Science Questions

Are old vegetables as good as fresh?

If we store seasonal fruit and vegetables will they still have all the same nutrients as when they're fresh? Nicki via email

Well certainly the mineral content isn't going to change. But it's likely that some vitamins will decrease over time. So there is an optimal time when you can eat these foods. It really depends on the storage environment. If it's a cold environment then it's going to slow the degradation of things like vitamin C and other minerals that are unstable.

January 2007