Buying guides
How to choose a cabbage that will stay crisp
A crisp cabbage feels dense, has tightly packed leaves and a dry cut base. The shop test takes less time than rescuing a wilted half later.
Choose ingredients that earn their place in the basket
Practical comparisons and buying advice for choosing produce, tins and pantry staples by texture, flavour and value.
Page 2 of 5
Buying guides
How to choose a butternut squash with a small seed cavity
Look for a heavy, well-formed butternut with a long solid neck, firm skin and an intact stem. Avoid soft spots, wet cracks and a hollow light feel.
Buying guides
How to choose tomato paste with the deepest flavour
Look for dense paste, a short ingredient list and a package you can finish. The biggest flavour gain still comes from frying it properly.
Buying guides
Red pepper vs orange: which has more vitamin C?
A raw red bell pepper carries about two and a half times the vitamin C of an orange, gram for gram. Here is the data and the caveat that matters.
Buying guides
How to choose peas for soup, salad or pasta
Frozen garden peas are my everyday choice for pasta, petits pois suit a smooth soup and fresh peas earn their place in a raw or barely cooked salad.
Buying guides
How to choose sweet potatoes with a dry, firm centre
Look for a firm sweet potato with tight skin, a clean stem end and weight that feels substantial for its size. Reject soft patches before they reach the tray.
Buying guides
How to choose kale with tender leaves
Tender kale has fresh colour, springy leaves and stems that are not thick and woody. Choose smaller leaves for quick cooking and larger ones for soup or roasting.
Buying guides
How to choose an aubergine that is young enough to cook well
A young aubergine feels dense, has taut skin and a green cap that has not dried out. These checks matter more than choosing the darkest colour.
Buying guides
How to choose a cucumber that is crisp inside
A crisp cucumber feels firm from end to end, has even dark green skin and feels heavy for its size. Reject soft tips, yellowing and sunken wet patches.
Buying guides
How to choose tinned tomatoes without wasting money
Choose the form for the dish first, then read the ingredient list and salt. The label story matters less than the tomato, the liquid and the price per usable tin.
Buying guides
White peaches vs yellow peaches: which is sweeter?
White peaches often taste sweeter and more floral, while yellow peaches bring stronger acidity and a firmer, brighter bite. Ripeness matters more than colour alone.
Buying guides
How to choose green beans that still snap
Fresh green beans are smooth, bright and firm, with a clean snap and no swollen seed bumps. A flexible limp pod is usually a thirsty older pod, not a tender one.