Fruits and vegetables typically grown in Ohio are listed on the calendar. Their availability varies according to growing conditions, time of the year and where you live. Many fruits and vegetables are available beyond the indicated harvest periods through modern storage techniques and facilities.
Select firm apples, free of bruises, decay and broken or shriveled skin.
Asparagus should be firm and straight. Fat is better than thin. Tips should be compact and pointed.
Select well-filled pods with green seeds.
The pods are ready when they're several inches long, firm to the touch and bulging with visible beans.
Snap beans should be light yellow in color or green, smooth with no evidence of seeds bulging.
Select firm, round beets with a slender top root (the large, main root). Red beets should have a deep red color and be smooth over most of their surface. Avoid elongated beets with round, scaly areas around the top surface (these will be tough, fibrous, and strong flavored).
Berries should be fairly firm. Avoid berries that still have their caps (stems) attached or that are green or multi-colored (red or green).
Blueberries should be plump and firm with a dark blue color and waxy, silvery "bloom." A dull appearance or soft juicy berries means the fruit is old.
Leaves and stems of broccoli heads should be dark green, stalks firm with compact buds in the head. Yellowflowers in buds or very rough bumpy heads may indicate broccoli is old and tough.
Cabbage: Look for well-trimmed heads, heavy for size and solid for the variety. Leaves should be crisp, and the stem end should be dry. Avoid decayed, burst or broken heads. Yellowed, wilted leaves indicate age.
Look for cantaloupes with prominent, cream-colored ridges and select those that are free of bruising. The stem end of the cantaloupe should be smooth and well rounded. When ripe, this stem end will yield to light pressure with a sweet, musky aroma.
The best carrots are those that are well-formed, smooth and firm and blemish-free. Smaller types are more tender than the large varieties, and a deep color indicates more vitamin A. Avoid carrots that are wilted, flabby or cracked. Also avoid those with large green "sun-burned" areas at the top and roots that are flabby from wilting or those that show soft decay.
Look for heads that are white or creamy white, firm, compact and heavy for their size. There should not be any speckling of discoloration on the head or leaves.
Select cilantro bunches that are brightly colored with fresh, fragrant leaves. To make sure you're not buying a bunch of parsley, give it a quick sniff to check for its distinctive aroma. Avoid bunches with wilted, yellowed or blackened leaves.
Sold in bunches, collard greens should be unblemished, crisp and deep green in color. Select fresh leaves that are free from signs of browning, yellowing and small holes.
When selecting sweet corn, pull back the husks and silk, checking for signs of bugs or pests. The ears should be free of insect and disease damage. Husks and ears should glisten with moistness. Corn is overripe if indentions have formed in the kernels or kernel contents are doughy when broken.
When selecting sweet corn, pull back the husks and silk, checking for signs of bugs or pests. The ears should be free of insect and disease damage. Husks and ears should glisten with moistness. Corn is overripe if indentions have formed in the kernels or kernel contents are doughy when broken.
When selecting sweet corn, pull back the husks and silk, checking for signs of bugs or pests. The ears should be free of insect and disease damage. Husks and ears should glisten with moistness. Corn is overripe if indentions have formed in the kernels or kernel contents are doughy when broken.
Allow flowers to form, bloom, then go to seed. Cut the seedheads when the majority of seeds have formed--about 2 to 3 weeks after the blossoming starts. Hang the seedheads upside down by their stems in a paper bag. The seeds will fall into the bag when they mature and dry out.
The herbs are ready when all of the moisture is gone and they are crisp enough to crumble.
Look for firm, smooth, deep-purple skin. Choose eggplant that is medium size (3 to 4 inches in diameter). Avoid those with brown or blue streaks, a light color, or yellowish cast. Heaviness and firmness of flesh are also important.
Choose those that have tight leaves and a crisp, solid head.
Choose brightly colored gooseberries with dry capes and without mold or soft spots. Pick gooseberries green for pies and jams or fully ripe for dessert-quality fresh fruit.
Green grapes are the sweetest and best flavored when they are yellow-green in color; red varieties when the grapes are predominantly red; and the blue-black varieties when the berries have a full rich color. Grapes should be firm, plump, and well colored and firmly attached to green pliable stems.
Select fresh, young, tender greens free from blemishes and of a healthy green color. Greens should be crisp, never wilted.
Choose firm stalks without withered tops.
Select lettuces that are not bruised or damaged. The leaves may be waxy with curly margins, or flat and deeply lobed like an oak leaf, or even frilly. These come in red and green.
The young leaves, four to five inches long , are mild-flavored and can be eaten raw in salads. The older leaves taste better when prepared as cooked greens. Avoid yellow, over mature mustards with seeds or yellow flowers attached.
