Tips For Selecting Fresh Green Vegetables

Interesting fact : Azadpur mandi is the Asia's largest wholesale market for vegetables as well as fruits, which is located in Delhi, India .

 

Interesting fact : China produces the largest quantity of vegetables in the world, which is almost 580 million metric tons, which is followed by India, which is around 130 million metric tons .

Here is the list of 50 vegetables and the appropriate ways to select the fresh vegetables and how to avoid purchasing damage and stale one as well as you are provided all the essential terminilogy at the end of the chapter .

1. Cauliflower : cauliflower head should be firm and tightly closed because cauliflower that show the indication of softness that is the start of aging or spoilage . Always pick up the white, cream or pale color of heads that feel heavy for their size with  no dark and sunburn spots. floret should be dense and free from blemishes, browning or wet spot as you can see in the below picture  . the leaves of the cauliflower should not be wilted ,but it must be fresh and vibrant which is the sign of freshness .  

2. Brocoli : The head of the broccoli should be firm, closely tight and dark or bright green in color just as you can see in the left side's picture & its leaves should be fresh and free from insect . Avoid buying broccoli with yellow florest, stalks, stem and the leaves which is the sign of aging . In the right side of image, the florets are more open which mean it is not fresh and also do not purchase if the stem seems woody . However you can use in the preparation of dish, soup and stocks .

3. cabbages : it should be large , dense and firm head. Cabbage should be heavy in weight with bright green in color and the outer leaves must be crispy without any crack or bruise . Nowadays, vegetables suppliers may pull out the outer layers of the cabbages to give it a fresh look , so you should be careful about it . another way to select the good one is not to buy  large cabbage because large one is  considered to be a old one and the layers of the leaves are loose , so select medium one and press it with your fingers to check the hardness, if you feel softness then avoid  it. firm head is less likely to get infected with insect, what's more leavers are crispy and closed together as you can likely see in the below pictures .                                                                                          

4. lady finger : okra should be soft and tender , but not to be squashed when it is pressed . prior to purchase it, Always check its tip by breaking it from the fingers ,  it is easily break down , if it  is fresh .   medium size lady fingers are best for purchasing than  large  because large one  are tough and aging and tips are also firm  . 

5. Brinjal : Brinjal  should be firm but not hard, shiny skin and uniform color as well as heavy for their size . purchase small size of brinjal because they tend to be sweeter, less bitter, thin skin and less seeds . Don't buy veggie with melted skin &  not be very soft as you push on it because these are  the sign of aged .

6. Tomato : No matter whether you purchase stale or  unripen tomatoes, especially if you are going to use at your own kitchen. However, it is essential to select the right tomatoes, if it is used in the restaurant and hotel because it is used to prepare gravies, sauce, soups,  and as a garnishing , so always keep in mind that raw tomatoes are least used and  ripen the most, therefore purchase the tomatoes which are completely free of blemishes and bruise , ripen, red or slightly red with the shinny skin and smooth . it  it is not to be very soft as you press it because we have to store it for further use and it would be damage and more ripen till the time  . any tomatoes that looks dull or pale is going to be lackluster . 

7. Green pea : purchase any size of green pea medium or large, but the matter is that, always check the pods .

8. French beans : it is mostly used in the stir fried items such as fried noodles . Always purchase the French beans which contain small seeds rather than large one  and it must be free from insects and any kinds of holes . Don't select too thick & large one because it is aged .

9. Eye bean : There are few things must be considered while buying it. It should be tender and free from holes. Don't select which are which are pale in color and soft when press with finger .

10. Bitter gourd : There are many varities of bitter gourd are available in the market . Don't select the veggie which are soft & large in size because it could  be ripen and the are many seed inside it . if you buy large one then it must be slim not be wide as you can see in the below image . press from the fingers to check the hardness . Do not purchase if there is yellowish and red spots on the bitter gourd because it is the sign of aging .

11. Bottle gourd : The common household name ' lauki ' .  gourd comes in different shapes and sizes such as calabash, cylindrical, bottle, high round, round . the flesh of the  gourd is full of water and taste slightly bitter. Always pick the small or medium size of gourd because it does not contain  large and thick  seeds and the flesh of the gourds are not melted which are good in taste . the skin of the gourd should be bright green and there should not be any black or yellowish blemishes . yellow spots means it is aged and not good in quality . Another tips to buy is to press the skin of the bottle gourd with nail , it is fresh , if your  nail is inserted into it .

12. zucchini : purchase small to medium size zucchini that are firm and feel weighty for their size. the skins should look shiny and smooth with a bright , even green color and blemish -free . Avoid large zucchini because it gets bitter as they grow bigger. 

13. Pumpkin : pumpkins are  available raw and ripen in the markets . Raw is used for preparing vegetables   dish , therefore select small to medium-size. the large size of pumpkins are little bit sweet , even the skin is green or bright green . Ripen pumpkins are partly or completely yellow , which is often used for sweets like ' halwa', so you can buy any size of it.

