Weathering The Recession

DALLAS (CBS) ― Retail studies show for every $100 spent on fresh produce, about $15 worth gets thrown in the trash. But knowing what to look for and how to store it can keep the food fresh and help save money.

Chris Anderson knows a thing or two about fresh produce. He's Produce Merchandiser at Sprouts Farmer's Market in Dallas. "As soon as it's (produce) picked from the tree or picked from the ground, it's basically downhill from there," he said.

Produce can take anywhere from four days to as much as three weeks to make it from farm to market, so freshness is already lost freshness before it's purchased.

Anderson said people should not overbuy. "It's better to make several trips to the store and buy as you need it rather than stock up and buy a month's worth at one time," he said.

Dallas resident Willie Morgan buys fresh produce a few times a week. She's watching her cholesterol and her budget. "I live near enough where I can come two three times a week if I need to and that way you keep it fresh," she said.

Shopper Kim Mauser also tries to buy only what she needs for the week, but still ends up throwing produce in the trash. "At the end of the week we're pulling out the wilted celery and the weird looking carrots," she said.

Knowing how to spot the freshest fruits and vegetables can help cut down on waste. For example, Anderson said, "With broccoli, you want the flower to be tight - as it ages it will start to open up; it will start to yellow."

Anderson suggests leaving broccoli in a plastic bag and storing it in the crisper. It should last four or five days.

According to Anderson, tomatoes should be firm, with no bruises or wilted stems. They should last three days before showing signs of deteriorating. He said putting tomatoes in the refrigerator can stop the ripening process and limit flavor.

"The thing with tomatoes you never want to take them home and put them directly into the refrigerator. You want to let them sit out at room temperature," he said.

Make sure to check the date on pre-packaged salads. "The other thing you want to do is just look at the overall quality, turn it over, look at the back side make sure there's no decaying lettuce," Anderson said.

Fresh grapes should last about a week. In terms of citrus, Anderson said, "You want to have a nice piece of fruit with no cuts or bruises, no soft spots. The heavier the better. The heavier it is, the more juice that's in the fruit."

Just because produce might look a little old doesn't mean it's not safe to eat. Microbiology professor Vanessa Sperandio said look at the whole item before throwing it out. "If you cut the part that is a little bit rotten just because it tasted bad, you can eat the other part. It's more a matter of taste than actually being dangerous for you."

Locally grown produce takes less time to get to the market and will be even more fresh when purchased. Some fruits like blueberries can be frozen and then thawed out later for cereal or pies.

More Tips From Aliza Green, Author Of Field Guide To Produce:

DO STEM RESEARCH
This is where mold, like the white stuff on berries, often starts, and where brown-colored rot begins on vegetables such as zucchini and squash.

HANDLE THE GOODS
Pick up a piece of fruit. If it's heavier than you expected, it's a juicy keeper.

KNOW YOUR BUDS
With asparagus, broccoli, and cauliflower, the tighter the buds are closed, the fresher the produce.

TURN OVER LEAVES
Broken leaves or yellowed, faded areas mean leafy greens are about to spoil. For packaged salad, look at both sides of the bag to inspect the leaves.

SEE GREEN
Lettuce, green beans, and broccoli should be a deep, even green, almost blue. (But not potatoes--cut off any green before eating your spuds.)

GIVE UGLY A CHANCE
An ugly tomato--misshapen, splitting on top--is full of juice and will be tastier than a smooth, pretty one.

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