Buy in season
Check your local farmers' market or watch for specials at the grocery store. Don't buy produce that's bruised or moldy – even if you cut off the bad part, the rest is likely to decay quickly.
Buy local
Locally grown produce doesn't have to travel very far to get to your table, so it tends to be fresher and less expensive. And veggies grown close to home often taste better too because they're allowed to ripen naturally.
If you shop at a farmer's market, go early in the day when produce is freshest. When you buy loose produce, you can pick the best of the bunch.
Try organic
Buying organic vegetables means you don't have to worry about pesticides or genetically modified foods. But buying organic can be a lot more expensive, too.
If you want to go organic, shop at your local farmers' market or food co-op. Organic produce from these sources is often less expensive (and tastier) than what you find at a chain grocery store.
Use your nose
When choosing fresh produce, follow your nose. Fresh lettuce and squash, for example, have a distinctive, garden-fresh aroma.
How to choose the freshest vegetables
Beans: Snap beans are available all year. Choose firm, crisp beans with good color. Don't choose beans that are soft, wilted, or blemished. Beans with thick, fibrous pods were left on the vine too long before being picked.
Beets: Available year-round. Pick smooth, deeply colored beets with a slender root. Avoid beets with badly wilted or decayed tops, wilted or flabby beets, and elongated beets with round, scaly areas around the top surface. (They'll be tough, fibrous, and strong-flavored).
Broccoli: For best flavor, look for broccoli with tightly closed bud clusters that are dark green, sage green, or even purplish green. If the buds are open or yellowish, the broccoli is past maturity. Also watch for soft, slippery, water-soaked spots on the bud cluster – a sign of decay.
Carrots: With year-round availability, carrots are a staple among kids. Best bets are those that are firm, richly colored, and smooth. If the tops are attached, they should be green and fresh-looking. Don't buy carrots with large green "sunburned" areas at the top or carrots that are wilted, floppy, or have spots of rot on them.
Celery: For dipping or cooking, choose celery that's glossy, has a light to medium green color, and has stalks that are crisp and firm. Slightly wilted celery can be freshened by putting the butt end in water, but give a pass to celery that's badly wilted. And don't buy celery with hollow or discolored centers.
Corn: This favorite is most widely available from May to September. Choose ears with moist kernels and green husks. Avoid those with dried kernels or visible worm damage or decay on the silk ends. Also steer clear of corn with yellow, wilted, or dried husks and discolored or dried-out stem ends.
Cucumbers: These are most plentiful during summer. Best choices are firm and deep green in color. Avoid overgrown, fat cukes with dried ends or a dull color that's turning yellowish.
Greens: The most common greens are spinach, kale, collard, turnip, beet, chard, mustard, broccoli leaves, chicory, endive, escarole, dandelion, cress, and sorrel. Choose greens with tender leaves, smooth stems, no insect damage, and good color. (Beet tops and red chard should be reddish.) Pass on greens that have leaves with thick, fibrous stems or are soft and yellowish green.
Lettuce: This staple is available year-round in most areas. Iceberg lettuce should have a round, solid head and crisp, medium green leaves. Iceberg lettuce that is very hard and pale has been harvested too late and may lack flavor. Butter lettuce should have soft, light green leaves, and fresh Romaine should have crisp, dark green leaves. In leaf lettuce varieties, look for bright color and a soft texture without any wilting.
Onions: Yellow, red, and white onions should be mostly blemish free, firm, and dry. Don't buy onions that are very soft or thick, hollow, and woody. Also give a pass to any that have a wet neck or have sprouted.
Peppers: Green and other colored peppers should be glossy and firm with no flimsiness or wilting. Don't choose peppers that are wilted, have thin walls, or have soft, watery spots of decay.
Potatoes: New potatoes (usually harvested in early spring and late winter) should be firm and have no sprouts or discolored areas. Baking potatoes should be firm, smooth, and without sprouts.
Squash: Summer squashes (such as zucchini, pattypan, yellow) are best when the skin is glossy and the squash isn't too big or tough. Fall and winter squash (such as butternut, delicious, and acorn) should have a hard exterior and be heavy for their size. Check squash for cuts, punctures, sunken areas, or moldy spots on the rind – all are indications of decay.
Sweet potatoes: Both yams (which have orange-colored flesh) and dry sweet potatoes (which have paler flesh) should be firm and smooth with no signs of either wet or dry decay. Even if you cut away the decayed portion of a sweet potato, the rest of the potato may have a bad taste. Both types should be kept refrigerated.
Tomatoes: Locally grown tomatoes have the best flavor. Choose richly colored tomatoes that are neither too firm nor too soft. Don't buy tomatoes with sunburn (green or yellow areas near the stem scar) or growth cracks (deep brown cracks around the stem scar). Generally, the richer the smell, the tastier the tomato. If tomatoes need further ripening, put them in a warm place away from direct sunlight. For best flavor, don't store tomatoes in the refrigerator.
