Have you ever been excited to receive your fresh produce delivery from an online grocery store, only to be disappointed by spoiled, overripe, or flavourless vegetables the very next day? Unfortunately, this is a common issue that many customers face when purchasing fresh produce online.

While you have little to no control over the selection of produce when shopping online, knowing how to identify fresh produce can help your money’s worth! 

Here are some of our tips on how to select fresh vegetables. We hope by knowing these tips, you can make better choices, reduce waste, and enjoy healthier and more satisfying meals.

 1. Check your vegetables’ colours and textures

When it comes to selecting fresh vegetables, the key factors are firmness and colour. It’s always best to select vegetables with crisp, fresh leaves and firm, fleshy stems. Avoid any fruits or vegetables that show signs of bruising, blemishes, shrivelling, or mould. However, each type of vegetable also has its characteristics that can indicate whether it's fresh or not. Here’s a list of common produce items and what to look for when choosing them:

Cauliflower

• Texture: 
• The cauliflower should be solid and compact. 
• Pick cauliflowers that have no visible damage or mould growth. 
• Make sure there aren’t any soft spots or slimy textures, especially on the heads as it is a sign of the start of spoilage. 
• Colour: 
• The colour should be very pale and uniformly coloured. 
• The scattering of pale brown tiny spots on the cauliflower is a natural occurrence due to oxidation. To make sure the brown spots aren’t caused by decay, check out this video for more information. 

Cabbage

• Texture: 

• The heads of cabbage should be firm, heavy and compact. 
• The leaves should feel crisp and tender. 
• Make sure there is no visible damage or mould growth or slimy textures. 

• Colour: 
• The leaves should be bright and pale green in colour. 
• The white parts of the cabbage should be blemish free!
• If you see pepper spots that look like black flecks, it is merely a cosmetic disorder and it’s completely safe to eat! Check out this video to evaluate the spots!
• Avoid heads with leaves that show signs of yellowing or browning. 

Ladies’ Fingers

• Texture: 
• Ladies’ Fingers should be dry and firm to the touch.
• Watch out for slimy texture on your Ladies’ Fingers aka Okra, you should throw these away.
• Colour:
• If the tips have turned slightly brown, it’s best to use it quickly
• The colour of a fresh Okra should be bright green, not dark green or even a brownish tone

Find out how to choose fresh Ladies’ Fingers in this video.

Carrots

• Texture: 
• The texture of the carrots should be hard, firm and smooth, so it will be crunchy when eaten.
• If it’s rubbery which happens to most baby carrots, it’s still edible. 
• Avoid the feeling of softness, mushy, and sliminess. 
• Colour:
• It shouldn't have black or brownish lines around it, or even at the tip of it. 
• Look for mould growth and black spots, if present then it's spoiled! 

Corn

• Texture: 
• The kennels should be plump when squeezed gently, it should give a squirt of juice when fresh. 
• Avoid corn with underdeveloped or shrivelled kernels. 
• Colour: 
• Look for bright husks, and silk tassels that stick up and should also look green and fresh. 
• If tassels are black and dirty, this means they are not fresh anymore.

2. Check your vegetables’ smell 

When your vegetables are a few days old, they can often lose moisture and look a bit wilted. One useful tip is to put your vegetables in ice-cold water for a few minutes to revive them. But once they have a visible mould , rotting, and unpleasant smell, that indicates that they are spoiled!

3. Check the source of origin

When you are buying your groceries online, it is important to look for the source of origin information. Every online grocery store should provide this to ensure the quality and freshness of the produce. The shorter time from source to market, the fewer nutrients and flavour are lost in transit.

Selecting fresh and high-quality vegetables is essential for ensuring that your meals are healthy, delicious, and enjoyable. By following these tips, you can ensure that the produce you're buying online is always top-notch.

While there are advantages to buying vegetables and fruits at the grocery store, it’s worth noting that purchasing groceries at a physical store requires a certain amount of time and effort. However, when you buy from us, we take care of this task for you. 

Our expert quality control team carefully selects the freshest and highest quality vegetables, so you can enjoy the convenience of buying your groceries online without sacrificing the quality of your produce. Here at Quan Shui Wet Market, we are committed to providing our customers with the freshest produce by carefully curating our vegetables every day. 

Head over to our vegetable aisle and discover new favourites to add to your shopping cart!