14. cucumber : cucumber is eaten raw as a salad and as an accompaniment .Always select the small to medium and bottle shape cucumber  as you can see in the left side of the given below image because it contains soft, small and less seeds which has fresh flesh and good taste  . Do not purchase which are large and cylindrical in shape because it has more seeds , flesh does not have tenderness as you can see in the right-side of the picture . the skin of the cucumber should be green and not  to have yellow blemish as it is the sign of aged . 

15. corn : sometimes , it is difficult to select the good corn because it is covered with husk, however there is few tips you can use for better selection . Always choose the large size of corn which is entirely covered with husk and press the corn with the fingers to check the kernels (seeds) to  assume that it contains more or less seeds and select that has more seeds .

16. celery : It is a herbs used as a flavoring agent in the dish and as a garnishing. you have to know that stem is only used in food such as sauce, soup and stocks because the leaves are more bitter than stem which can make the taste of the dish bitter .therefore leaves are sometimes used as a garnish . purchase the celery which have thick & wide stems .

17. Asparagus : Asparagus is the stem vegetable whose whole stems are edible expect the woody stem of the bottom . the asparagus should be plump and firm and the tips must be closed tightly. color can be green, purple or white , depending on the verities, but make sure the color is not faded . A good green grocer store it standing upright in cold or fresh water to maintain its freshness  .

19. Green leafy vegetables : Green leafy vegetables just like spinach, fenugreek seeds, mustard leaves . there are few things must be considered to purchase any kinds of leafy vegetables, it should be free from insects , spoilages and blemish and the leaves should not be wilted because it is the sign of unfreshness .

20. lettuce : it is  a leafy vegetables, but often eat raw as a salad. the few name of lettuce are iceberg, romaine lettuce, buttercrunch, rubby red lettuce . there are some common insects that are found in the lettuces such as caterpillars, aphids, armyworms and corn earworms , so it is essential to purchase fresh, crispy lettuces and free from blemish and insects attacked . one sad incident i want to share you, when i was working in the Hotel sabrina as a intern, Kathamndu. it was the day of function , my executive chef Mr. pradeep bhandari assign me work to clean the lettuce ,which was around 5 kg  and he told me if i found any insects on the lettuces, you can go to home from here . i was nervous , but thanks good i completed my work properly .

21. Brussels sprout : The heads of the brussels sprout are bright green in color, firm and heavy for their weight. the leaves must be closely tight together . Avoid brussels sprouts with loose & yellowish leaves, a sign of age & black spots, which could indicate fungus . 

22. Bell pepper : it should be firm, crispy that feel heavy for their size. the skin of the capsicum should be shining and free from blemish ,which is the sign of fresh . Avoid  that are shriveled up and have soft black spots . 

23.  chilly :  Green chilly should be bright or even green in color, crisp & unwrinkled . Avoid chilly that are wilted & have soft black spot .

24. Lemon : lemon should be tender and  pick up the lemon by pressing it, soft lemon contains more juice than firm one . Avoid the lemon that have blemish & black spot as it will spoil betimes as compare to fresh one .

25. Artichoke : purchase artichoke that are heavy when you hold it on your hand. The leaves of the artichoke should be squeak, if you squeeze it. in addition, the leaves should be closed just a little bit separation, but not flayed wide open .

26. potato :  when purchasing potatoes, try to pick potatoes that are firm, smooth skin and do not have any sprouts or blemishes. Avoid potatoes with wrinkled skins, sprouted eyes, soft or dark spots, sunburn spots, cut surface and spoilages areas . See the below pictures , it has no any sign of avoiding .

27. Sweet potato : purchase small to medium-size firm sweet potato with smooth skin and select bottle or cylindrical shape because having too thin in both sides are broken while boiling or roasting .  

28. onion : There are many varieties of onion are sold in the market which are used in difference purpose such as white onion, red onion, yellow onion, sweet onion and shallot . No matter , which types of onion you are going to buy, but few thing keep in mind that the outer layer of the onions should be fully covered the scales leaves like you can see in the below image. Avoid partly covered scales because it would be more likely to get spoilage .

29. Garlic : Always pick up the  garlic which have large cloves because it is easy to peel as compare to small clove. Bulb should be tightly closed together and firm when press. Do not buy garlic with soft cloves  . 

 
30. Ginger : Here is a two picture first is fresh ginger and second one is old & dried . fresh ginger should be firm and the skin should be wrinkled-free & thin enough to scrape away with you finger-nail. Ginger with hard and thick skin is the sign of old & dried out . fresh ginger contains  more flavor & juice then dried one .

