Avoid these mistakes when buying produce

With the cost of groceries on an seemingly endless upward trend, everyone is keeping an eye on the budget. While meat may provide the biggest sticker shock, fruits and vegetables have also become more expensive. Food & Wine asked chefs for tips on saving money at the grocery store, and they provided sage advice with tips on how to avoid costly mistakes when buying produce.

EYB Members won’t be surprised by any of the suggestions, but they do bear repeating. While reading through the list, I noticed that I had fallen prey to one of the mistakes in recent grocery shops – not paying attention to when the fruit would be ripe. I purchased a clamshell of nearly-ripe apricots without a clear plan on how to use them. Because I didn’t use them soon enough, several of them developed moldy, rotten spots and I had to throw them out.

Another common mistake listed in the article that I sometimes make is purchasing more produce than I can realistically use. There are only two of us, so buying several heads of romaine at once doesn’t make sense, for instance. I should skip the 3-to-a-bag heads and just buy a single head of lettuce. It’s just so tempting to buy the larger packages because they are a better deal per unit – but if I’m throwing one away because I don’t use, I’m not saving any money.

Not properly storing fruits and vegetables is another no-no. The article provides advice on which fruits you should wash prior to storage and which you shouldn’t, and further makes recommendations on what kind of container to use. While they recommend storing some berries in a single layer, uncovered, on a plate, I feel like that would spell doom in my crowded refrigerator. I envision smooshed raspberries or loose blueberries falling everywhere.