Tortured Produce

Grocery stores in the United States love to torture vegetables. Lettuce often is banded by paper-covered wire known as “twist-tie” that damages the tender leaves. Ironically, the binding reads “Eat more fresh vegetables.” It ought to say “Eat more crushed vegetables.”

By the time I’ve removed the damaged leaves, the chicken bowl is nearly full. (The “chicken bowl” us where we collect kitchen scraps to feed our hens. In most North American households the damaged parts go down a garbage disposal.)

The practice of binding up produce with rubber bands and wires shows great disrespect for the delicacy of fresh vegetables.

A similar disrespect is shown fresh fruit such as pears when the omnipresent bar code sticker is slapped onto the fruit’s outer skin. Removing the sticker often removes a layer of skin or bruises the fruit.

I recall with pleasure the beautiful vegetable displays in the Delft markets. There’s not a rubber band or twist tie to be seen.

The Dutch have more respect for fresh produce than we do. Are Americans alone in the way we torture our vegetables?

Copyright 2014 b Shirley Domer