FRUIT & VEGETABLE TIPS

• To always have fresh ginger on hand for a recipe, you can freeze it either peeled or unpeeled. An added plus -- thawing releases the juices and makes it easier to crush.
• You should not cook mushrooms in aluminum pans because the mushrooms will darken.
• You can revive wilted celery sticks by placing them in a bowl of ice water for an hour.
• For juicier citrus fruits, microwave at 100% power, for about 45 seconds per fruit.
• To keep fresh herbs fresh, remember that they like carbon dioxide. So put them in a plastic bag, blow air into the bag as if it were a balloon, and seal it tight.
• Vitamin C is water-soluble and heat-sensitive. Cooking vegetables for a short a time as possible is nutritionally wise. When cooking in water, have the water boiling before you add the vegetables.
• Use a wooden spoon to seed melons like cantaloupe and honeydew rather than a metal one that might gouge the flesh.
• To get the most flavor from fresh parsley, stem it, leaving only the leaves. Put the leaves in a deep bowl and snip them with sharp scissors. This way they won't turn to mush as they do when chopped with a knife or in a food processor.
• Vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage often give off unpleasant odors during cooking. A large piece of stale bread added to the pot as the water begins to boil will counteract both.
• When selecting onions, consider all the possibilities. The Spanish or Bermuda onion and the white onion are usually mild in flavor; on the other hand, Globe types, such as red, brown and yellow onions are stronger flavored.

Some tips provided courtesy of the US Food and Drug Administration.

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