Tips for Determining Produce Quality

[judiu]

I'm able to distinguish celery salt from fresh celery, as it turns out. My question concerns the difference between celery that has a slightly salty yet fresh taste and celery that is dominantly salty and somewhat bitter.

Chris, the reason you can detect celery salt so easily is that it has celery seedsin it, along with a few dried bits of celery leaf. Whole 'nother ballgame, there! I prefer to use celery hearts, generally sold at the grocery store in a two pack, for a lot more $ than a head of celery. The hearts have a lighter, more delicate flavor, so much so that I usually use both hearts that are in the package when I make macaroni salad. If I used a whole head of regular celery, it would totally overpower the salad, even though the volume is about the same. Trust me, the hearts are the way to go, even though the cost is a bit more. Also, be sure to either peel or 'string' the celery that you use, please! Dental floss goes in the bathroom, not in the salad!

edited for clarity

Edited October 5, 2010 by judiu (log)

[Snadra]

I'm able to distinguish celery salt from fresh celery, as it turns out. My question concerns the difference between celery that has a slightly salty yet fresh taste and celery that is dominantly salty and somewhat bitter.

I think I know the flavour you're talking about. I have wondered if it's something to do with blanching, as in maybe it wasn't properly covered as it was growing (they still do that, right?). Paler celery doesn't seem to have that weird bitterness, if we're thinking of the same flavour. My other thought was that it's simply old produce. I have noticed an unpleasant flavour change the longer it sits in my fridge, even when it's been well-stored.

[DanM]

I recommend finding a copy of The Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition. It is out of print, but well worth the search. It goes through most major fruits and vegetables and describes what to look for, how to store it, nutritional data, preparation instructions, and other useful info. It also has information on meats, grains, and other raw foods.

Dan

[JAZ]

So my supermarket started carrying jicama recently -- yay! But while the first one I bought was pretty decent, the second one was dry, pithy and nasty. It occurred to me that I have no idea how to choose a jicama. I've always just bought them and hoped for the best. Any tips?

[heidih]

I think with jicama the best you can do is choose a firm and heavy specimen which should then be juicy and not too old

[AAQuesada]

I'm able to distinguish celery salt from fresh celery, as it turns out. My question concerns the difference between celery that has a slightly salty yet fresh taste and celery that is dominantly salty and somewhat bitter.

LOL I was surprised by my first Farmer's Market celery, It really does have a nicely salty/mineral flavor with a light bitterness. There is more going on than crunch and bitterness apparently! I was pleasantly surprised