Fruits and Vegetables

Farm to Table Farm to table process: Grown at the farm Picked and processed Transported to stores Sold at stores Consumed by you

Purchasing Why should we pick/purchase some produce ripe vs. green: They transport better Need to ripen off the tree/plant for complete ripening Peaches, pears, bananas, kiwi, cantaloupe, watermelon, avocadoes Purchasing in season means they are readily available. Why should we buy them in season? FRESHER better tasting less expensive Fresh produce should be pretty, firm to the touch and aromatic. Pick nutrient dense or a variety of dark and bright colors to obtain lots of nutrients. You should buy only what you need and store fresh produce for no more than 1 week at a time.

Purchasing Canned fruits/veggies should have no dents Frozen fruits and veggies should be frozen throughout and picked up last when shopping, store them at 0 degrees, and put away quickly before they thaw.

Ripening Plants need carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. This is called ripening. As produce ripens complex carbohydrates turn into simple sugars that makes them sweet. When the enzyme works for too long the produce spoils This processes of “dying” can be slowed by storing produce at low temperatures. Some produce needs to ripen before it’s refrigerated to develop it’s full flavor.

NUTRIENTS Fruits and Veggies are high in Vitamins Minerals Fiber (skin) Water Most contain no FAT and are low in sodium and calories. Because of the fiber found in the skin we should choose whole fruits over things like juices and packaged produce. Air, Heat and Water destroy the nutrients in produce. NUTRIENTS

Preparing Always wash produce before eating to remove impurities , and pesticides. Peel produce only when needed. This helps to prevent vitamins and minerals from breaking down. Frozen and canned veggies are partially cooked and only need a few minutes to warm them. The best ways to cook veggies is by microwaving and steaming If you boil veggies, you should always reduce: WATER Time Cut veggies into large pieces You can tell they are done if the texture is tender crisp. They should still have vivid (bright) color and flavor. This retains maximum amounts of nutrients.

Enzymatic Browning Raw fruits and vegetables have enzymatic browning which is when oxygen turns the produce brown . It can be prevented and slowed by using salty water or acid like lemon juice or pineapple juice to cover them.