Carrots recipes ». How to choose carrots? The best way to choose carrots is by the greens — they should be fresh and crisp looking. After that, make sure the roots are deeply colored whatever the color and vibrant and make sure there are no cracks or deep dings.
How to store carrots? Store carrots tightly wrapped in the crisper drawer. Be sure to remove the tops before storing as they will draw moisture from the roots, wilting them faster. Extra tips Want to look like a genius cook?
For cooks, cauliflower has two distinctive personalities. Blanch it briefly and it has an aggressive, grassy quality that pairs well with big flavors like olives and garlic.
Cauliflower recipes ». How to choose cauliflower? Cauliflower heads should be firm and tightly closed. How to store cauliflower? Though it seems durable, cauliflower is extremely perishable. Keep it tightly wrapped in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Extra tips Unlike other vegetables, the color of cauliflower lasts through cooking, particularly if you add a little acidity, either vinegar or lemon juice. All of them have fairly crisp, ridged stems and thick, fleshy leaves that are, frankly, unpleasant raw but become absolutely wonderful when cooked.
Chard recipes ». How to choose chard? The stems should be firm and crisp. Examine the cut end — it should be somewhat moist and fresh-looking, with minimal darkening.
How to store chard? Keep chard tightly wrapped in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Extra tips Chard often seems to be sandier than some other greens, so clean it thoroughly by covering it with water in the sink and then giving it a good shake.
There is no surer, happier sign that summer is coming than the appearance of the first cherries at the market. Cherries recipes ». How to choose cherries? Look for cherries with firm, shiny, smooth skins.
Usually the darker the red, the better with the most common varieties, this is a sign of ripeness. Also check the stems, they should be green and flexible; they turn brown and woody in storage. How to store cherries? Refrigerate cherries in a tightly sealed plastic bag. Extra tips Cherries are also closely related to almonds; if you want to beef up the flavor of cherries in a dish, add just a drop or two of almond extract. Corn is frustrating. Old varieties had terrific flavor, but the sugar started converting to starch sometimes within hours.
Still, is there anything sweeter than that first bite of corn on the cob? Corn recipes ». How to choose corn? Ears should be well filled out check the tips of the ears to make sure there are kernels , and make sure the silk is still soft, not dried out.
Extra tips White corn is not necessarily sweeter than yellow; which color you prefer has more to do with where you were raised than the actual flavor of the corn. Cool and crisp, incredibly refreshing in salads, cucumbers — along with tomatoes — are the stars of summer.
And these days you can find so many different kinds. Cucumbers recipes ». How to choose cucumbers? Choose cucumbers that are firm, vibrantly colored and without any soft or shriveled spots. How to store cucumbers? Keep cucumbers in a tightly sealed bag in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Also, take a bite — if the cucumber is excessively bitter, peel them because the compounds that cause bitterness are usually located right under the skin.
The sheer variety of eggplants in the market can be a bit overwhelming, but there is good news: For the most part, eggplant tastes like eggplant. Only the degree of bitterness varies somewhat. Other than that, the main difference among the varieties is texture. Eggplant can be firm, even slightly stringy, or it can be creamy. This can be hard to predict, although generally the familiar black globe eggplants are among the most fibrous.
Eggplant recipes ». How to choose eggplant? There are a lot of myths about eggplant and bitterness. So be sure to choose eggplant that is firm, even hard to the touch. There should be no shriveling or soft spots. Also check the calyx the green leaves at the stem end ; it should be fresh and green, not dried out and brown. How to store eggplant? You can leave eggplants at room temperature for a day or two with no ill effects.
After that, refrigerate them, but not for too long. Odd as it may seem, eggplant is a tropical fruit and suffers chill damage very quickly. Extra tips Eggplant is one of the best vegetables on the grill — cut it into thick slices, brush with garlic-flavored olive oil and cook over a medium fire until soft.
Then brush with more olive oil and sprinkle with vinegar and salt. There are few spring flavors that rival that of a really sweet English pea, but there are also few flavors more transitory. English peas recipes ». How to choose English peas? Look for pods that are firm and crisp. The color in general should be a saturated pale green. How to store English peas?
Refrigerate in a tightly sealed plastic bag. Extra tips Shucking peas is one of the most communal of cooking activities.
If nothing else, you can talk about how boring it is. One of the most popular of all farmers market vegetables, favas have ascended to culinary stardom contrary to all reason.
And you have to buy a mountain to wind up with a molehill. It takes more than 3 pounds of pods to make enough for two respectable servings of beans. And then you have to peel them a second time to remove that fine pale skin that surrounds each bean. But still, is there any taste that promises spring as much as that bright flash of green you get from a fava bean? Fava beans recipes ». How to choose Select pods that are firm and filled out along the entire length.
How to store Store favas in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed plastic bag. Extra tips The easiest way to peel that second skin from favas is to collect the shucked beans in a work bowl and pour over boiling water just to cover. Either way, its licorice flavor is a perfect fit. Fennel recipes ».
How to choose fennel? Look for fennel with fresh-looking greens on long branches. As the fennel sits, the greens wilt and grocery managers trim them. The bulbs should be bright white with no discolorations or soft spots.
