1. When possible, buy vegetables that have been organically raised. Give preference to domestically raised vegetables in their seasons. Even better, try to buy vegetables from your part of the countryΓÇöthey will not have been stressed by shipping a long distance, and their nutrients will be intact.
2. Inspect vegetables piece by piece to make sure all you take home are of prime quality. Choose vegetables with a radiant appearanceΓÇöand without blemishes.
3. Get a book from the library and learn the names of heritage varieties of vegetables you like. Then you will know that the funny-looking ruffled tomatoes at the farmersΓÇÖ market are Costoluto Genovese and superior in flavor, not some poorly raised contemporary stock.
4. Look for the sign that should be displayed stating which vegetables have been waxed or sprayed. If there is no sign, ask that it be put up, then urge the produce manager to provide unwaxed, unsprayed fruits.
5. Do not wash vegetables until you are ready to cook them. Those that you suspect have been waxed or sprayed, wash with a mild detergent, rinse thoroughly, then peel. When the edible skins of vegetables have not been treated, do not remove themΓÇöthey are a source of flavor, nutrients, texture, and fiber.
6. Wherever you store vegetables, give them a quick check daily. When a piece shows any sign of spoilageΓÇösliminess, softness, mold, or oozingΓÇöremove it. Spoilage is infectious and will quickly ruin surrounding pieces.
7. As a general rule, store whole onions, garlic, shallots, chayotes, plantains, winter squashes, tomatoes, and thick-skinned tubers and roots in a cool cupboardΓÇöonce cut, they must be refrigerated. When there are leaves on root vegetables, cut them off and store separately. Plunge vegetables with stalks into a container of cold water and refrigerate. Most other vegetables are best stored in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper.
8. When cooking vegetables, retain maximum nutrition by cooking quickly and using as little liquid as possible. Save cooking liquids and use them in soups or to cook another vegetable.
9. Because most vegetables contain acid to some degree, all tools and pans should be made of nonreactive materialsΓÇöstainless steel, enameled cast iron, or nonstick coated.
