logo

The Global Domain Name (url) Families.com is currently available for acquisition. Please contact by phone at 805-627-1955 or Email for Details

Finding Fresh High Quality Ingredients

The quality of your ingredients will definitely affect the quality of your meals. And while you may be able to get away with certain common ingredients for every day cooking, if you want to step it up for certain meals, you’ll have to find fresh, high quality ingredients for your recipes. You’ll definitely be able to tell the difference in your cooking.

Fresh, high quality ingredients don’t necessarily have to be expensive, although you may pay a bit more than the normal processed supermarket fare. Of course, if your sources include local farmer’s markets, co-ops and the like, you should be able to negotiate prices, especially if you are a regular customer.

One of our favorite places to shop on a Friday evening is a local indoor market called Booth’s Corner that is a combination of farmer’s market, thrift market and regular retail space. The shopkeepers include both traditional organic farmers and Amish farmers who select items direct from their farms. Gourmet chefs and health food distributors also sell their wares. At this market, one can buy everything from Limburger cheese and quail eggs to dried apples and fresh broccoli.

We have made weekly shopping trips there a ritual, where we purchase everything from meat to snacks for the week.

Farmers markets and gourmet markets are popping up everywhere, including in large cities. They are usually a good source of fresh high quality food. Cities also usually have ethnic markets, where you can not only find exotic ingredients, but you can find them for good prices.

If your area doesn’t have the benefit of farmers markets or ethnic shops, it might be worth your while to travel a little bit out of your community to stock up on the ingredients that you need. Usually, word of mouth will tell you where the best locations happen to be. Ask friends who live regionally or go online into forums where you may discover a few favorites direct from the locals.

Related Articles:

Homemade GoGurts

Tomato Abundance

This entry was posted in Fun Food Facts & Info by Mary Ann Romans. Bookmark the permalink.

About Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, online content manager, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania in the middle of the woods but close enough to Target and Home Depot. The author of many magazine, newspaper and online articles, Mary Ann enjoys writing about almost any subject. "Writing gives me the opportunity to both learn interesting information, and to interact with wonderful people." Mary Ann has written more than 5,000 blogs for Families.com since she started back in December 2006. Contact her at maromans AT verizon.net or visit her personal blog http://homeinawoods.wordpress.com