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BROCCOLI::

BUY ::

When purchasing broccoli, select ones where the stalks are tight and firm.
Look at the stalk and make sure it's not tough.
The buds should be tightly closed and the leaves are crisp and very green.
Also note that if the broccoli tends to have a very strong smell.

DON'T BUY:::

if the leaves have a slightly yellow color, it can often suggest that it is old. Try and avoid broccoli where the buds are yellow in color.

CABBAGE::

cabbage9 150x150 Health Benefits Of Cabbage

BUY::

If Cabbage leaves should be firm. When selecting, choose only the heads that are compact and firm.
They should have fresh, crispy leaves The head should only contain a few loose outer leaves.
The coloring of the leaves should reflect the variety you are purchasing. In general, the darker green the leaves the more flavor they have.
The stem should be trimmed and look fresh, not dry and cracked.

DONT BUY ::

Make cure that do not contain any markings or browning, which may be an indication of worm damage.
Avoid purchasing precut or shredded cabbage. Once the cabbage is cut it begins to lose its vitamin C content, even if it is tightly packaged or well wrapped.

CARROT::

BUY ::

When purchasing carrots, look for firm, plump carrots without rootlets.
They should be small, bright orange and smooth, without cracks.
Buy carrots in bunches, with their leafy green tops still attached.
Carrots lose moisture through their leafy green tops, so if you purchase them this way, remove the tops before wrapping carrots in plastic and storing. Instead of throwing away the tops, which are full of nutrition, try adding them to soups or chopping them and adding to your salads.
Carrots keep will for weeks in the refrigerator, although you will sacrifice sweetness and flavor if stored too long.

DONT BUY::

If carrot is having cracks & very loose it is not fresh.

CULIFLOWER::

BUY ::

When purchasing cauliflower, look for a clean, creamy white, compact curd in which the bud clusters are not separated.
Heads that are surrounded by many thick green leaves are better protected and will be fresher.
As its size is not related to its quality, choose one that best suits your needs.

DONT BUY ::

Spotted or dull-colored cauliflower should be avoided, as well as those in which small flowers appear.

CELERY::

BUY::

Select celery that is light green in color, firm, compact, and well-shaped.
The stalk should have a solid, rigid feel and leaflets should be fresh or only slightly wilted.
Also look for a glossy surface, stalks of light green or medium green, and mostly green leaflets.

DON'T BUY ::

Avoid purchasing celery with bruises or discolored areas on the stalks.

CORN::

BUY ::

Fully ripe sweet corn has bright green, moist husks.
The silk should be stiff, dark and moist.
You should be able to feel individual kernels by pressing gently against the husk.
Fresh corn, if possible, should be cooked and served the day it is picked or purchased.

DONT BUY::

If leaf is yellow color.

EGG PLANT::

BUY ::

Smaller, immature eggplants are best. Full-size puffy ones may have hard seeds and can be bitter.
Choose a firm, smooth-skinned eggplant that is heavy for its size.
Gently push with your thumb or forefinger. If the flesh gives slightly but then bounces back, it is ripe. If the indentation remains, it is overripe and the insides will be mushy. If there is no give, the eggplant was picked too early.

DON'T BUY ::

avoid those with soft or brown spots.
Also make sure an eggplant isn't dry inside, knock on it with your knuckles. If you hear a hollow sound, don't buy it.

GARLIC::

BUY ::

When selecting garlic, it should be big, plump and firm, tight silky skins with its paper-like covering intact.

DONT BUY::

Do not buy spongy, soft, or shriveled garlic.

GREEN OR STRING BEANS::

BUY ::

Choose slender beans that are crisp, bright-colored, and free of blemishes.

DON'T BUY::

Avoid which has blemishes & not crisp.

ONION::

BUY ::

When buying onions, choose those that are heavy for their size with dry, papery skins, and that show no signs of spotting or moistness.
If you are buying dry onion then yellowish colored onion is sweet in taste.
if you are buying green onion then make leaf is dark green & crisp.
do not have sunburn spots or other blemishes.

DON'T BUY::

Avoid onions that are soft or sprouting.
They should have absolutely NO SMELL whatever. If they do, they are probably bruised somewhere under the skin and are on their way out.

PEAS::

BUY ::

When purchasing garden peas, look for ones whose pods are firm, velvety, and smooth.
Their color should be a medium green.
The pods should contain peas of sufficient number and size that there is not much empty room in the pod. You can tell this by gently shaking the pod and noticing whether there is a slight rattling sound.
Peas taste best when cooked as soon as possible after picking or purchasing.

DON'T BUY::

Those whose green color is especially light or dark, or those that are yellow, whitish or are speckled with gray, should be avoided.
do not choose pods that are puffy, water soaked or have mildew residue.

PAPERS/ BELL PAPERS/ CAPSICUM::

BUY::

The skin should be smooth, with no bruises or marks on the surface.

DON'T BUY::

Peppers with very thin walls (indicated by lightweight and flimsy sides), peppers that are wilted or flabby with cuts or punctures through the walls, and pepper with soft watery spots on the sides (evidence of decay)

POTATO::

BUY::

Potatoes should be hard, well shaped, and unbruised.
When selecting potatoes, choose new potatoes for boiling and salads. They have thinner skins and are firmer.

