Can I eat off-season vegetables safely?

Nowadays, with the development of science and technology, vegetables such as tomatoes, eggplants, cucumbers, and greens that are not available in winter can be seen on the table all year round. When we are happily eating all kinds of vegetables in winter, some people jump out to remind everyone that off-season vegetables are ripened by fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, etc., which are not only of low nutritional value, but also very unsafe. Is this true?

What are off-season vegetables?

The production of off-season vegetables can be categorized into the following three categories:

1. Planting in other places

When the climate in the north becomes cold, the south is still warm and suitable for the growth of various vegetables, such as Yunnan and Hainan. At this time, vegetables will be transported from the distant south to the north over mountains and rivers, and suddenly become precious off-season vegetables. This is only a geographical standard.

2 Emergency Reserve

"Off-season vegetables" are vegetables that are preserved in the summer through preservation technology and sold in the winter. With the continuous advancement of preservation technology, many vegetables and fruits can now be supplied all year round, which means that you can buy the vegetables you want in any season, such as garlic sprouts, which are very popular. Strictly speaking, the Chinese cabbage and potatoes that northerners often eat in winter are also off-season. They are stored before winter and eaten in winter.

3. Off-season cultivation

In winter, the use of protective and semi-protected facilities to cultivate off-season vegetables is what we call "greenhouse vegetables". With the maturity of greenhouse cultivation technology and the reduction of related production costs, as long as the temperature and humidity are guaranteed, vegetables do not mind stretching branches and leaves, blooming and bearing fruits in the middle of winter.

Are off-season vegetables safe? Obviously, there is nothing to worry about the first and second types of off-season vegetables, but there are more concerns about the third type, which is greenhouse-grown vegetables. They believe that off-season fruits and vegetables are ripened by pesticides and hormones, and not only are their nutritional value low, but it is also hard to say whether they are safe. So let's talk about hormones and pesticides.

When it comes to hormones, everyone gets nervous. However, plant hormones are not the "hormones" that we think are harmful to the human body. They are also called "plant growth regulators". Their main function is to promote or inhibit the growth and development of plants. They only work on plants and have no effect on humans. Currently, the widely used plant hormones are basically non-toxic or have very low toxicity. Only a small amount is needed to have an effect on plants. They will automatically degrade after use, and the residual amount is very low.

Pesticide residues The warm and humid environment of greenhouses is not only suitable for the growth of vegetables, but also for the growth of pathogens and pests. The use of pesticides is also a last resort. However, the pesticides allowed by the state for use on fruits and vegetables have all undergone safety assessments and are already quite efficient. The standardized and reasonable use of pesticides can effectively prevent and control pests and diseases while ensuring food safety.

At present, my country's regulatory authorities will conduct food safety tests on fruits and vegetables on the market, and unqualified products will be removed from the shelves in a timely manner. Therefore, it is still necessary to buy fruits and vegetables in regular places, and do not buy fruits and vegetables sold by mobile vendors just to save money.

Off-season vegetables vs seasonal vegetables: which is more nutritious? Off-season vegetables are indeed not as nutritious as seasonal vegetables. The sugar and flavor components in vegetables determine the taste of the vegetables, and the formation of these components is closely related to light and temperature. High temperature and high light intensity will increase the accumulation of sugar and flavor components in vegetables. Vegetables grown in the open field have a higher ambient temperature and stronger light during their growth, so their flavor and taste are better, especially vegetables suitable for eating raw, such as tomatoes and cucumbers, and vegetables with unique flavors, such as peppers and celery.

The nutritional value of off-season vegetables is not low, and some of their nutrients may even be better than seasonal vegetables. If the temperature during the growth process of vegetables is low, their own protection mechanism will prompt them to produce more vitamin C and phenolic substances. As plant-derived antioxidants, these two substances play an important role in human health. During the growth process of greenhouse-grown vegetables, the temperature is generally lower than that of seasonal vegetables, and some are in a state of low temperature stress. Therefore, their vitamin C and phenolic content is not necessarily lower than that of seasonal open-field vegetables, and may even be higher.

Off-season vegetables provide us with more choices in winter and spring when vegetables are scarce, enriching consumers' tables and improving public health and quality of life.

If you choose naturally ripened local seasonal vegetables for taste or environmental friendliness reasons, it is worth supporting, but there is no need to be afraid of out-of-season vegetables.