Ingredients

Fresh vs. Frozen

Fresh produce is typically harvested before peak ripeness is reached to allow the produce to ripen during distribution and transportation prior to hitting the retail market. Whereas, frozen produce is harvested at its peak for immediate processing. Frozen fruits are flash frozen and vegetables are frequently blanched first to kill any harmful bacteria and to preserve flavor, color, and texture. There are many debates out there as to whether frozen produce loses nutritional value or not from blanching or over time, but here’s the thing in my book at least… Who cares. Just eat your dang fruits and vegetables. They are healthy fresh or frozen.

When it comes to cooking though— that’s totally up to you as a home cook. I tend to use both fresh and frozen produce depending on what I am making and how much time I have to make it. You can make a chicken pot pie with all fresh vegetables, but you can make one that is just as good with all frozen vegetables in less than half the time. Frozen vegetables require no prep and they also cook much faster since they were already blanched prior to freezing. My personal preference overall leans toward fresh produce. I am that guy you see in the grocery store that picks through and looks at every individual piece of fruit or vegetable to find the perfect piece or bunch. My sincerest apologies. I promise that I wash my hands regularly and likely way more than the average person— I might be a bit of a germophobe. That said, I always keep frozen produce around to use in a pinch or for a quick-n-lazy meal. Woodstock and Simple Truth organic frozen products are my go-to and always excellent quality.

Organic vs. Non-Organic

Are organic foods actually “healthier”? From my research at least there is no evidence to support that organic foods are any healthier than non-organic. Please correct me if I am wrong. USDA certified organic foods are produced by adhering to specific government standards in order to don that seal we have become so familiar with on packaging. If these organic foods are not “healthier” though— then what are we paying for exactly as the consumer? For produce and grains the USDA essentially just ensures that natural fertilizers are used and that pesticides are eco-friendly. For organic meat, dairy & eggs there are no growth hormones or antibiotics. “Cage-free” is a much looser term that I won’t even get into here, but I do not believe that animal welfare is actually taken into account, unfortunately. And for organic packaged goods the USDA requires there to be no GMOs, no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Eating an organic apple a day is not going to prevent you from seeing the doctor any less frequently than eating a non-organic apple a day. As the saying goes at least.

What do I buy? I tend to gravitate toward mostly organic products. I believe that is largely due to the environment I grew up in where organic has always been valued and prioritized whenever possible. My mom is a farm girl from Wisconsin during an era where the long-term health risks of pesticides were still an unknown. To the point above, the amount of pesticides a person will consume by eating a non-organic apple is likely minimal. It’s not going to kill you. However, USDA certified produce and grain farms are much safer for the farmers and their workers in terms of exposure to non-natural chemicals and elements. I believe that is something that is baked into the mentality of my parents and shaped how they chose to purchase groceries as adults and I adapted those habits. Do a search sometime on: The Dirty Dozen and The Clean Fifteen.

Locally Produced vs. Mass Production

How much do you value supporting local farmers and local businesses? That’s what it boils down to. I tend to buy a lot of both locally and mass produced products for cooking. It partly depends on convenience (which store am I currently closest to) or if I am really looking for something very specific. As a local “townie” of Bloomington and an entrepreneur in the community— I do like to support local when I can. I also just prefer to avoid the massive crowds of people and lines at Kroger by going to the local co-op (Bloomingfoods) instead. A lot of local products can be found in larger retailers such as Kroger too. Pro-tip: look for the Indiana Grown label on packages if you care about supporting local when you’re unable to attend farmer’s markets and events. I am assuming most states in the US have a similar organization.

Locally produced products I do believe are going to be higher-quality and much fresher, especially meat and poultry. Here in Indiana, I pretty much only buy meat from Fischer Farms and chicken from Miller Poultry. I am familiar with the companies, their stories, and their products simply taste much better than anything else. Sure, do I buy other meat and poultry products at times? Absolutely. I’m not that big of a snob. At the end of the day, while I do have my preferences, I don’t discriminate either. You will see me using all kinds of ingredients from many different vendors, markets, and stores as a home cook.

Scratch-made vs. Premade

You have probably noticed that I make a lot of pasta dishes, but I do not make fresh pasta from scratch. For one, I hate getting flour all over the place. Secondly, I would rather spend my time making a delicious homemade sauce instead of fresh pasta when I love and trust the quality of De Cecco. Finding quality premade products you trust is a massive timesaver and it does not make you any less of a home cook. One may even argue that it makes you a better one by being way more efficient. The only word of caution I have though is that not all premade products are equal. They vary greatly in quality and using a poor product can ruin a dish.

An advantage of scratch-made product when cooking, however, is that you have full control of what goes into it— if that matters to you. For example, when I make sauces from scratch I frequently omit the sugar that is found in many other recipes. It’s a personal choice and I just do not believe sugar is necessary for most sauces to make them taste great. My best piece of advice is to pick-and-choose between scratch-made and premade product based on the amount of time you have; and always keep your favorite premade products on-hand in your refrigerator and/or pantry just in case.