Q1.
Activity 4: Do you ever accompany your elders for buying vegetables and fruits? During such visits, observe how elders select fruits and vegetables in the market.
Answer
Go along, stand beside the elder, and watch their hands and eyes. Disha noticed that her Thatha examined each fruit and vegetable carefully before he bought it. Here is what elders actually check.
| What they check | How they check it | What they are looking for |
|---|---|---|
| Look | Turn the fruit or vegetable over in the hand | Bright, even colour; no black spots, cuts, holes or mould patches |
| Feel | Press very gently with the thumb | Firm, not soft, mushy or wrinkled |
| Smell | Hold it near the nose, especially melons and mangoes | A sweet, fresh smell — a sour or foul smell means it has begun to spoil |
| Weight | Hold two of the same size and compare | The heavier one usually has more juice in it |
| Stalk and leaves | Look at the stem end | Green, fresh leaves mean it was picked recently; dry or yellow leaves mean it is old |
| Insects | Look for tiny holes or spots | No holes, no crawling insects |
| Season and place | Ask the seller where it came from | Local and in-season produce is fresher and cheaper |
| Quantity | Think about the next few days | Only as much as the family will actually eat, so that nothing spoils and is wasted |
Why all this checking matters: A fruit that is already bruised or cracked has an opening, and microbes can get in through it. Such a piece spoils in a day and can spoil the ones lying next to it. Choosing carefully at the market is really the first step of preserving food.
After you get home: take out anything that is bruised and use it first, wash everything before storing, dry it well (wet vegetables spoil faster), and store leafy greens and cut vegetables in the fridge or in a cool, airy place.