Chill Out

Often our hyper-focus on freshness causes us to bypass the frozen section of our grocery store.  However, you may be surprised to learn that frozen fruits and vegetables are sometimes more nutritious than what you will find in the produce section.  This is because they are picked when they most ripe and have their highest nutritional value, and are then flash-frozen to seal in as many of the nutrients as possible.  In contrast, most fresh produce is picked before ripening, and while its outward appearance may look ripe when you buy it, it is not as rich in vitamins and minerals as it would be if it were left to vine-ripen.

So what is one to do?  If a fruit or vegetable is in season, buy it fresh, preferably at a farmer's market.  Purchase off-season produce in frozen form.  For frozen, your best option is produce with the USDA's "U.S. Fancy" seal, indicating that it contains not only the best looking but also typically the most nutritious fruits and vegetables.  Also, you want to consume frozen options soon after you buy them because the nutrients still degrade over time.  And finally, the best way to cook frozen vegetables is by steaming them so they do not lose as many water-soluble vitamins as they do through boiling.

I happened to find a cool (pun intended) brand of frozen corn in the freezer section several weeks ago.  Husk sells only central Indiana sweet corn, and the label on each bag tells you exactly which farm grew your meal, including when it was harvested!  Whit thought it was pretty neat (well, I thought it was awesome, and he humored me and agreed).

Our bag of corn was from lovely Arcadia (well, never been there, but I imagine an idyllic setting in which to grow our tasty side dish).