Released: March 21, 2002

Also see: March 2002 Yard 'n Garden news package

Just-Picked Produce Best

MANHATTAN, Kan. – It’s no folktale or popular myth. Years of scientific tests have proven most people really do think freshly picked vegetables taste by far the best – raw or cooked straight from the garden.

In trying to find out why, scientists have discovered even more factors that suggest home gardens can be a smart idea, especially for people who care about food’s nutrition, texture and fiber content.

"The fact is, vegetables and fruits both start to degrade the moment they’re picked. After that, different types of produce vary only in how quickly they age," said Chuck Marr, vegetable crops specialist with Kansas State University Research and Extension.

Scientists are continually looking for ways to help fresh produce maintain quality longer through commercial shipping and storage, he pointed out.

But vegetables such as fresh peas and okra are still so quick to degrade that they’re rarely found in grocery store produce sections.

"Besides, it’s simple logic that homegrown harvests will always have the edge on peak freshness," Marr said.

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Kathleen Ward, Communications Specialist
kward@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News