Buying and Storing Fall Roots, Leaves, Berries

Tips for Selecting, Prepping and Cooking Autumn Produce

Nov 4, 2008 Maryan Pelland

Fall fruits and vegetables are nutritious, easy to use, inexpensive and flavorful. Find out how to take advantage in your kitchen.

When you think fall produce, think roots, leaves and berries. Those are the kinds of foods that your grocer’s produce department will feature. They’re delicious, nutritious and quite easy to store or prepare if you know a few basics.

Leafy Fresh Vegetables

Cabbage, spinach, romaine, radicchio, arugula are good examples of this group. You can serve them raw or cooked. Buy leaves that are brightly or deeply colored, not slimy, soggy or soft. If you break a leaf it should feel snappy, crisp. Edges should not be limp or discolored.

Wash thoroughly when you bring them home and store wrapped in dry paper towels or loosely in plastic wrap for about 2 weeks. If they grow darkly soggy or limp, discard.

Roots

This encompasses potatoes of all varieties and there are some great ones including Yukon Gold and Idaho reds and russets. Look for potatoes without eyes and with unbroken skins. They should be firm and their color fairly even. Small to medium sized are often more tender and more flavorful. Pass on potatoes with fissures or cracks and those that have a green tinge to the meat of the spud.

Store these and any roots including turnips and rutabagas in a dark, cool, dry place in an open basket or crate. Wash before using. Expect about a month from sweet potatoes or yams and up to a few months for other potatoes.

Squash

One of the most versatile of late year produce. You’ll find acorn squash, winter squash, butternut, ambercup, banana and pumpkin. They have thicker skins than summer varieties and more flavor. Inspect them before buying. They should be heavy for their size, firm skinned and pleasantly colored. No gray or dark, soft spots.

Store in a cool, dry place with good air circulation and use them within about two weeks. Winter squash is hard to peel. Use a sharp knife, cut the squash in half and peek each side carefully, blade moving away from you.

There are as many ways to cook squash as there are varieties. You can bake, cube and boil, roast, broil, stew, steam or microwave them. They take sauces well, from mild flavored ones to spicy and piquant. Experiment. Squash is great with a little salt and pepper and a bit of butter or phenomenal with a hard cheese like parmesan melted on top.

Apples and Berries

Make a point of trying every variety of apple you can find. There’s more to this food of the gods than red or golden delicious. Fugi and Galas are sweet-tart. Granny Smith is quite tart, for example. Some make applesauce a delight and some, like Grannies, add a certain something to apple pie. Buy firm, smooth apples, with no wrinkles or soft spots. Avoid dropping them as they bruise easily. If you’re cooking with them, sprinkle a bit of citrus juice on peeled apples or apple slices to prevent brown color.

End of summer berries like blackberries, blueberries, cranberries are packed with anti-oxidents, low in calories and high in flavor. Ripe berries smell like berries. Unripe ones have little smell. Many markets don’t mind if you taste one before buying to make sure they’re what you want.

Wash the berries, dry them with paper towels and store loosely wrapped in plastic or in sealed containers for up to a week, if they’re very fresh.

One Last Tip

Many nutritionists maintain that frozen vegetables and fruit have as much nutrition as fresh. They may be available at a better cost per pound, and often last longer. Make the comparison in your grocery store.

The copyright of the article Buying and Storing Fall Roots, Leaves, Berries in Seasonal Cooking is owned by Maryan Pelland. Permission to republish Buying and Storing Fall Roots, Leaves, Berries in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Fall produce for health