Have you been to a farmers market yet this year? Whether it’s from a farmers market or a grocery store, don’t let that fresh produce spoil on your counter. Here are some tips on how to store fruits and vegetables so they last longer. 

One of the benefits of shopping at farmers markets is the fruits and vegetables are often fresher than those at most grocery stores. Much of the produce was picked within a couple of days, or even hours of the market. Fresher fruits and vegetables will last a little longer before they begin to spoil. But, there are also some additional things you can do at home to help your produce last even longer. Follow these fruit and vegetable storage recommendations to reduce the amount of produce that spoils before you can use it.  Use this chart to identify fruits and vegetables that spoil the quickest and be sure to use those first.

This article was written by Heidi LeBlanc, Food $ense State Director, and Casey Coombs, RD, CD; Policy, Systems, and Environments Coordinator, Utah State University Food $ense

Warmer weather means it’s farmers market season. Read up on some of the great benefits of shopping at a farmers market, and don’t miss the recipe  at the end!

After an especially long and snowy winter, the opening of farmers markets around the state is certainly a welcome sight. There are many individual, community and environmental benefits associated with shopping at local farmers markets. Markets often offer a wide variety of reasonably priced, high quality fruits and vegetables that are at the peak of their nutritional value. If you receive SNAP benefits, many markets offer a matching incentive program called Double Up Food Bucks (DUFB). For every $10 in SNAP benefits used at the market, you will receive up to $10 in DUFB tokens to spend on fruits and vegetables, making them even more economical.

The produce at farmers markets is often harvested within a couple of days or hours of the market, so the consumer has more time to use it before it spoils. Shopping at farmers markets also helps support farmers in your area, as well as the local economy. On average, food in the United States travels about 1,500 miles to get to your dinner plate, which can have various negative impacts on the environment. Fruits and vegetables sold at farmers markets have generally travelled just a few miles, which means savings in both your wallet and your environment. In addition to these benefits, farmers markets are a fun place to spend a few hours. Many offer free music, games and events for children and tasty food samples. The opening day of farmers markets varies around the state. Check with your local USU Extension office to find the farmers market in your community.

Here’s a great recipe for some of the first items to show up at Utah’s farmers markets. This is a great recipe to add any other fruits or vegetables that look good at the market.

Tossed Salad with Citrus Dressing

Yield: 8 servings.

From eatwellutah.org

Ingredients:

• 4 c. torn fresh spinach
• 4 c. torn leaf lettuce
• 2-11 oz. cans mandarin oranges
• ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 T. thinly sliced radishes

Dressing:

• ½ c. orange juice
• ¼ c. lemon juice
• ¼ c. olive oil
• ½ t. seasoned salt
• ¼ t. paprika (optional)
• pepper, to taste

Directions:

Toss spinach, lettuce, oranges and radishes in salad bowl. Combine dressing ingredients and whisk together until blended. Serve with salad. 

This article was written by Heidi LeBlanc, Food $ense State Director, and Casey Coombs, RD, CD; Policy, Systems, and Environments Coordinator, Utah State University Food $ense

How do you plan your weekly menu and shop at your local farmers market, without knowing what exactly you might find there? Follow these tips to help you plan a more flexible menu, and and take advantage of the fresh local produce at the farmers market.

Farmers markets are known for offering an ever-changing variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Although variety is a benefit of shopping at local farmers markets, it can be difficult and overwhelming to come up with a menu for the week without knowing beforehand what will be available. Yet, being flexible allows you to choose the produce that looks the best and is offered at a good price.  Below are some tips for planning meals around the unpredictable availability at the farmers market.

1. Reverse your menu planning schedule. Shop at the market first, then build a menu for the week based on what you purchased. This will also help ensure that you use what you bought, reducing food waste.
2. Plan the non-vegetable portion of the meal, and then add the vegetables after seeing what looks best at the market.
3. Have a general sense of when different fruits and vegetables are usually in season and  available. Plan your menu with at least two different options and then buy the one that is offered at the best price.
4. Bring your menu to the market. If there is something that looks great, but isn’t in your plan revise your menu on the spot to incorporate it.
5. Include some meals that use a wide variety of produce in like stir-fry, soup, or omelets.
6. Be open to making last minute substitutions to your favorite recipe. Here are some ideas of fruits and vegetables that are good substitutions for each other.

This article was written by Heidi LeBlanc, Food $ense State Director, and Casey Coombs, RD, CD; Policy, Systems, and Environments Coordinator, Utah State University Food $ense,