Here’s the first piece of advice – although many fruits and veggies are available in stores year round, for the best flavor and quality, it’s ideal to buy produce that’s in season. Produce chosen at the peak of its respective seasons just tastes better and is, usually, less expensive then. Here’s a list of some summer time veggie and fruit favs that are at their peak from June to August:
· Blackberries
· Blueberries
· Nectarines
· Peaches
· Plums
· Raspberries
· Tomatoes
· Watermelon
· Broccoli
· Cucumber
· Green Beans
· Zucchini
· Sweet corn
Now, on to the using your senses part. Sight, touch, and smell are all involved here. Here are a few tips to picking the best produce:
· Broccoli: Choose broccoli with firm stalks, tight florets, and crisp green leaves. Avoid yellowed or flowering florets.
· Corn: Choose corn with bright green husks and moist, but not slimy, silk. Peel back the husk to ensure the kernels are plump and not dry.
· Cucumbers: Choose cucumbers that are uniformly green (not yellow).
· Tomatoes: Choose tomatoes that are fragrant, smell earthy at the stem end, and feel heavy for their size. Avoid tomatoes with wrinkled skins.
· Blueberries: Choose berries that are firm, dry, and blue (not red or green). A white sheen is natural.
· Peaches: Choose fragrant, deeply colored (not green) fruits that are firm but slightly soft to the touch.
· Watermelon: Choose an average-sized melon, neither the largest nor the smallest one. The watermelon should feel heavy for its size.