DON'T BUY::

Dont buy if potatoes are soft because you cant preserve them long time .
avoid which are having blemishes, sunburn(green colored spot), and decay.

SPINACH::

BUY::

Choose leaves that are crisp and have dark green with a nice fresh fragrance.

DON'T BUY::

Avoid those that are limp, damaged, or spotted.'

SWEET POTATO::

BUY::

Sweet potatoes should be uniformly light-tan-colored.
Look for firm sweet potatoes with smooth, bright, uniformly colored skins, free from signs of decay. Because they are more perishable than white potatoes, extra care should be used in selecting sweet potatoes.

DONT BUY::

Avoid sweet potatoes with worm holes, cuts, grub injury, or any other defects which penetrate the skin.
this causes waste and can readily lead to decay. Even if you cut away the decayed portion, the remainder of the potato flesh may have a bad taste.

TOMATO::

BUY::

Use your nose and smell the stem end. The stem should retain the garden aroma of the plant itself - if it doesn't, your tomato will lack flavor and, as far as I'm concerned, will be good only for decoration!
Choose tomato which is firm & hard have green color top.

DON'T BUY::

If tomatoes are soft and have bad smell.

CUCUMBER::

BUY::

Cucumbers with good green color that are firm over their entire length.
They should be well developed, but not too large in diameter.

DON'T BUY::

Overgrown cucumbers that are large in diameter and have a dull color, turning yellowish.
Also avoid cucumbers with withered or shriveled ends signs of toughness and bitter flavor.

MUSHROOMS::

BUY::

Young mushrooms that are small to medium in size.
Caps should be either closed around the stem or moderately open with pink or light-tan gills.
The surface of the cap should be white or creamy, or uniform light brown if of a brown type.

DON'T BUY::

Overripe mushrooms (shown by wide-open caps and dark, discolored gills underneath)

RADISH::

BUY ::

Medium-size radishes — 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter — that are plump, round, firm, and of a good, red color.

DON'T BUY::

Very large or flabby radishes (likely to have pithy centers). Also avoid radishes with yellow or decayed tops (sign of over-age).

LADIES FINGER::

BUY::

Choose the fresh looking long, dark green colored ones.
Always go for medium diameter ones, not too long, because bulgy lady's finger have very big seeds within, which spoil the delicacy of this vegetable.

DON'T BUY ::

Avoid buying those, which have blemishes, bruises and cuts or leeked internal skickiness, which might happen during transportation.
Avoid the shrinked okra, which happens due to moisture loss on storage. Check for any worm or insect infestation.

GREEN CHILI:

BUY::

While buying fresh chillies look for crisp unwrinkled ones. Make sure they are bright and unbroken. Store them in a container in the fridge or in a cool, dry place.

Capers origins and history
capers

The caper plant is a small-flowering bush that is usually seen growing wild along the Mediterranean coastline. It’s usually found clinging and protruding from rocks, mountainsides, and out of cracks in walls and structures along the way. The caper bush is rarely cultivated but does add to the stability of weaker foundations and soil with its strong root formations.
Capers can also be found growing in a number of other countries and islands along the Atlantic Ocean, Caspian Sea and Black Sea. And according to most botanists it most likely had its origins in drier regions of Central Asia.
Ancient Greeks and Romans have cited the uses of the caper plant and its berries for centuries. Initially they used it for medicinal purposes and then capers became widely used in cooking. Interestingly enough capers contain a high amount of rutin, a well-known bioflavinoid and anti-oxidant. It appears the early Greeks and Romans had it right and its use well founded for medicinal use.

What are Capers?

Capers are the unopened buds that grow on the new limbs of a caper plant. Because the plants grow wild the berries are usually hand-harvested and picked regularly in the morning hours depending on the season and when the weather is dry and sunny.
The smallest and the most prized capers are known as “nonpareils” in the grading process used throughout France and Italy. They’re in the size range of a small pea and will grow to the size of a large green olive before they flower. You’ll find them being used in a variety of ways depending on the size and the flavor one is looking for in a particular dish.
There are many types of capers but the ones that are harvested the most and considered the best are those that usually come from plants that are spineless, have more rounded firm buds, and those that produce the best and most consistent flavors. Pantelleria is a tiny island off the coast of Italy. Connoisseurs as well as the Italian government recognize them as having the finest most outstanding quality and flavor of any capers on the market.

What do capers taste like and how are they used?

Capers have an unusual flavor that is sometimes considered more of an acquired taste. It’s a sharp, piquant, salty taste with a pungent aroma all their own. The different sizes and the way they are packed at harvesting allow them to be enjoyed in a variety of ways.

You may have tasted them already and not known it.

Some other more popular ways to enjoy capers include a variety of pasta and piccata sauces, wine sauces, salad dressings, pizza, fish, veal, turkey, meats, relishes, tapenades, Mediterranean dishes, artichoke, vegetables, and olives. They can even be fried and then tossed into the dishes above for a crunchier, crispier flavor and texture.
The best way to buy capers
Capers are packed in several different ways. Usually they are found on the store shelf bottled and pickled in vinegar, oil, brine or as more rarely found capers packed in sea salt. The latter in our opinion and according to a number of top chefs is by far the best way to buy capers. They need to be thoroughly rinsed before using but they retain an unequaled firmness and flavor that cannot be experienced with pickled capers.