Teaching You How to Be a Savvy Vegetable Shopper
Vegetables are a daily necessity for the human body, and the nutrients they contain supplement what our bodies need. However, many vegetables today are chemically ripened and grown. Consuming such vegetables is harmful to your health. So, how can you select non-chemically treated vegetables in your daily life?
1. Radishes with Cracks
It's best to avoid radishes or melons with cracks, as they may have suffered severe pest infestation or could be the result of unnatural farming practices.
2. Too-Firm Tomatoes
The firmer a tomato, the more plant hormones it has likely been treated with. It's best not to buy them, or if you do, don't eat them immediately. Let them sit for a couple of days to continue ripening naturally until they soften. By then, any unhealthy ripening agents will have dissipated. Additionally, tomatoes that are red on the outside but green inside may have been treated with ripening agents.
3. Too-Pale Leafy Greens
Vegetables grown in greenhouses are far more attractive than those grown in direct sunlight, but their leaves are pale. Their nutritional value, however, cannot compare to seasonal vegetables that grow naturally. Therefore, when buying leafy greens, choose the darker-colored ones.
4. Cucumbers That Grow
If a cucumber you buy "grows" overnight, it has definitely been treated with a hormone-based swelling agent.
5. Vegetables with an Unusual Smell
Unlike vegetables like cilantro or fennel, which have a natural aroma, vegetables with heavy pesticide residue or those treated with low-quality pesticides will have a pungent, unpleasant smell. You can smell them before buying.
6. Pre-Washed Vegetables
It's hard to find radishes or lotus roots with dirt on them in the market today. Vendors are blunt: "No one likes dirty vegetables." The problem with pre-washed vegetables isn't pesticides, but bacteria, which are difficult to remove, even with a salt soak or blanching. So, next time you go to the supermarket or market, use your "sharp eyes" to pick healthy vegetables. It's best to buy seasonal produce.