Signs Your Food is Deadly or Delicious

did you know that the single biggest occupant in American landfills is wasted food around 50% of all produce in the US is thrown away that's 60 million tons worth around a hundred and sixty billion dollars people throw away food for all sorts of reasons mainly because food is cheaper in the US than almost anywhere else but also because people are picky about how their food looks if you know what to look for however you're more likely to pick food that you'll enjoy and you can avoid the bad stuff let's try and reduce this waste by taking a look at some tips on how to pick the best food and avoid the worst potatoes the humble potato is one of the world's most popular vegetables because well who doesn't love french fries and hashbrowns but when potatoes go bad they can go really bad just ask the Irish who suffered and died in the millions because of a mold related potato famine in the 1840s so how can you tell if a potato is on the brink of badness look out for bruising soft patches and cuts that haven't healed over avoid any potatoes that are green or sprouting though these aren't signs they're poisonous they may add a bitter flavor to your spuds the best-tasting potatoes are firm all over if you're sweet on potatoes you probably like sweet potatoes too the smaller and darker skin the sweet potato is the sweeter and creamier it will taste if your sweet potato is more orange than the president it's probably delicious a dark orange color will mean that it's loaded with beta-carotene a natural precursor to vitamin A you should avoid pale sweet potatoes with cuts of bruises cold also tends to ruin their flavor and texture so don't put them in the fridge jicama this is a root vegetable that's not quite as common as the potato but can be just as delicious also known as Mexican yam bean or Mexican turnip jicama has an inedible skin that contains a sweet crunchy pale flesh that tastes somewhere between an apple and a potato to find the tastiest tuber look for small to medium sized roots as jicama x' flavor tends to dissipate as it grows larger but coming slightly tougher and less crispy look out for wet spots and holes on the skin as they may be a sign of interior rot as with potatoes pick one that's firm all over the tasty root can be eaten raw and tastes great with chili powder so juice and lime honeydew melon time to go from roots to fruits the argument over which melon is best honeydew or cantaloupe will never be over honeydew melons are from West Africa and have been eaten for over 4,000 years if you're trying to find a ripe one you'll need to check the rind at the risk of looking like a lunatic you need to rub the ride if it's slippery smooth and makes a squeaking noise it's good always check for bruises or brown spots and if it looks like this give it a Miss instead of brown spots look for little freckles which are signs of sweetness push gently on the stem end and if it bounces back you've picked a winner be sure to wash the outside before you dig in as melon skins can carry salmonella bacteria apricots if you thought 4000 years was a long time in the history of fruit paper guides have been around for so long that nobody knows where exactly they're from though many suspect Armenian today's apricots come mainly from Turkey and they're related to peaches plums almonds and cherries but picking out an apricot is different from choosing a cherry here's what to look for a ripe apricot will be slightly soft neither hard nor squishy and should smell sweet dark ready orange skin indicates ripeness while any wrinkles on the scan will mean that the fruit is dry steer clear bruised or discolored fruit as they could be rotten inside apricots get moldy fast if they're wet so don't wash them until you're ready to eat them fruit hybridize errs have also created a purple or black apricot so don't be scared if you see one of these odd colored cuts in the fruit section pomegranate pomegranates can be pretty difficult to handle although nice savvy specialists can make the process look effortless one pomegranate tree can live for 200 years and produce 30 to 40 kilograms of fruit a year the best fruit comes late in the season which is September to November so grab them while you can look for color first too much yellowness indicates that the fruit isn't right vividly ruby colored pomegranates are the sweetest and the rapist fruits will be smooth plump and should feel heavy scratches are dense won't affect the inside so don't judge the ugly ones some pomegranates aren't even red like the gay nice wheat variety so good luck with the feeling process if you can make them look like this then you're probably cheating grapefruit the grapefruit originated in Barbados as the result of an accidental genetic cross between two introduced species the sweet orange and the palmela when first found it was nicknamed the forbidden fruit wait is one of the best indicators of grapefruit brightness and juiciness so if it's difficult to carry it's probably good rich colors like pink or deep red are also good ripeness indicators crucially you should examine your grapefruit for holes microorganisms can enter holes and cause some gross looking diseases one is citrus canker a bacterial disease that causes scabby lesions grapefruits also contain an organic compound that blocks enzymes that normally help your body break down certain medications and this can lead to medication levels becoming toxic so be careful about choosing grapefruit juice in the morning Asian pears if your doctor says no to citrus try an Asian pear it's not hard to guess where this pear comes from what's not as easy to guess is the fruits family tree believe it or not it's a relative of the Rose much rounder and crispier than other pears eating an Asian pear is more like eating an apple the darker richer colored fruit will taste better bruises are a sign the fruit is overripe but don't worry about freckles this is called rustling and it's a sign that