You already know how to keep your produce, deli/bakery and hot meal bar fresh, so why not keep your social media fresh too? Share these tips and tricks with your customers on social media for fun interaction, brought to you by AWG’s own social media expert Maggie Holmes.
Picking out your produce while grocery shopping can be stressful. You want to make sure you are getting produce that is ripe, but not too ripe, while using your senses. Well, here are some tips to make sure you are getting the best produce for your family!
Look: When looking over the mountain of fresh produce, you should avoid any bruising, soft spots, dents or cracks. This can mean the produce has been sitting for a while.
Touch: Depending on the produce, they should feel slightly firm. Not too hard (not ripe enough) and not squishy (too ripe). An avocado for instance should feel firm with just a little softness. A watermelon should feel heavy and when knocked on with your knuckles, if it sounds hollow, it is most likely ripe.
Smell: Most produce will have a fresh, sweet and delicious smell to them when they are ripe. Some don’t have any smell when they are ripe such as avocados, citrus, grapes and blueberries, but you will defiantly know when they have gone bad!
Now that you have picked out your fruits and veggies, let move to the main course, the meats! Picking out fresh meat is more obvious as you don’t want discolored, foul-smelling or an expired date on the packaging. Let’s talk about how to prepare and cook your meats to your satisfaction.
Before you put any meat on the grill, smoker or in the oven, you can’t forget the seasonings! There is no perfect way, amount or specifics when it comes to seasoning meat. If you don’t know much about seasonings, it would be a good idea to get a rub or a collection that are already made for you. Some meat smoking professionals use rubs instead of putting each different seasoning on a large amount of meat. You can buy specific rubs for specific meats as well.
Next up, put some heat on the meat! Depending on what you are cooking, the temperature and longevity of the meat will vary. Larger meats such as pork butt, ribs and brisket will take hours if not all day. Depending on what you are cooking the meat on will determine the temperature as well. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, now would be a good time to invest in one as it is harder to know when the meat is fully cooked.
When using a grill to cook your smaller meats, hamburger, steak, pork chops and chicken, you will be able to tell when they are done cooking by what they look like on the outside and inside. On the outside, you will see that the meat has gotten a darker look to it. It should not still be pink or red like it was when you brought it out of the package unless you like your meat on the rare side. You can also cut a line in the meat and slightly pull it apart to look at the color inside. When doing this, you will want to cut in the thickest part of the meat to ensure it is cooked to your liking. Next step, enjoy and know you are eating the freshest produce and meats!
If you would like help with your store’s social media, contact Maggie at Margaret.holmes@awginc.com
