One of the biggest tasks in summer is to find fresh and juicy vegetables in the farmer’s market or sabzi mandi. Vibrant fruits and vegetables in this weather help to keep the body cool and hydrated. Whether it is a pulpy mango or crisp vegetables for a fresh bowl of salad, you need to be cautious while picking up the produce.
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Loaded with fruits and vegetables, the stalls can look deceptive. You might think that every item in the load is fresh, but nothing can be far from the truth. In summer, vegetables and fruits tend to get gooey because of the rising temperature. Hence, it is crucial to know how to identify the fresh ones and follow a few tips to purchase juicy produce.
Inspect For Freshness
One of the key hacks is to look for signs of freshness. No matter what produces your pick, try to press it gently to find out if it is tight. Check the skin of vegetables and fruits to verify if it is firm. When the produce starts going bad, its skin gets affected and becomes loose. You should avoid purchasing anything with wrinkled or shrivelled textures. It is a sign that the item won’t last in your refrigerator for long.
Check Ripeness
When buying fruits and vegetables, you must ensure that they are ripe but not overripe. Their firm texture, vibrant hue, and fragrance must remain intact. If the product has mould or bruises, you must avoid buying it. For example, if a tomato has a slight green or orange hue on the skin, it is ripe. However, if a tomato is completely red and a little gooey, it is overripe. The second one won’t last more than a few days and can even damage the fresh ones.
Identify The Fragrance
If you have ever been to the market with your grandparents, you should ask them to show you how to distinguish sweet fruits from sour ones by smelling them. Before even tasting the food, aroma helps a person identify if the food is fresh or stale. Similarly, a sweet mango has a different aroma than raw sour mangoes. It will take you a few shots to understand, but once your brain registers the smell, you will always buy the sweetest fruits.
Feel The Weight
If you are a noob at purchasing vegetables and fruits, you must take an adult with you. They can inspect the weight and tell if the produce is fresh and juicy. You can also ask the vendor to give you some tips so that you become a pro at grocery shopping. If you are purchasing a watermelon, feel its weight. If it seems heavy, it is likely to be juicy. You can also ask the vendor to cut a small piece and taste it.
Pick Seasonal Produce
Buying off-season produce is a bad idea because most of it has spent its days in cold storage, and it is near the end of its shelf life. You can still take a chance in winter because of low-temperature recording, but it is best to avoid risky purchases in summer. Moreover, seasonal produce is much cheaper and fresher compared to off-season vegetables and fruits.
Buy In Bulk
Many people will tell you that buying in bulk in summer is not a good idea, but if you purchase a large amount of fruits and vegetables, you can always refrigerate them and use them for a longer period. If you use the right storage and preservation techniques, the produce will last longer and stay fresh. For example, if you get mangoes in bulk, you can make aam panna, mango chutney, pickles, and several other things.
