Good morning, this is your Wellness Wake Up Call with Kristin Bogdonas, nutrition and wellness educator with University of Illinois Extension.
The first full week of August is National Farmers Market Week. It began in 1999 to celebrate the impact local farmers markets have in America’s food supply.
Here are some other benefits of supporting your local farmer’s market:
· Strengthens community and local economy.
· In-season produce has more flavor and nutrition than produce that are not in season.
· Have access to a variety of food for healthier food choices.
· You can try a new fruit or vegetable, usually at a lower cost than from the grocery store.
It is important to properly store and clean your fresh produce to assure optimal quality, nutrition, and safety. Produce can harbor pathogenic microorganisms that could potentially grow and make you ill in the right conditions if not handled properly.
Remember these steps when handling your fresh produce:
1. Make sure to have a plan. In order to have maximum flavor and nutritional value, plan to use fresh produce within a few days and have a plan for what to do with the extra. Preserving produce can allow you to enjoy tasty nutritious produce later. Check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation website for tips and recipes for preserving your produce.
2. Eat the rainbow! Consume a variety of colors when picking out your fruits and vegetables. Each different color has different phytochemicals in them, and we want to make sure we consume them all!
3. Clean your produce. Wash your produce right before cutting or eating. If you clean your produce before storing, it may promote bacterial growth and speed up spoilage. For firm produce, like apples and cucumbers, rinse well and scrub with a produce brush. For softer fruits, like grapes and tomatoes, rinse well under running water. For leafy vegetables, like lettuce, separate heads, and rinse thoroughly under running water.
4. Properly store fresh produce. Produce that needs to be refrigerated should be stored in a fridge that is below 41F. Before storing your produce, rub off visible dirt chunks with your fingers. Store produce in a produce drawer or on the top shelf above any meat products to avoid cross contamination. Once your produce has been cut or cooked it needs to be refrigerated.
5. Sort your produce. If your produce has any bruises, its wise to cut that part off and refrigerate the rest. Also, be sure to remove any moldy berries from the bunch before storing.
6. Food safety. When cutting your produce, make sure to have clean hands, cutting boards, and utensils. It’s important to wash before cutting so when you cut you don’t transfer bacteria from the outside of the produce to the inside.
Do you know which fruits and vegetables need to be stored in the fridge and which can be stored on the countertop? Some produce, like bananas and pineapple, should be stored on the counter to continue the ripening process and then moved to the refrigerator. More perishable produce, like berries and grapes, that do not continue to ripen after being picked should be stored in the fridge immediately. Check out the food storage chart in the links provided for a more complete list.
Remember to follow these steps in order to ensure safe, good quality produce all summer long. This week try some new produce and support your local farmers markets. You can use the Illinois Extension Find Food IL map to help find a local market near you.
For links to these resources and a recording of today’s episode, please visit wvik.org/wellness or you can subscribe to Wellness Wake Up Call today wherever you listen to podcasts and never miss out on these weekly wellness tips.
Thank you for listening! I hope you have a happy and healthy day ahead. The content for this episode was provided by Rachel Mannen, nutrition and wellness educator with University of Illinois Extension.
Related Resources:
· University of Illinois Extension Find Food IL Map
