Salad ingredients: how to pick them at the market?

Salad ingredients: how to pick them at the market? - Unrecognizable woman picking up juicy pulp of passion fruit while cooking healthy lunch

I often make salads with lettuce and a few vegetables (perhaps some of carrot, celery, bell pepper, cucumber, tomato, green beans, snap peas). I can plan the ingredients before I go to the grocery store or farmer's market, but are there good ways to pick the ingredients once I get there, based on freshness or value? How?



Best Answer

My advice is simple -- don't plan ahead.

Being fresh produce, most of us have no idea before you get to the store what the current stuff coming out of the local fields are.

This is going to affect both price (in season stuff that hasn't been shipped from the opposite hemisphere is typically cheaper, especially w/ today's fuel prices), and quality (how long it's been sitting around, maybe there's been too much rain or not enough, etc).

And, don't forget that you don't need to limit yourself to vegetables in salads -- sliced apples or pears, orange or other citrus segments, etc, are great additions, particularly as we get into the fall and the spring & summer vegetables aren't locally available.

If it's the middle of winter and nothing's fresh, consider jarred marinated vegetables like olives, sun dried tomatoes, peppers, cauliflower, etc.




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How do you shop for a salad?

Know signs of decay: As salad greens age past their prime, they begin to get some brown or slimy spots, yellowing leaves or even a bit of a swampy smell. If you see any of these on the lettuce or leafy green of choice, keep looking until you find one that's free and clear of red (well, brown or yellow) flags.

What is the most popular salad ingredient?

Top 20 Healthy Salad Toppings
  • Chopped Raw Vegetables. A typical salad starts with raw greens, such as lettuce, spinach, kale, mixed greens or arugula. ...
  • Nuts and Seeds. ...
  • Dried Fruit. ...
  • Whole Grains. ...
  • Beans and Legumes. ...
  • Fresh Fruit. ...
  • Baked Tortilla or Pita Chips. ...
  • Shredded Hard Cheeses.


  • What are the 5 main salad categories?

    The five basic types of salad are green salads (tossed or composed), bound, vegetable, fruit, and combination. The five basic salads that can be served throughout the course of a meal are starter, accompaniment, main course, intermezzo, and dessert.

    Why is important to select the quality of ingredients in your salad?

    As time goes on, preserved food loses its taste, but ingredients that are fresh with no preservatives provide the authentic taste that every single ingredient has. When you buy your vegetables and fruits, make sure you eat them within a time frame of 48 hours for a much better result in flavor and nutrition.



    An easy guide to EPIC salads » + 3 recipes




    More answers regarding salad ingredients: how to pick them at the market?

    Answer 2

    Well, just pick what looks fresh. Usually when I go shop for groceries, I don't have much of a list, but rather pick what looks good at the market and then let the produce inspire me and make up something either at the market or at home.

    Look for bruises and feel the veggies. Vegetables that have been out in the sun for half a day can become soft – especially carrots, parsnips, leeks and lettuce for example. And with lettuce or vegetables like cabbage that are in the form of a head, try to determine how many of the outer leaves you need to remove – with brussel sprouts, sometimes you end up with half the size when you've removed all the ugly leaves.

    If you find bell peppers that seem to have seen their best day, try to get a lower price, buy loads and roast them. Delicious in salads.

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