How to store fennel? Keep in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed plastic bag. You may need to double-bag in order to cover the fronds. Figs are among the most sensuous of fruits, almost melting in texture and with a sweet, jam-like center. Considered rarities not so long ago, fresh figs have become more and more available in the last five years as cooks have discovered their magic. Figs recipes ». How to choose figs? You want them soft and ripe but not smashed.
A few tears in the skin will be just fine, though. Real fig lovers say to look for a drip of moisture in the little hole at the bottom of the fruit. Smell is important, too. How to store figs? Figs are so delicate that they have to be refrigerated; they can start to spoil within a few hours of being harvested. Extra tips Some green fig varieties are grown primarily to be dried — they have thick skins and the flavors are unremarkable.
The stars of deep summer are big juicy tomatoes. But unfortunately those take a while to ripen. Rather than jump the gun and settle for less-than-great fruit, choose these little tomatoes, which are bred to ripen early.
Grape and cherry tomatoes recipes ». How to choose grape and cherry tomatoes? Choose tomatoes that are vibrantly colored and without soft spots or wrinkling. How to store grape and cherry tomatoes? Store tiny tomatoes as you would the big ones — at room temperature. Extra tips There are so many ways to use these little tomatoes, but one of the best is in a pasta sauce: Cut them in half; warm butter, garlic and the tomatoes in a skillet over medium heat; add a splash of white wine and cook just until the tomatoes have softened and released their juices.
The largest and latest of the citrus fruits, grapefruit need some heat to sweeten up. This is especially true of the large pummelos and the crosses that come from them, such as Oroblanco. Grapefruit recipes ». How to choose grapefruit? Choose grapefruit that are heavy for their size; they are full of juice.
Rub the peel with your thumbnail; the fruit with the most perfume will be the most flavorful. How to store grapefruit? Because their peels are so thick, grapefruit can be stored at cool room temperature for a week or so. But refrigerating does them no harm. Try making a beet salad with grapefruit. But you can find grapes with real flavor at farmers markets. Grapes recipes ». How to store grapes? Store grapes tightly wrapped in the refrigerator.
If the grapes are moist when you buy them, slip a paper towel into the bag to absorb the extra moisture. Extra tips For a real treat, late in the season look for Thompson Seedless — the predominant California variety — that have begun to turn golden. The flavor is terrific. The world of green beans is split pretty neatly in two: the round and the flat. The round beans and even thinner haricots verts need to be cooked quickly in order to preserve their delicate crispness.
Flat beans repay extensive cooking as their thick hulls take a while to tenderize. Green beans recipes ». How to choose green beans? Green beans should be crisp and firm. There should be no soft spots or signs of discoloring. How to store green beans? Keep beans refrigerated in a plastic bag. How do you know winter is finally closing out and spring is coming? Green garlic in the farmers market is about as reliable an indicator as any.
Originally the thinnings from garlic plantings, it became so popular farmers are growing it on purpose. Green garlic recipes ». How to choose green garlic? Green garlic comes in a range of sizes, from slim as a green onion to almost fully formed heads. If a hard papery skin has formed, it will have to be removed. How to store green garlic? Store green garlic in the refrigerator, but keep it tightly sealed. Extra tips Green garlic is simply immature garlic. It has the perfume of the grown-up version, but is milder in flavor.
Cook it slowly in butter and it makes a wonderful pasta sauce. Once the province of gardeners only, even modest supermarkets now stock rosemary, thyme and oregano.
Rosemary recipes » Thyme recipes » Oregano recipes ». How to choose hardy herbs? Choose hardy herbs that show no signs of wilting or browning. How to store hardy herbs? Keep hardy herbs in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in plastic. Better yet, grow them in a pot on a sunny windowsill. Extra tips Be careful cooking with hardy herbs.
While you can throw around soft herbs such as basil and mint with relative abandon, most hardy herbs have a much more assertive flavor and can become bitter when used incautiously. Kale recipes ». How to choose kale? Kale is remarkably durable, which is why it has become such a popular wintertime garnish.
But still, it will wilt eventually, so look for leaves that are thick, fleshy and crisp. Extra tips The trick to cooking kale is to take your time. The lower and slower the cooking, the sweeter and nuttier the final result.
For the suddenly popular kale salads, be sure either to shred the leaves very finely, or to massage them roughly with a little oil and salt until they soften. Childhood trauma from eating canned lima beans? Get over it. There are few vegetables as delicious as a properly cooked, fresh lima bean, and there are few easier to prepare. Lima beans recipes ». How to choose lima beans? Though shucking beans takes some time, the pods are really the best indicator of freshness. How to store lima beans?
Lima beans should be refrigerated in a tightly closed plastic bag. Extra tips Render some bacon or prosciutto, soften shallots, add the lima beans and cream just to cover. These small, easy-peeling citrus fruits come in a wide variety, and the season extends well into spring. Mandarin recipes ». How to choose mandarins? Look for mandarins that are deeply colored and firm. If they are sold with the leaves attached, make sure the leaves are fresh and flexible.
