Eating produce that is in season has benefits to your health and wallet. When you buy fresh produce, the food is picked and sold at its peak freshness. Ideally, this means you’re getting fruits and vegetables that haven’t had time to lose their flavor or health benefits. Eating seasonally can also save you money because produce that is in season is often less expensive than produce that is out of season. Here are some ways you can save money on produce.
Next time you are picking up groceries, look for these items that are being grown and harvested this fall in North Texas:
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Grapefruit
- Oranges
- Pecans
- Spinach
- Squash
- Sweet Potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Turnips
Another great way to save money on produce is to freeze what you can’t use before it goes bad.
How to Freeze Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
1. Rinse produce and pat dry.
2. View this chart to find out how your fruits and vegetables should be prepped before freezing. Some produce may need to be blanched (briefly cooked in boiling water).
3. If you are not blanching your produce, skip to Step 6. If blanching, follow the remaining steps below.
4. After blanching, use a slotted spoon to immediately transfer boiled veggies to a bowl of ice water.
5. Drain well and pat dry.
6. Place produce in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze.
7. Transfer frozen produce to a large freezer-safe bag or another airtight container.
Blanching slows the loss of flavor, color, texture and nutrients during freezing. Veggies frozen without blanching are safe to eat, but may not maintain their quality for as long. If you’re pressed for time, hearty veggies like broccoli, carrots, corn and summer or winter squash can be frozen without blanching. But you may want to use them up more quickly than blanched frozen veggies.
Most produce maintains its quality when frozen up to about 6 months (for fruits) or 12 months (for veggies).
For more tips and tricks, join us for an upcoming Cooking Matters course. Check out our latest schedule.
Information for this blog provided by Share Our Strength’s Cooking Matters®