Choose small to medium - size pods (2 - 4 inches).
Select bright, clean, hard, well-shaped onions with dry skins that crackle and without seed stems or sprouts.
Select fresh, dry, crisp onions free of decay.
Parsley leaves are comprised of three leaflets on short stems, that branch in threes at the tips of eight inch long bare stalks. Leaves of common parsley are dark green with divided tips which curl tightly.
Are most tender when they are about eight inches long. Very large parsnips are likely to have a tough, woody core. At the market choose specimens with firm and fairly smooth skin that taper to a slender tip.
Select peaches that are firm to slightly soft and free from bruises. The best sign of ripeness in a peach is a creamy or golden undertone, often called "ground color." The rosy "blush" on a peach is not a good indicator of ripeness and differs from one variety to the next. Fresh peach fragrance also indicates ripeness. Avoid peaches with a green ground color as they lack flavor and usually shrivel and become tough rather than ripen.
Peas are of the best quality when they are fully expanded but immature, before they become hard and starchy.
Peppers should be fresh, firm, bright, thick-fleshed and either bright green or red with more or less green or red. Avoid bruises and soft, pliable skin.
Hot peppers are usually small (1-3 inches long). Green chilis should be firm, glossy green, and resistant to squeezing pressure.
Thick-fleshed peppers with firm waxy skins and bright, glossy color, free from defects, give the best pickled products. Avoid peppers that are soft, shriveled or pliable, and dull or faded in color.
Potatoes should be fairly clean, firm and smooth with a regular shape. Avoid potatoes with wilted, wrinkled skin, soft dark areas, cut surfaces or with a green appearance.
Pumpkins should be fully ripe with firm rinds, bright orange color and fairly heavy weight.
Whether red or white, roots should be hard and solid, with a smooth, unblemished surface. Avoid soft or spongy radishes.
Ripe raspberries should be large, bright, shiny, uniform in color and ripeness, attractive and firm. Taste varies from tart to sweet depending on the variety and maturity. Stains on containers indicate crushed or bruised fruit. The berries should be free of dirt, mold, or decay.
Ripe raspberries should be large, bright, shiny, uniform in color and ripeness, attractive and firm. Taste varies from tart to sweet depending on the variety and maturity. Stains on containers indicate crushed or bruised fruit. The berries should be free of dirt, mold, or decay.
Ripe raspberries should be large, bright, shiny, uniform in color and ripeness, attractive and firm. Taste varies from tart to sweet depending on the variety and maturity. Stains on containers indicate crushed or bruised fruit. The berries should be free of dirt, mold, or decay.
Ripe raspberries should be large, bright, shiny, uniform in color and ripeness, attractive and firm. Taste varies from tart to sweet depending on the variety and maturity. Stains on containers indicate crushed or bruised fruit. The berries should be free of dirt, mold, or decay.
Size is no indicator of tenderness. Deep red stalks are sweeter and richer.
Select fresh, young, tender greens free from blemishes and of a healthy green color.
Look for small to medium-sized squash, no bigger than 8 inches long (or 4 inches across for patty pan squash). Baby summer squash, just 1 to 2 inches long, are tender and sweet. Choose squash that is firm and feels heavy for its size; otherwise, it may be dry and cotton-like inside. The skin should be even colored and slightly shiny. Check for nicks, bruises, or soft spots. The squash should look plump, not shriveled, and the stem end fresh and green.
Choose full-sized, mature fruit with a hard, tough rind. Also look for squash that is heavy for its size. Avoid squash with cuts, punctures, or sunken or moldy spots on the rind. A soft rind means that the squash is not mature and therefore not good to eat.
Berries should have a full red color, bright luster and firm, plump flesh. Choose fully ripe berries. The caps should be bright green, fresh looking and fully attached. Berries should be dry and clean; usually medium to small berries have better eating quality than large ones. Avoid berries with large uncolored or seedy areas or those with a dull, soft look.
Everbearing strawberries tend to be smaller than June bearing.
Look for shiny, smooth skin, firm flesh, a healthy, red color and a fresh aroma around the stem end.
Always choose fresh greens that are crisp looking with even color. Avoid those with yellow, wilted or pitted leaves or with thick, fibrous stems. Select young greens when possible. It is usually best to purchase turnip greens and turnips separately.
Choose young, small bulbs as they are most tender. Overgrown ones are sharp in flavor and tough and woody in texture.
Examine the spot where the melon has been resting on the ground. A yellow-white spot indicates ripeness-white or pale green suggests immaturity. Scratch the surface of the rind with your thumbnail. If the outer layer slips back with little resistance showing the green-white under the rind, the watermelon is ripe. Scratching unripe melons only leaves a darker depressed line. Choose a melon with a smooth surface, dull sheen and well rounded ends.
