KATHRYN P ROSENTHAL posted a question about fresh vs. frozen vs. canned
vegetables.  From all of the reading I've done over the years, fresh is
best; frozen is a good second choice (in a pinch; better than nothing); and
canned produce is a total waste because the processing leaves it totally
devitalized.   (I'll admit, I've been know to buy some canned, organic,
tomato paste or tomato sauce in the winter... but I do that less and less
now!  Btw, dried tomatoes are a good alternative in the winter.  You can do
amazing things with them!

Don and I shop at a farmers' market when it's open, spring through late Nov.
or Dec. in Ohio.  In a good (mild) year, we can sometimes get fresh, locally
grown spinach in late Nov. or early Dec.  While it's not organic produce, we
think it's better to eat a wide range of vegetables and have it "fresh" than
to eat a limited variety of perhaps not so fresh, shipped in, organic
produce.  That said, we do buy some organic produce. However, for many years
we have known that if we bought "only" organic produce, even when we had
access to an enormous variety, we'd have gone broke, given the  enormous
amount of vegetables we've been in the habit of eating.  Even though we eat
more meat and slightly less produce nowadays, it still gets expensive to buy
predominantly organic veggies and fruits if you eat a lot of it.  Organic
produce $ometime$ cost$ four to $ix time$ a$ much a$ non-organic produce!
(I know all of the pro-oganic arguments....believe me....)

As for finding what is freshest, we look for greens that are vibrant green.
Pass up the broccoli that appears to have yellowed or become lifeless around
the edges; ditto for kale, collards, lettuce, or any other greens.
Sometimes you may have to go to a second store if you are set on getting a
particular vegetable.  Fresh veggies should be firm, not soggy, wilted or
watery looking.  If you can bend the daikon or zucchini, they're too old to
eat.  If you see mold....they're really old.  Use as many of your senses as
possible!

As much as possible, look for vegetables not packed in collophane....like
us, they need to breathe!  If bagged, avoid produce which contains a lot of
water inside the package.  Some stores in our area (such as Anderson's, in
Toledo, Ohio) stock chemical-free lettuce and a fair amount of local
produce.

Frozen veggies are usually parboiled prior to freezing.   However, many
fruit are frozen without cooking.  You can freeze your own fruits (now's a
good time).  If you want to freeze some ahead, for smoothies at a later
date, just rinse; drain; spread on a cookie sheet; freeze, then transfer to
freezerproof containers.  (Feeling lazy?  Skip the cookie sheets and just
freeze berries or pitted, sliced fresh fruit in containers.)  If you want an
alternative to zip-locking plastic bags, Corning makes some non-plastic
freezer-proof containers with snap-on lids.  You can stack these in the
freezer.  If you plant to make smoothies, don't thaw the fruit, just drop it
into the blender as is.

Where in W. Michigan are you?  I buy organic celery much of the time; the
celery hearts seem to be the tastiest.  You said" For years I've seen huge,
open trucks hauling celery from the fields.  The trucks....diesel...have
stacks that spew out great gobs of black smoke right over the uncovered
celery!  My dad insists... you can smell diesel fuel on some of the
celery... and we wonder why at least a tarp isn't thrown over the celery...
yuk."    Lovely!  ;-{

Tarps??? What's a tarp?  What will they NOT think of next?

Rachel