How to store mandarins? Because the skin is so thin, mandarin is one citrus fruit that needs to be refrigerated, tightly sealed in a plastic bag. There are two main families of melons: those with rough, netted or reticulated rinds muskmelons, cantaloupes, etc. The difference has nothing to do with color: There are orange-fleshed honeydews and green-fleshed cantaloupes such as the Galia variety.
Netted melons tend to have a slightly buttery texture and a flavor that tends much more toward the musky hence the name. Smooth melons such as honeydew will have crisp texture and a very floral flavor. Melon recipes ». How to choose melons? With netted melons, the best indicator is smell; they should have intense perfume. Also, the net should be raised and the rind underneath it should be tan to golden, not green. The best clue is color — it should be rich and creamy. The rind will also feel almost waxy.
If you find a melon that has freckles, buy it — those are sugar spots. How to store melons? If you like melons chilled, refrigerate them overnight. Much longer than that and they can start to develop soft spots and pitting. Extra tips Melons are extremely sweet, so try pairing them with salty ingredients, such as thinly sliced prosciutto or country ham, or with blue cheese.
Where most lemons — especially ones grown commercially — offer little more than a jolt of acidity, the flavor of a Meyer is softer, rounder and more floral. Think of the taste of a lemon crossed with a tangerine. Meyer lemon recipes ». How to choose Meyer lemons? Meyer lemons should be firm and the peel should be soft and smooth. Rub the peel with your fingernail and you should get a strong whiff of that distinctive Meyer perfume.
How to store Meyer lemons? While most lemons have thick rinds and can be left at room temperature for days without ill effect, the peel of a Meyer is thinner and more delicate.
Refrigerate them, wrapped in a plastic bag. Extra tips The peel is soft and smooth and contains the oils that carry so much of the fragrance. Locally grown berries are everywhere now: raspberries both red and golden , blackberries, olallieberries, boysenberries, loganberries, marionberries and even locally grown blueberries.
Berry recipes » Blueberry recipes » Blackberry recipes » Raspberry recipes » Boysenberry recipes ». How to choose mixed berries? Look for berries that are vibrantly colored, taut and shiny. Dull or wrinkled skin can be a sign that berries are over the hill. How to store mixed berries? Berries are very delicate and should be refrigerated tightly sealed.
Not so long ago, these little gems think of what you can only dream of a blackberry tasting like were so scarce that they were sold like contraband. Celebrity pastry chefs practically stalked the few farmers who had them.
Mulberries have been a little more plentiful recently, though if you want them you certainly have to get to the farmers market early and know whom to ask. But with mulberries, the hunt is part of the savor. Mulberries recipes ». How to choose mulberries? Mulberries should be slightly firm, deeply colored and fragrant. How to store mulberries? Because they are so fragile, mulberries should be refrigerated as soon as possible.
Extra tips Because mulberries are so rare, serve them as plainly as possible — just a little lightly sweetened whipped cream or yogurt is perfect. Though mushrooms are one of the last foods we eat from the wild, they also lend themselves to industrial production. Today at the market you can find brown button mushrooms, slightly larger cremini mushrooms and really big portobello mushrooms — all essentially the same mushroom at different stages of growth. And new growers are introducing Asian mushrooms to the produce market: shimeji, maitake also called hen of the woods and king trumpets a large oyster mushroom.
And then there are the greatest luxuries of all — the wild mushrooms. Mushrooms recipes ». How to choose mushrooms? Winter: The colder months are the best time to take advantage of fruits and vegetables that store well, such as apples, cabbage, carrots and potatoes — all ingredients that shine in soups and stews. View Ontario or Atlantic produce guides. Related Articles.
Your Guide to Canadian Produce Our handy tips will help you predict when your favourite homegrown produce will reach their peak. Cookie collection and updated privacy commitment We have updated our privacy commitment and are now collecting cookies to provide you with ads tailored to your interest across the internet. For more information about cookies and how to disable cookies, visit our privacy commitment.
Learn more. Subscribe Toggle. Subscribe to our eFlyer Email. We Heart Local B. Dream even bigger with a moist, cream cheese frosted carrot or parsnip cake yes, parsnip cake! As the seasons change, so does the fresh produce. Asparagus arrives in April in British Columbia, May in the rest of the country, continuing into July towards the East Coast — along with fiddleheads , radishes, spinach and later peas, beans, cauliflower and broccoli.
We begin to see fresh lettuce and radicchio, along with celery and fennel in British Columbia, following in July in the rest of Canada. Fruit also begins with outdoor rhubarb , as well as strawberries and cherries in May, continuing into July.
Make the most of these months with light pastas, simple salads, pies, tarts and where weather allows — a little grilling. As summer hits, things kick into high gear with seemingly unending produce options. Stone fruits like peaches, plums, apricots and later nectarines burst onto the scene, tending towards an earlier arrival in British Columbia, soon ripening across the country and finally arriving in the Atlantic provinces in September.
Berries also arrive this time of year, making it the perfect opportunity for crumbles, preserves and general good eating. Melons are now in full bloom, begging to be soaked in summery sangrias , wrapped in prosciutto and added to salads. And early pears and apples make their way onto the scene in late August, rounding out fruit season.
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