by Sherry Horton Blake

Created on: February 04, 2010

Did you know that most produce in the United States travels an average of 1500 miles before it arrives in your grocery store?  When you purchase this far-traveling produce, you are purchasing food that has much less nutritional value and flavor than the original product.  If you are interested in more nutrition and better tasting produce, then the place to shop is your local farmers’ market where you can buy seasonal fruits and vegetables fresh from the garden or farm.  Furthermore,  you are helping to reduce pollution caused by packing, shipping and storing the produce.  You can go even further in purchasing the healthiest produce by buying organic produce.  Even though the organic produce may cost a little more, you know you are buying food that has not been sprayed with pesticides or grown in chemical fertilizers. 

Regardless of the season, you can find fresh vegetables and fruits at most local farmers’ markets.  In Oklahoma where I live, I can find Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, various greens, parsnips, potatoes, winter squash and turnips through at least part of the winter.  In the spring, I visit the farmers’ market to buy fresh asparagus, radishes, various greens, spinach, beets, carrots, parsnips, lettuce and many other items.

In the summer,  most farmers’ markets are a delight with a multitude of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Among the items you can find at the Oklahoma farmers’ market in the summer are fresh apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, corn, cucumbers, carrots, green beans, peaches, plums, peas, peppers, raspberries, lettuce, summer squash, strawberries and tomatoes.

In the fall, I look forward to apples, cauliflower, celery, grapes, various greens, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, pumpkins, broccoli, cantaloupes and carrots.  I buy lettuce and herbs year-round because these products are often grown in greenhouses, and the flavor does not really vary much from those grown in fields. 

It is important to get familiar with the characteristics of the various fruits and vegetables so that you can be sure you are getting a fresh product.  For example, if buying broccoli or asparagus, you should make sure they are dark green with compact heads.  Winter squash should be firm, and snow peas should be bright green with a snap.  Apricots should be slightly soft but not bruised, squash should be firm and corn should have a tight green husk around the cob.  When buying any berries, be sure to check for mold in the bottom of the container.  For more tips on what indicates the freshest produce, check out this site, “Eating in Season”  (http://hubpages.com/hub/Summer_Fruits_and_Veggies). 

Although it is fine to buy some vegetables and fruits and let them ripen after purchase (i.e. tomatoes, bananas), some produce will not become sweeter with ripening as they contain no reserve starch that can be converted into sugar.  If you buy a cantaloupe that is too green, for example, although the cantaloupe will soften, you will end up with a cantaloupe that is not very sweet. 

In summary, it is worth the time it takes to acquaint yourself with what fruits and vegetables are in season and with the characteristics of fresh produce.  It is also more than worth your time to make a trip to the local farmers’ market where you will find nutritious, ecologically sound and immensely flavorful fruits and vegetables!

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