Six Tips to Picking Fresh Produce

We’ve all been there: frozen in the grocery aisle in front of the fruits and vegetables, unsure of which to pick. Grocery shopping can be gruelling if you don’t know how to choose fresh produce, leaving you rummaging through the rows in search of the elusive One. To save you from this crisis – and any crippling self-doubt – here’s how to pick six of our most popular fruits and vegetables. 

These gorgeous berries should be a deep blue or purple colour, and not overly soft, wrinkled or mouldy. Their colour is an indicator of their maturity, not their size. You can shake them gently in their container to ensure they’re moving freely, and check that there aren’t juice stains or soggy fruit.

While fresh blueberries should be refrigerated at home, all berries taste better when they’re eaten at room temperature. Before digging in, remove them from the fridge and let them sit for 30 minutes.

 

The bananas you pick depend on what you have planned for them. If they’re for immediate eating, pick bananas that are bright yellow with little or no green at the ends. If they’re for eating in a few days, then choose bright yellow ones with more green around their ends.

These should be stored at room temperature and should ripen over the next couple of days. Either way, avoid bananas that are bruised or split.