Food - Drink
What To Look For When Buying Fresh Fennel
By SYLVIA TOMCZAK
Fennel is a vegetable with a distinct licorice-like flavor, and belongs to the apiaceae family alongside carrots, parsnips, celery, and anise. This aromatic veggie can be cooked or eaten raw, but it's not the most common produce around, so you might need to familiarize yourself with visual cues to help you pick the best fennel bulbs.
When buying fennel, look for bright, pearly white bulbs with firm green stalks and feathery fronds. It’s also important to choose a tightly-packed bulb to guarantee freshness and a proper crunchy texture; as for what to avoid, steer clear of bulbs that are brown, yellow, soft, bruised, or look like they're separating or falling apart.
Size doesn’t matter when it comes to the quality of fennel, but shape does; you want to look for thick and rounded bulbs, which will be juicy and aromatic. To keep fennel fresh, separate the stalks, bulbs, and fronds and keep each part in different airtight containers for up to 10 days, or store the stalks and fronds in a jar of water.