the fruit is ready to be eaten avocado now for the pair that's famed for bankrupting millennials everywhere it's the trusty avocado while avocados are a tasty addition to bagels and brunches they shouldn't be left lying around near stables horses are dangerously allergic to avocados as well as the leaves bark on avocado trees consider yourselves warned California and ranchers ripe Hass avocados are dark green and has thick rough skin but remember you want it to be dark green not completely black otherwise it's overripe apply even force to it with your whole hand instead of pressing it with your thumb if it gives a little then it's ripe next take a peek under the stem look for one that comes off easily and still looks green underneath scars are black marks on the outside won't affect the fruits flavor although indentations or flat spots could mean your avocado is rotten inside shape isn't always important but if any part of the skin gives way too easily that avocado is toast eggplant another fruit masquerading as a vegetable is the eggplant or aubergine it's not just a suggestive emoji the eggplant is technically a berry the most common variety is the bulbous globe eggplant which is purple shiny and delicious have cooked right but egg blends be warned this is a thrip a tiny creature to which all eggplants are susceptible it can cause direct damage to the crops or it can cause wounds on the fruit that let other infections in a good eggplant will have smooth unblemished skin and look dark purple it'll also be firm to the touch as a general rule the smaller the eggplant the view of the seeds that we'll have and the less bitter it will taste browning near the camp bruises or wet spots could be a sign of rot so you'll have to caress your eggplant before you make any choices tomatillo green isn't the best color for an eggplant but it's excellent for a tomatillo tomatillo czar the green fruit to give salsa verde its tangy flavor they're sometimes called Mexican husk tomatoes for the leafy looking outer husk when it comes to color this is the kind of green you want but the one on the left was picked too late there's also a purple variety which would make your salsa verde well not very Verde hombre a ripe tomatillo will be firm with the husk hugging the fruit closely he should feel the fruit through the husk for any bumps or cracks or you might end up with the when it's unwrapped the tomatillo will be a little sticky but that stickiness should wash off pretty easily so if you want to make a killer tostada tomatillo salsa is what you're after kiwifruit the husk of a tomatillo is inedible but the skin of this next food is the kiwifruit is covered in a hairy outer layer that's harmless to eat there's even a bite-sized variety called the hearty Kiwi it may look like New Zealand's unofficial mascot but Kiwis are actually from China a good Kiwi should be oval and about the size of a chicken egg if the Kiwi smells sweet that's a good sign acidic odor or no odour means the fruits gone bad soft spots and wrinkles might be good qualities for a grandma but not for a Kiwi ripe Kiwi should yield to a gentle squeeze picked right the Kiwi is a delicious treat that mixes well with other summer flavors mango now this may sound nuts but the mango is actually a relative of the cashew with mangoes color is key the alto faux mango or honey mango is entirely yellow and ripe and should be an overall golden colour the Tommy Atkins variety is best when it has a bright red blush the one on the left here is not ready yet but the right one definitely is and the middle choice is up to you both varieties of mango should be firm but give a little when pressed beware of black spots and sunken lesions because they're signs of infection the stem ends should smell like the fruit so if you don't mind being known as the weirdo who goes round sniffing mangoes in the produce aisle this tip is for you watermelon the watermelon is one of the most desirable fruits in the produce aisle but not a lot of people know the amazing secret behind picking a good one their fruit is usually red on the inside but strangely there are a few yellow varieties these alternative versions are sweeter than their red flesh cousins if you're in the market for the traditional red version you could go around the store smacking the melons to listen for juice content but there's a much easier way to select the best and sweetest watermelon look for the big yellow spot this is the site of the melon was resting on the ground and didn't get as much Sun but it's a telltale sign that the watermelon was ripened in the field instead of in a warehouse you should also check the watermelon for any cracks or gouges if you see something like this don't worry it's not alien graffiti this watermelon has been infected with watermelon mosaic virus the virus is spread by aphids and usually causes deformity in the leaves and young fruit as weird as this disease looks you can still eat the inside of the fruit without getting sick although I still think you're at risk of alien abduction strangely watermelons that are adorned with flawless rinds are generally not the ones to go for if a melon is devoid of webbing then it means that the fruit proudly did not receive enough pollination though this will necessarily result in an inedible watermelon it could mean that your fruit won't be a sugary sweet as it should be are there any other amazing produce secrets you know about and have you ever eaten a poisonous pear let me know in the comments down below thanks for watching [Music] you

Channel: BE AMAZED

Views: 154,195

Rating: 4.8095236 out of 5

Keywords: beamazed, be amazed, top 10, healthy food, healthy diet, healthy lifestyle, healthy habits, unhealthy food, junk food, foods to avoid, cooking healthy, stay healthy, your health, be careful with these foods, perfect body, fruits, veg, best foods, healthiest foods, healthy foods

Id: XZO5Wovpkqc

Length: 12min 8sec (728 seconds)

Published: Sun Aug 18 2019