Garlic, Leeks, Potatoes, Squash, Sweet Potatoes
What’s in Season in April
Asparagus, Radishes, Fiddleheads, Spinach, Fava Beans, Rhubarb, Peppers (greenhouse), Tomatoes (greenhouse)
What’s in Season in May
Asparagus, Radishes, Fiddleheads, Spinach, Rhubarb, Kale, Salad Greens, Morel Mushrooms, Arugula, Swiss Chard, Green Onions, Peas, Cherries
What’s in Season in June
Asparagus, Radishes, Spinach, Rhubarb, Kale, Salad Greens, Arugula, Beets, Lettuce, Green Onions, Gooseberries, Saskatoon Berries, Strawberries, Broccoli, Celery, Swiss Chard, Garlic (Fresh), Peas, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Turnips, Zucchini, Fennel, Cherries
What’s in Season in July
Gooseberries, Saskatoon Berries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Currants, Cherries, Blackberries, Apricots, Nectarines, Green Beans, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Swiss Chard, Cucumber, Garlic (Fresh), Leeks, Lettuce, Green Onions, Peas, Peppers, Potatoes (New), Radishes, Rhubarb, Salad Greens, Spinach, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Turnips, Zucchini, Beets, Peaches, Watermelon, Kale
What’s in Season in August
Raspberries, Currants, Cherries, Blackberries, Apricots, Apples, Crab Apples, Blueberries, Gooseberries, Melons, Nectarines, Pears, Plums, Prunes, Strawberries, Artichokes, Green Beans, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Swiss Chard, Corn, Cucumber, Garlic (Fresh), Leeks, Lettuce, Green Onions, Parsnips, Peppers, Potatoes (New), Radishes, Rhubarb, Rutabagas, Salad Greens, Shallots, Spinach, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Turnips, Zucchini, Beets, Eggplants, Grapes, Peaches, Watermelon, Kale, Pears
What’s in Season in September
Cranberries, Apples, Crab Apples, Blueberries, Grapes, Melons, Pears, Plums, Prunes, Artichokes, Green Beans, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Swiss Chard, Corn, Cucumber, Garlic (Fresh), Leeks, Lettuce, Green Onions, Onions, Parsnips, Peppers, Potatoes (New), Pumpkin, Radishes, Rutabagas, Salad Greens, Spinach, Tomatoes, Turnips, Zucchini, Beets, Eggplants, Nectarines, Watermelon, Kale
What’s in Season in October
Cranberries, Apples, Crab Apples, Pears, Quince, Artichokes, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Swiss Chard, Corn, Garlic (Fresh), Leeks, Lettuce, Green Onions, Onions, Parsnips, Peppers, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Radishes, Rutabagas, Salad Greens, Spinach, Turnips, Beets, Eggplants, Kale
What’s in Season in November
Cranberries, Pears, Quince, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Radishes, Rutabagas, Turnips, Apples, Beets
What’s in Season in Canada Year-Round
Thanks to green house technology, we can enjoy many fruits and vegetables year -round like Mushrooms, Cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes , lettuce etc .
The lack of expiration dates that comes along with these fruits and vegetables is surely a challenge. Hence, it is vital to keep in mind to look out for signs and examine whatever fruits or vegetables that sit polished and faultless in front of you have the potential to be bought or not. So when in doubt, order your fresh fruits and crisp veggies in just a click from NDfresh and we will bring you farm fresh premium quality products to your doorsteps.