How to Use Fresher Food in Your Cooking

Using fresh food in your cooking can make your meals stand out. Food in the grocery store often travels many miles to arrive on our plates, which can make its freshness questionable. There are a number of ways that you can incorporate more fresh food into your cooking without too much work.

Grow Your Own Produce

Growing your own produce is a good way to use freshest fruits and vegetables possible in your cooking. You can plant a raised vegetable garden in your backyard, and fill it with the fruits and vegetables you enjoy. Citrus trees, including oranges and lemons, do well in areas with warm climates and are easy to grow in your yard. If you do not have a lot of room or a yard, you can start a simple herb garden in your kitchen. Fresh herbs like basil, parsley, and cilantro, can all be grown inside in small spaces.

Grind Meat Yourself

The best way to have the freshest meat possible on your dining table is to grind the meat yourself. Before you do this, you need to purchase your own meat grinder. First, select the kind of meat you want to grind. Then, cut it into chunks into pieces and freeze it for 30 minutes. Chilling the meat makes it easier for it to keep its shape to go through the grinder. You can use a meat grinder to make sausages and other ground meats. You can grind, pork, chicken, beef, or other types of meat depending on what you want to make.

Check Out Your Local Farmer’s Market

An easy way to incorporate more fresh food into your cooking is by shopping at your local farmer’s market. Shopping at the farmer’s market will allow you to buy produce that comes from your area that was picked recently. Many farmer’s markets have vendors who sell local meat that is fresh, and oftentimes organic. Fresh food from the farmer’s market is less likely to be grown using pesticides and is not stored in a fridge for long periods of time, unlike some grocery store produce.

Fresher food in any meal simply tastes better. If you are trying to use fresher ingredients in your cooking, there are a lot of ways to achieve this goal using resources in your own community, or in your own home. Incorporating more fresh food into your recipes will wow your taste buds and satisfy your dinner guests.

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