I remember during my childhood when my parents picked the vegetables right out of the garden, cooked them, and put them on the table for the family to enjoy. We knew they couldn’t be beat as far as the taste and nutrition. Few of us now take the time and labor to grow our own produce. Instead, we rely on fresh produce from our local grocery store or “processed” fruits and vegetables.

Technology has made almost all kinds of “fresh” produce available any time of the year. But, is our requirement for “fresh” produce to achieve the highest quality taste and nutritional value really warranted? Is “fresh” produce from the local grocery store always better than canned or frozen produce?

Think about the time span between picking the produce and putting it on your table. First of all, the produce is picked before it’s ripe so that it travels without spoiling. Produce often takes days to travel to your grocery store (if the produce is not in season, it may come from the countries far from where we live).

Then it is put out to sell in another day or so. Then we buy it a few days later, take it home and keep it in the refrigerator for another few days (and sometimes longer) before you eat it. By a week or so later, much of the nutritional value is lost and the flavor is not what you expected. So much for “fresh” fruits and vegetables.

Compare the so-called “fresh” produce to frozen or canned fruits and vegetables. The produce is picked when it’s ripe and immediately processed. Although it may not have that “fresh” taste of just-picked garden produce, the quality is much more consistent throughout the year and vitamins and minerals are retained.

Or course, for the best flavor, it’s best to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables when they’re in season in our area. They won’t have to travel as far, so they’re more likely to taste much better and you won’t balk at the price.

Buy only the amount of fresh produce that you can use within a few days. You may have to make more trips to the grocery store, but you also will end up throwing out less food. Or, you can use the fresh food first, then rely on the canned or frozen food until your next trip to the store.

“Fresh” produce from the grocery store, unlike your garden fruits and vegetables, is not always the tastiest and the most nutritious. Canned or frozen fruits and vegetables are good alternatives when the “fresh” produce doesn’t quite meet home-grown standards. Georgia’s Own Sweet Potato and

Apple Casserole 3 medium sweet potatoes

3 medium apples

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbs. grated orange peel 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

14 cup orange juice

1. Microwave sweet potatoes on high 8 minutes. Peel and cut into 1/2inch slices.

2. Peel apples and slice crosswise into 1/2-inch rings; remove seeds.

3. Combine sugar, orange peel, nutmeg and salt in small bowl.

4. Alternate slices of sweet potatoes and apples in deep 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.

5. Sprinkle sugar mixture over each layer. Add orange juice and cover.

6. Microwave on high 6 minutes. Makes six servings.

Nutrition information: Calories 134; carbohydrate 33 grams; protein 1 gram; fat less than 1 gram; cholesterol 0 mg; sodium 103 mg.