SPRING
HARVEST
GUIDE
Spring is here at last, and the farmer’s market is brimming with inspiring produce. You want to buy every crisp veggie and plump piece of fruit in sight—we’re right there with you! Here’s how to select, store and cook during this exciting season.
Asparagus
Look for bright green (or ivory-white), firm stalks, with tightly closed tips and no flowers. Thick versus thin is up to you; each type has its proponents! Cook it the day you buy it if you can, or stash in the fridge with bottoms wrapped in damp paper towels and stored in paper bags in the crisper.
Strawberries
Select fully red berries without dark spots or white tips, and handle gently. Store on the counter if eating them within a day. Otherwise, store them in a single layer in the refrigerator, not touching, in a paper towel-lined, airtight container. Either wait to wash them just before use or gently rinse in a colander dipped into a large bowl of cool water.
Peas
Shell garden or English peas before eating; snow peas and sugar snaps can be eaten whole. Look for fat, crisp pods that are bright green. Refrigerate in a plastic bag for up to three days; pea shoots—which you should buy very green and leafy—should be used the same day.
Cherries
Sweet cherries grace markets during spring. (Sour ones pop up later.) It’s a fast season, so snap up firm, blemish-free cherries that feel heavy. Eat them as soon as possible, or within four days; keep them cold and dry. Place in an open container, refrigerate, and rinse just before using.
Artichokes
Look for tight, compact layers of leaves and closed heads. An artichoke should feel heavy for its size, with a stem that is neither dry nor slimy. Watch out for thorns, and for the hairy layer—the choke—that covers the tender heart. (In baby artichokes, the choke is generally edible.) Refrigerate loosely wrapped in plastic for up to a week.
Fava Beans
Look for small-to-medium-sized, velvety, grassy-green pods. Avoid those that have burst. Unless the pod is ½-inch long or shorter, you must shell the beans, usually by blanching and peeling. Refrigerate in the crisper drawer for up to one week; shelled, blanched and peeled, they can be frozen for up to a year.
