How to Pick and Store Fresh Fruits and Veggies

By : Jodie Shield | 1 Comment | On : July 1, 2013 | Category : Apps & Websites

Harvest App Review

 By:  Jodie Shield, RD

Summer is my favorite “food” time of year.  All winter I dream about fresh red tomatoes bursting with actual flavor.  I long for juicy sweet corn on the cob that drips down my chin after each bite.  This past cold and dreary February, I was so missing the peak flavor of summer produce.  My friend, Linda, encouraged me to sign up for a CSA program – Community Sustainable Agriculture.  Never heard of it?  Well basically it’s a program where you commit to buying shares of fresh fruits and vegetables grown by a local farmer.  I signed on the dotted line.  Every other week, my farmer delivers what ever is ready for harvest to a designated drop off.  All I have to do is bring my recyclable produce bags and pick it up.  Last week I got my first installment.  Let’s just say I was overjoyed and overwhelmed!   I had so many pounds of kale, arugula, and spring mix to take home my nose started twitching like a rabbit.  Then it hit me. How on earth was I suppose to store my green leafy investment?  I found this nifty app called Harvest that tells you how to select and store fresh fruits and veggies for maximum freshness.   It helped me tuck away all of my garden fresh goodies and keep them that way.  Here’s my review of the Harvest App.  Fellow fresh produce lovers, what are you thoughts about this app?

Harvest App Review

 

Price and Platform:

$1.99; available from Apple App Store

RD Score:

★★★★ (4 out of 5)

App Summary: 

Harvest is a handy digital pocket guide that provides information about how to select and store over 120 different types of fresh fruits and vegetables.  It also gives you a pesticide level rating from highest to lowest levels. It was developed by Sean Murphy who encourages users to contact him about missing foods and other issues via the app or corresponding website.

Pros:

• Super quick and easy to use especially at point of purchase.
• Selection and storage tips and recommendations are detailed and practical.
• Source for pesticide information is referenced.

Cons:

• Produce images are hard to see; they only show a fraction of the fruit or vegetable.
• No sources for the tips and recommendations are noted, but they do seem to be accurate.
• No preparation information is available but in all fairness, this is not part of the apps stated purpose.

Bottom Line:

If you ‘re at the farmer’s market or grocery store and need some quick produce pointers for picking fresh fruits and vegetables, you should consider using Harvest.

 

Jodie Shield is a Registered Dietitian, mother of three, and author of Healthy Eating, Healthy Weight for Kids and Teens (EatRight Press, 2012).  You can follow more of her blogs at Playdate Place.