31. Radish : Radish is eaten raw as a pickles and salad . Always purchase small to medium size with bottle or cylindrical shape  because it is straight & you can cut it any shape without wasting more side-cut . you can also produce nice round and long cut for salad, accompaniment and garnishing. Try to avoid large size of radish because the flesh is tough & not tender just an account of old and dried out . Another tip, see the leaves of the radish, if it is fresh & not melted, it is also the sign of  freshness .

32. Kohlrabi : The freshest kohrabi will still have the leaves attached . purchase smooth, small to medium size of bulb with spots- free skin . Before using peel the fibrous outer layer .

33. Beet root: Always choose beet root which are attached with fresh leaves that is the sign of freshness. Bulb should have smooth skin and free from soft & wet blemishes . the leaves of the beet root are rather bitter, but edible to eat .

 

34. Snake gourd: Always choose beet root which are attached with fresh leaves that is the sign of freshness. Bulb should have smooth skin and free from soft & wet blemishes . the leaves of the beet root are rather bitter, but edible to eat .

35. Ivy gourd: Always choose beet root which are attached with fresh leaves that is the sign of freshness. Bulb should have smooth skin and free from soft & wet blemishes . the leaves of the beet root are rather bitter, but edible to eat .

36. pointed gourd : As per my experience, Always select tender, bright green small to medium size pointed gourds because the inner flesh is white and the seeds are small & tender . The large size of pointed gourd  are aged and have large seeds and the inner flesh is fluffy & sometime  slightly yellowish therefore, it is less flavorful than small . Avoid pointed gourd which are soft to press and yellowish skin .  

37. Ash gourd : Ash gourd is used for vegetables but mostly it is used to make sweet which is called pheta in Hindi . if you use it as vegetables, select the ash gourd with green skin, but if you use for making sweet, make sure that the skin of the gourd is whitish green color as you can see in the below image .

38. Button mushroom : The flavor of white button mushroom is really delicious . Always pick white button mushroom that has really nice white cap & also look at the stem and make sure that the stem  should be well attached to the mushroom as well as it's all white underneath the cap . fresh mushroom have slightly sweet & earthy smell, but not unpleasant smell and taste . Button mushroom should not have  bumps, bruise, sticky texture . Another thing keep in mind that, the gills of the mushroom should be white, if you see that it has darkened, it means that the rotting process has started . Don't select mushroom with black gills  . 

39. Enoki : The head  of the mushroom should be small like in the below picture and stalk should be look fresh and tender . Round flated stalk and head is the sign of unfreshness .

40. oyster mushroom : oyster mushroom should not be too flat and the line on the mushroom should be dense .

Image credit : most of the images are taken from unsplash.com & other sources .

Terminology

Firm : able to stay the same shape when pressed, quite hard .

Tough : Difficult to cut and eat .

spoil : to change good food into bad, useless, ruin the food .

spot : A small round marks .

Black spots : small black marks . it is also called dark spot 

Blemish : spots and stain .

soft : not hard or firm .

tender : food that are soft and easy to cut or bite, not tough .

Smooth : (used about liquid mixture) without lumps .

pale : skin that is light in color , very light color ; highly diluted with white , dim or feeble .

sunburn : black, brown or red spot due to sun .

Aging : old

Ripe : mature, (used about fruits, vegetables and grain etc)  ready to be picked and eaten .

unripen : immature .

Raw : not cooked , unripen & immature .

Vibrant : vivacious  ( used about colours ) bright and strong ,.

Bright : having a light of light, shinning .

Veggie : veg, vegetable ( edible seeds, roots, stems, leaves, bulbs, tubers or nonsweet fruitd of any numerous herbaceous plant .

Faded : To become or make something become lighter in color or less strong or fresh .

Wilted : (used about a plant or flower) to bend & start to die, just because of heat, lack of water or old .

Alloying - to become or make something lighter in color or less strong or fresh .

wet spot - soft marks due to the spoilage .

Bruise - a blue , brown or purple marks that appears on the skin of vegetables and fruits after being fallen, been hit .

wrinkle : A small line in the skin of vegetables or fruits which is the sign of less freshness .  

consistent color  : same color

plump :  used about a person or animal, pleasantly fat .  

clove : one of the small separate sections like a garlic clove . 

peel : Take the skin off a fruit or vegetables , the skin of fruits and vegetables . 

scrape : Removing something from the surface by using sharp edge . 

shrivel : To become smaller because of getting dry . shrink up, wither .  

fungus : A plant that are not green and does not have leaves or flower and grows on old wood or food, walls etc. such as mushroom . some fungi can be harmful .

mold : According to wikipedia, mold or mould is a fungus that grows in the form of multicellular filaments called hyphae .  

squeeze : press something like squeezing lemon to extract the juice .

flayed :

Betimes : Before the expected time . 

Dense : lots of things close together .

Blocky- shaped :  cubic shape, having three dimension .

Contact Information
Writer : Chef BBS
page : Culinarian Institute

Web : foodphotographing.com

Email : culinarianinstitute@gmail.com